IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNS AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gustavus Palmer Harding, of 77, Cornhill, in the
City of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF GUNS AND ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 13th January 1865, and dated the 19th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gustavus Palmer Harding
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th July 1864.
I, GUSTAVUS PALMER HARDING, of 77, Cornhill, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNS AND ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of guns
and ordnance.
For these purposes each gun or piece of ordnance is composed of two, three,
or more thicknesses of metal, which thicknesses may be of like or of different
descriptions of metal. It is preferred, however, that in all cases the interior
thickness should be of comparatively hard metal whilst the outer ones are of
relatively soft metal.

page_text: In constructing a gun or piece of ordnance it is preferred that there should
be used a breech piece extending any desired length from the rear end
towards the fore end of the gun or piece of ordnance, and that this breech
piece should be forced on to the end of the first or inner lining by a hydraulic
press, the first lining being then on a mandril or core so as to cause the
rounding or conical end of the first lining to be compressed between the
interior of the breech piece and the conical or rounded end of the mandril.
The first lining is next to be expanded into the sides of the breech piece so as
to complete the fitting, and at the same time it has its own interior formed
correctly of a size to receive the next lining, and so on till the required
number of linings or thicknesses of metal have been brought together and
expanded one into the other. The linings in all cases consist of drawn
tubular metal without seam or joint, and the breech end of each of the linings
is partially closed or coned by drawing or otherwise to nearly the form of the
interior breech end of the breech piece or previous lining, and it is to be
brought to the precise form at its rear end by being placed on a mandril or
core and by having the exterior covering forced on by a hydraulic press. In
order to expand these tubular thicknesses or linings one into another other
mandrils are used, each consisting of a strong stem having intermediate of its
length an enlargement or bulb corresponding in size (at its largest part) to
the intended interior diameter of the lining. The stem of the mandril passes
through the rear end of the gun or piece of ordnance and the bulb or enlarged
portion of the mandril is made to pass by preference by hydraulic machinery
from the fore end to rear end of the lining, by which, as already mentioned,
such lining will be expanded and caused to fit the exterior covering whether
it be a previous lining or a breech piece. The mandril having been passed
from end to end of the tubular lining is moved back out of such lining. The
passage through the rear end of the gun or piece of ordnance is to be closed
by a screw or other suitable plug, which, when the piece of ordnance is for
muzzle-loading, is preferred to be introduced from the muzzle. It is preferred
in all cases that the whole process should be performed on the metal
when cold.
These improvements are also applicable in expanding linings into old guns
and ordnance

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Gustavus Palmer Harding in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GUSTAVUS
PALMER HARDING, of 77, Cornhill, in the City of London, Merchant, send-
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Gustavus Palmer Harding, Her special licence that I, the
said Gustavus Palmer Harding, my executors, administrators, and assigns,:
or such others as I, the said Gustavus Palmer Harding, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNS
AND ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Gustavus
Palmer Harding, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Gustavus Palmer Harding, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of guns
and ordnance.
For these purposes each gun or piece of ordnance is composed of two,
three, or more thicknesses of metal, which thicknesses may be of like or of
different descriptions of metal. It is preferred, however, that in all cases the
interior thickness thould be of comparatively hard metal whilst the outer ones
are of relatively soft metal.
In constructing a gun or piece of ordnance it is preferred that there should
be used a breech piece extending any desired length from the rear end

page_text: towards the fore end of the gun or piece of ordnance, and at this breech
piece should be forced on to the end of the first or inner lining by a hydraulic
press, the first lining being then on a mandril or core so as to cause the
rounding or conical end of the first lining to be compressed between the
interior of the breech piece and the conical or rounded end of the mandril.
The first lining is next to be expanded into the sides of the breech piece so as
to complete the fitting, and at the same time it has its own interior formed
correctly of a size to receive the next lining, and so on till the required
number of linings or thicknesses of metal have been brought together and
expanded one into the other. The linings in all cases consist of drawn
tubular metal without seam or joint, and the breech end of each of the linings
is partially closed or coned by drawing or otherwise to nearly the form of the
interior breech end of the breech piece or previous lining, and it is to be
brought to the precise form at its rear end by being placed on a mandril or
core and by having the exterior covering forced on by a hydraulic press. In
order to expand these tubular thicknesses or linings one into another other
mandrils are used, each consisting of a strong stem having intermediate of its
length an enlargement or bulb corresponding in size (at its largest part) to
the intended interior diameter of the lining. The stem of the mandril passes
through the rear end of the gun or piece of ordnance, and the bulb or enlarged
portion of the mandril is made to pass, by preference by hydraulic machinery,
from the fore end to rear end of the lining, by which, as already mentioned,
such lining will be expanded and caused to fit the exterior covering, whether it
be a previous lining or a breech piece. The mandril having been passed from
end to end of the tubular lining is moved back out of such lining. The
passage through the rear end of the gun or piece of ordnance is to be closed
by a screw or other suitable plug, which, when the piece of ordnance is for
muzzle-loading is preferred to be introduced from the muzzle. It is preferred
in all cases that the whole process should be performed on the metal
when cold.
These improvements are also applicable in expanding linings into old guns
and ordnance.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.

page_text: It will be seen that the gun is composed of a breech piece a, trunnion
ring b, and tubes or inner linings c, c', c², c³, c', the breech end being closed by>
a conical plug d and a screw d'.
The mode in which I proceed to construct a gun is as follows:-I form a
breech piece a in any convenient manner, preferring for that purpose to weld.
it into form and to bore the interior thereof in such manner as to obtain a
truly cylindrical surface, the rear end thereof being formed as shewn in
Figure 3, in which view is shewn the mode of putting the breech piece on to
the first inner lining. c, such inner lining c being placed over a mandril e¹
formed on or fixed to the end of a ram e, the breech piece a being forced
thereon by the rising of the ram e, forcing the inner lining upwards towards
the head of the press, which is formed as a die or mould to receive the rear
end of the breech piece a. By these means close contact is obtained between
the interior of the breech piece a towards the end thereof and the exterior of
the first inner lining c, and in order to complete the union of the two surfaces
around the opening through the rear end, I sometimes draw a mandril
through such part, the bulb on which is somewhat larger than the opening
through the inner lining c, and when drawn therethrough it expands that part
of the inner lining c into close contact with the breech piece a, a similar
mandril being drawn through the length of the first inner lining c to effect
close union between it and the breech piece a. The inner lining c¹ after
being drawn to a size to fit the interior of the lining c is placed therein, and
by means of a mandrilf being drawn therethrough, as shewn at Figure 4, is
expanded into the lining c in such manner as to effect a close union of the
adjacent surfaces, the other inner linings being expanded therein in a similar
Motion is given to the mandril by hydraulic power, as described in
the Specifications of previous Patents granted to Messrs. Cristoph, Hawks-
worth, and Harding.
manner.
When the gun has been thus built up to the desired internal diameter the
opening in the rear end has formed therein a screw thread, as shewn at
Figure 1, to receive a screw plug d'; there is also formed therein a short
conical hole to receive a conical plug & placed therein from the muzzle end of
the gun, a trunnion ring 6 being forced on to the gun by a hydraulic press or
fixed thereto by other suitable means. It is preferred that the interior
thickness should be of comparatively hard steel whilst the outer ones are of
relatively softer and softer meter. If desired, the gun may be rifled in the
ordinary manner or by means of projections formed on the bulb of the
mandril, as described in a previous Patent granted to Messrs. Cristoph,
Hawksworth, and Harding, No. 2533º¹.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not.
confine myself to the precise details herein shewn and described; but what I
do claim is, the combined arrangement employed in the manufacture of
guns and ordnance, substantially as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gustavus Palmer Harding, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
G. P. HARDING. (L.B.)