Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES ROOSE, late of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, but
now of Dudley Port, in the Parish of Tipton, in the County of Stafford,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing daté at Westminster, the Eighteenth day
of November, in the seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Roose,
my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said James Roose, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, and every of them, by himself and them-
selves, or by his and their deputy or deputies, servants or agents,
or such others as I, the said James Roose, my exors, adñors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England and Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my

page_text: Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OR
METHOD OF MANUFACTURING GUN BARRELS AND ORDNANCE;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said
James Roose, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same
to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same Letters Patent, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said James Roose, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
described and ascertained by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and in
the words following (that is to say):
My Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of welding
the seams or joints of twisted gun barrels and ordnance; and the im-
provement consist of a means or particular mode of passing the iron
skelp or partly formed barrel through a grove or grooves of a pair of
rolls, or through a hole in a pair of dies or tongs.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS HEREUNTO ANNEXED.
A, Figure 1, represents a pair of dies or tongs, having a partly cliptical
or oval bell or enlarged mouth. B, represents the frame of the tongs in
which the dies slide. The dies have a spring at the back end of each of
them, which spring is regulated in strength according to the strength
or substance of the iron in the skelp or barrel. Each spring is fastened
or prevented from loosing its position by the ends being bent, and slides
against the outside of the frame of the tongs, or by a pin or screw being
fastened through them in the dies. Figures S, S, S, S, represent a stop in
the frame of the tongs to prevent the dies sliding or expanding more than
the springs will admit of without being injured. C, Figure 2, represents
a bar or rod of iron or steel, with a swell or rim of iron or steel being
welded to it some distance down it, for the purpose of preventing the
barrel being forced off, when the welding pressure is upon it, in passing

page_text: through the hole in the dies or tongs. The intended small end of the
barrel first enters the hole in the dies or tongs, and owing to the springs
at the back end of each of the dies in the tongs and the hole being partly
elliptical or oval form or shape, with a bell or enlarged mouth, will give
pressure to the small end as well as the large end of the barrel. The
barrel being secured at the one end from being pushed off by the swell
or rim being on the bar or rod, and the resistance offered or opposed
when passing through the hole in the pressing dies, presses the joints,
seams, or twists together, and immediately upon that welds them; the
tongs or dies are placed by the workmen against a suitable stop made
for that purpose, and then the barrel with the instrument in the inside
is passed through the hole in the dies or tongs by means of a draw
bench; the barrel is reheated and passed, as may be required.
F, Figure 5, represents a stop which is placed in the front of the rolls;
this stop is similar to the stops now used by those parties that roll gun
barrells, with this difference, that it has two additional bars across it;
these bars are for the purpose of placing upon the top a driving rod G
and H, Figures 6 and 7. The driving rod slides in a groove I, Figure 8,
attached to the two bars on the one part of the driving rod; these are
placed upon the top, and it is driven by a cog wheel; the sides or frame
in which the wheel works and gains its support is attached to the two
bars Figure 9, and may be slided opposite any of the grooves in the
rolls. The wheel is driven by a square shaft, bar, or rod of iron, which
is attached or set in motion by steam engine or other power. This
driving rod is for this purpose when the barrell is upon the maundrel;
it is introduced into the rolls to force the twist up together, so that
when it is passing under the pressure of the rolls a very effectual weld
at the joints, seams, or twist is obtained or effected without disfiguring
or making the twist irregular. The rolls are the same as those used
by the present mode of rolling gun barrels, as may be seen at K,
Figure 10.
And in order to give the best information in my power I will pro-
ceed to describe the manner in which my Invention may be most
fully and readily carried into effect. Firstly, I take a strip of iron, or
part iron and steel, or all iron or steel, of the required length, breadth,

page_text: and thickness, depending upon the kind of barrel required, and proceed
to turn, roll, draw, or convert it into a skelp or form of barrel; if for
à twisted barrel I have the iron twisted in the same manner as it is
practised by gun barrel welders now. I then proceed to place the skelp
or partly formed barrel in the furnace, and insert the bar or rod of iron
in the barrel from the back end of the furnace, so that the bar or rod
may be caught hold of and brought out of the furnace by a pair of
plyers on the draw bench. When the barrel upon the maundrel has
reached a good welding heat, at the back end of the furnace I have a
hole, so that the bar or rod may be put in the barrel from the back and
brought out of the front with the bar or rod in the inside of the barrel;
the instrument is then caught hold of by the plyers, and dies or tongs
being placed on the outside of the bar or rod against the stop or the
end of the draw bench, the plyers being then attached to the chain, will
draw the instrument with the barrel on the outside thereof, and will
force the seams, joints, or twists together, and weld them as well as
making it smooth. These tongs or frames, with the dies inside them,
are placed against the stop at the end of the draw bench by one of the
workmen, and put in water after each time of using, for the purpose
of cleansing them from any scale, which stop is placed close to the
mouth of the furnace; the instrument in the inside of the barrel being
caught hold of by the plyers, and the chain being set in motion,
passes the barrel, with the instrument in the inside, through the dies,
the twist being forced together, owing to the stop at the end of the
barrel, under the pressure of the pressing dies; and the dies having
springs at the back end of each of them will give pressure to the small
end as well as the large end of the barrel; the greater the substance is,
the greater the pressure is offered to the barrel, owing to the resistance
opposed by the springs. The barrel is then turned round a little, and
drawn through the dies again, as before described, and the bar or rod
of iron drawn out of it. The barrel is then re-heated, and a mandrel
inserted, and is placed under the grasp of the rolls for the
purpose of
clearing the inside, making it perfectly smooth inside and out, and
making it of a good shape or form. I would remark that there should
not be much pressure upon the barrel, so as to elongate it only sufficient

page_text: to make it of a good shape, equalize the thickness, and make it per-
fectly smooth inside and out. Should the twist draw out a little at the
fore end the iron should be rolled a little taper in its width, so that by
it being lengthened in the rolling, and being drawn out from the fore
end, the narrow part of the iron being up for the fore end, will allow
for the drawing out and make the twist regular.
This improvement is of such a nature that the barrel can be pro-
luced for sale at an immense reduction of expense, and of a much
superior quality and strength, owing to the small quantity of heats to
which it is necessary to submit the material of which the barrel is
composed, which I have before described, and by the quickness of its
operation, and it will have a tendency to improve instead of destroying
the nature of the iron.
I do not claim the welding of twisted gun barrels by machinery;
what I claim as the first part of my Invention is, the construction and
principle of the dies or tongs in conjunction with the bar or rod of
iron or steel, and the ways those are applied. Secondly, I claim the
principle and construction of the bar or rod of iron or maundrel having
a swell some distance from the one end, and the other passing down
the barrel and drawn with the plyers by the chain of the draw bench
when the barrel is about to be welded. Thirdly, I claim the principle
and manner in which the barrel is passed or forced through the lies
or tongs. Fourthly, I claim the principle of the driving rod placed in
front of the rolls, when used for the purpose of forcing the twist up
together, and at the same time passing under the pressure of the rolls..
Fifthly, I claim the peculiar manner of welding twisted wrought iron
or steel by forcing the twist up together. I should wish it to be under-
stood that I do not confine myself to any particular form or shape of
the dies or tongs.
The other part of my Invention, namely, that which relates to the
welding of twisted wrought iron cannon, and the improvement or im-
provements consist of the means of welding the seams, twists, or joints
thereof. And in order that it may be more fully understood I will pro-
ceed to describe the manner in which I carry it into effect:-First, I
take a piece of iron of the required size and length, according to the

page_text: size of cannon about to be welded, and proceed to put it into the fur-
nace; when it has reached to a sufficient heat to allow it to be turned,
I place the one end, after having been first put into water, between
a flange and the maundrel, which flange is attached to a chock; in
this chock there is placed the one end, which is square, of a taper
maundrel, the other end being secured upon a bearing; the chock is
driven by a crab that is attached to the steam engine or other power,
and revolves, and by there being a bar of iron placed in front
thereof causes the hot iron to twist or wrap round the maundrel,
very similar to the present mode of twisting the skelps of twisted
gun barrels, which is well known. I prefer a taper maundrel, on
account of releasing it from the twisted iron. After the whole of
this is performed I proceed to put the twisted iron in the furnace
again with a hollow maundrel in the inside, projecting through each
end of the twist and through the furnace, so that there may be water
applied to the inside of the maundrel if found requisite. When the
twist has reached a good welding heat it is brought out of the fur-
nace by the aid of cranes; the one end of the maundrel is placed then
through a hole in the face of a heavy hammer, and the other is put
through a hole in the face of an anvil. This hammer slides up and
down the one end of the maundrel, and keeps beating or hammering
upon the end of the twist, by which means a very effectual weld is
obtained. The hammer is driven by means of a camb-ring, which camb-
ring is driven by a shaft from the engine. The twist cannot get from
under the hammer, on account of the one end of the maundrel being
through the face of the anvil, and the other through the face of the
hammer. The top part of the hole in the hammer should be a little
larger than the bottom part on account of the lift of the hammer.
When this is performed I again place the one end of the twist in the
furnace, together with a solid piece of iron in the end that is in the
furnace, and when in a welding state I bring it under a regular forge
hammer and then weld the piece in. After that it is heated and placed
under a forge hammer for the purpose of making the outside smooth, of
proper shape, and ready to be turned and bored. And in order that it
may be more fully understood, I will proceed to describe the Drawings

page_text: This
hereunto annexed. Figure 1, represents a taper maundrel.
maundrel is for the purpose of twisting the iron on, and is made taper
on account of releasing it from the twist. Figure 2, represents a chock
with a flaunge upon it. This flaunge is for the purpose of putting the
end of the iron in between the flaunge and the maundrel, so that it may
hold the end, and by it revolving produces the iron into a twist. Figure
3, represents a center point against which the maundrel works. Figure
4, represents a clutch or crab, and is for the purpose of driving the chock
and mandrel when wanted. Figure 5, represents the bearings in which
the centre point and the end of the taper mandrel works. Figure 6,
represents a bar or plate of iron in front of the maundrell, and is for
the purpose of preventing the hot iron about to be twisted from passing
round with the maundrell without performing the warp. Figure 7,
represents a hammer, which hammer is lifted by a camb-ring revolving,
Figure 8, and is for the purpose of hammering the twist down together,
and by the twist being brought out of the furnace and in a welding state
has the tendency to make a most perfect weld of the seams or joints of
the twist. Figure 9, represents a carriage upon which the back part
of the hammer and hammer elve works or gains that part of its support.
Figure 10, represents a square shaft, which is driven by the engine and
causes the camb-ring to revolve. Figure 11, represents a gag, and is
for the purpose of keeping the hammer higher when lifted up than
the camb-ring, so that it cannot act upon it when the hammer is not
wanted to be at work, which is commonly called gagging up. Figure
12, represents the twist with the maundrel in the inside, and projects
through the hole in both the hammer and anvil to keep the twist
under the hammer.
I would wish it to be understood that I do not claim the welding
of twisted wrought iron cannon. That which I claim as this part of
my Invention is, the principle of forcing up the twist together when
in a sufficiently hot state for welding, so that the seams, joints, or
twists may be sufficiently welded. Secondly, I claim the manner in
which the skelp or twisted iron is placed under the hammer, with a
maundril projecting through each end, the one end being placed through
the hole in the face of the anvill, and the other through the face of the

page_text: hammer, so that the skelp or twisted iron cannot get from under the
hammer whilst the hammer is beating or welding the twist together.
Thirdly, I claim the principle of the hammer working up and down
and around the maundril by a hole being in the face of the hammer.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Roose, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and forty-four.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixteenth day of May, in
the year of our Lord 1844, the aforesaid James Roose came before
our said Lady the Queen, in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid
was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-four.