IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THE BARRELS OF SMALL ARMS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Monks, of the City of Chester, Gun-
maker, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL
ARMS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THE BARRELS OF
SMALL ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Monks
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th March 1881.
WILLIAM HENRY MONKS, of the City of Chester, Gun Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF THE BARRELS OF SMALL ARMS."
My improvements in breech loading small arms are applicable principally to
double barrel small arms, but may also be applied to single barrel small arms, and
have for their object to remedy the defects which aro frequently found to exist in
double barrel small arms of the ordinary construction.
In the ordinary method of manufacture the iron or steel of which the barrels
are composed is frequently much injured by the heat which is applied in brazing
the barrels together, and in connecting the rib and lump or lumps to the said
barrels.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a double barrel small arm.
Instead of connecting the barrels, lump or lumps, and ribs by brazing, I form
from one solid piece of steel a band or coil having on its under side the lump or
lumps, and having slightly inclined to one another holes bored in it for the reception
of the breech ends of the barrels. The said band or coil has the same general
figure as that of the breech end of the double barrel small arm with its rib and
lump or lumps as ordinarily manufactured. The barrels are introduced into the
band or coil from the breech end, and the positions of the barrels in the coil are
either determined by shoulders in the coil and barrels, preferably at about three
inches from the breech end, or by soldering or shrinking the coil on the barrels.
I prefer to make the said coil five or six inches long, and to make the thickness
of metal between the holes in which the barrels are inserted equal to the thickness

page_text: of metal on the outer sides of the coil, but I do not limit myself to any particular
proportions.
When the barrels are inserted and fixed in the coil the whole has the same
section as that of a pair of barrels of the ordinary manufacture, but the pair of
barrels made according to my Invention is free from the weakness attendant on
the ordinary method of manufacture. The barrels are easily removed and replaced
when necessary for repair or for other purpose.
My improvements in machinery for the manufacture of the barrels of small arms
have for their object principally the manufacture of barrels for small arms of the
kind herein before described, but may also be applied to the manufacture of the
barrels of other small arms. The object of the said machinery is to give great
truth of figure to the barrel externally, and to secure the same strength of metal
on all sides of the barrel.
The said machinery is constructed essentially as follows:-On the rest of an
ordinary lathe I fix a cutting tool or emery wheel, and at the back of the bed of
the lathe I fix a guide, the said guide having the figure of the exterior of the
barrel to be made. The rear end of the rest in its travelling motion bears against
this guide. In order to prevent any spring or yielding of the barrel when being
operated upon by the machine I attach to the rest of the lathe a travelling stay,
which being carried along by the rest supports the barrel close to the point on
which the tool or emery wheel is operating. The said stay in its travelling motion
follows the fixed guide.
In using this machine the barrel after having been truly bored is placed upon a
tight fitting mandril, and the said mandril with the barrel upon it is fixed between
the centres of the lathe.
Rotary motion being given to the mandril and barrel, the rest carrying the
turning tool or emery wheel is made to travel from end to end of the bed of the
lathe. The rest working against the guide the required figure is given to the
barrel, and the travelling stay following the guide prevents any yielding of the
barrel under the cutting tool or emery wheel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Henry Monks in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th September 1881.
WILLIAM HENRY MONKS, of the City of Chester, Gun Maker. “IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF THE BARRELS OF SMALL ARMS."
My improvements in breech loading small arms are applicable principally to
double barrel small arms, but may also be applied to single barrel small arms, and
have for their object to remedy the defects which are frequently found to exist in
double barrel small arms of the ordinary construction.
In the ordinary method of manufacture the iron or steel of which the barrels
are composed is frequently much injured by the heat which is applied in brazing
the barrels together, and in connecting the rib and lump or lumps to the said
barrels.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a double barrel small arm.
Instead of connecting the barrels, lump or lumps, and ribs by brazing, I form
from one solid piece of steel a band or coil having on its under side the lump or
lumps, and having slightly inclined to one another holes bored in it for the
reception of the breech ends of the barrels. The said band or coil has the same
general figure as that of the breech end of double barrel small arm with its rib
and lump or lumps as ordinarily manufactured.
The barrels are introduced into the band or coil from the breech end, and the
positions of the barrels in the coil having been determined by shoulders in the coil
and barrels, preferably at about three inches from the breech end, the said barrels
are fixed in the coil by soldering or brazing or shrinking the coil on the barrels.
I prefer to make the said coil five or six inches long, and to make the thickness
of metal between the holes in which the barrels are inserted equal to the thickness
of metal on the outer sides of the coil; but I do not limit myself to any particular
proportions.
When the barrels are inserted and fixed in the coil the whole has the same
section as that of a pair of barrels of the ordinary manufacture, but the pair of
barrels made according to my Invention is free from the weakness attendant on the
ordinary method of manufacture. The barrels are easily removed and replaced
when necessary for repair or for other purpose.
This part of my Invention is illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and. 3, of the
accompanying Drawing.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal section, and Figure 2 in cross section, the
breech end of a double barrel for a breech loading gun or small arm constructed
according to my Invention.
The section, Figure 1, is taken on the line C, D, Figure 2, and the section,
Figure 2, is taken on the line E, F, Figure 1; Figure 3 represents in side elevation
and end elevation a single barrel constructed according to my Invention drawn to
a small scale.
.
a, a, Figures 1 and 2, are the barrels, and 6 is the band, coil, or breech piece by
which the breech ends of the barrels are connected together. The said band, coil,
or breech piece b has on its underside the lumps c, c, and on its upper side the
rib d, the said lumps and rib being made solid to or in one piece with the said band,
coil, or breech piece b. The rib d may be similar to an ordinary rib or may be an
extended rib for the top bolt of the gun to engage with. In the said band or
coil b holes e, e, slightly inclined to one another are bored for the reception of the

page_text: breech ends of the barrels a, a. On the exterior of each of the barrels is a shoulder f
(see Figure 1) and in the interior of each of the. holes e, e, in the band or breech
piece 6 is a corresponding shoulder for the shoulder f on the barrel to abut against.
The said shoulders prevent the barrels being forced through the said band or breech
piece. The barrels are accurately turned to fit in the bored holes e, e, in the band or
breech piece b.
In connecting the barrels a, a, to the coil or breech piece b, they are introduced
into the holes e, e, from the wide or breech end of the coil or breech piece and the
shoulders f,f, on the barrels made to abut against the shoulders in the holes e, e, in
the breech piece. The positions of the barrels in the breech piece having been
thus determined the barrels are soldered or brazed in the breech piece, or the
breech piece shrunk on the barrels, I prefer however to solder or braze the barrels
in the breech piece. The breech end of the pair of barrels the parts of which have
thus been connected together has the same sectional figure as a pair of barrels of
the ordinary manufacture.
In applying my improvements to single barrels, as represented in Figure 3, the
band or breech piece is of the form of a single tube with the lump or lumps on its
underside. In the said Figure 3 the single barrel is marked a and the breech
piece or band b.
I make the coil, band, or breech. piece b by forging, and afterwards bore out the
holes e, e, and shape the exterior and the rib and lump or lumps by planing or
filing. Or the coil, band, or breech piece may be cast in malleable cast iron and
afterwards annealed. The coil, band, or breech piece may be made of any shape
or strength of metal.
By the improvements described the following advantages are secured :-As
brazing is dispensed with in connecting the lumps the overheating of and injury to
the barrels is avoided; the barrels at the breech end where they are joined together
and where the greatest amount of strain takes place have the same thickness of
metal, and are consequently of equal strength throughout; the lump or lumps being
solid with the band or breech piece cannot give way or become detached and any
injured barrel can be removed and replaced with great facility.
My improvements in machinery for the manufacture of the barrels of small arms
have for their object principally the manufacture of barrels for small arms of the
kind herein before described, but may also be applied to the manufacture of the
barrels of other small arms. The object of the said machinery is to give great
truth of figure to the barrel externally, and to secure the same strength of metal on
all sides of the barrel.
The said machinery is constructed essentially as follows:-On the rest of an
ordinary lathe I fix a cutting tool or emery wheel, and at the back of the bed of
the lathe I fix a guide, the said guide having the figure of the exterior of the
barrel to be made. The rear end of the rest in its travelling motion bears against
this guide. In order to prevent any springing or yielding of the barrel when being
operated on by the machine I attach to the rest of the lathe a travelling stay,
which being carried along by the rest supports the barrel close to the point on
which the tool or emery wheel is operating. The said stay in its travelling motion
follows the fixed guide.
In using this machine the barrel after having been truly bored is placed upon a
tight fitting mandril, and the said mandril with the barrel upon it is fixed between
the centres of the lathe.
Rotary motion being given to the mandril and barrel the rest carrying the
turning tool or emery wheel is made to travel from end to end of the bed of
the lathe. The rest working against the guide the required figure is given
to the barrel, and the travelling stay following the guide prevents any yielding of
the barrel under the cutting tool or emery wheel
This part of my Invention is illustrated in plan in Figure 4, and cross section in
Figure 5, the said section being taken on the line A, B, Figure 4.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 4 and 5: a is
]

page_text: the bed of the lathe or machine on which the saddle h works, the said saddle
carrying the cross slide i, and the upper or tool holder slide rest k. The said upper
slide rest i supports the rotating emery wheel 1, or other grinding tool driven by a
band passing over the pulley m. In place of the rotating emery wheel & a turning
tool may be used. a is the gun barrel to be ground or turned, fixed between the
centres m, n, in the usual way, and rotary motion is given to the barrel a and its
mandril by the arm p in the usual way. Behind and parallel to the bed g of the
lathe or machine is a bar q fixed by the supports q, q, to the said bed. In the
bar q is a curved guide slot r, the said slot having the Figure of the exterior of
the barrel to be made.
Working in the curved guide slot r is a screw pin s, the said pin being connected
by a screw nut on its underside to the rear end of the cross slide i carrying the
slide rest k, as best seen in Figure 5. As the saddle h of the lathe or machine
makes its traversing motion on the bed g, the cross slide i and tool rest k move
together, the emery or grinding wheel or turning tool carried by the said rest k
travelling from end to end of the rotating barrel a and grinding or turning the
said barrel. During the traversing motion of the slide rest the pin s on the cross
slide i working in the guide slot causes the emery wheel or turning tool to
follow the configuration of the said guide slot, and thus to give the required figure
to the exterior of the barrel.
Owing to the length and lightness of the barrel being operated upon it has a
tendency to yield during the action of the emery or grinding wheel or turning tool
upon it. This is prevented by means of a traversing stay or stays constructed as
follows: On the opposite side of the barrel a to that at which the emery wheel Z
is situated, and in a line with the said wheel 7, is a stay or support t bolted to and
travelling with the saddle h. In the head of this stay or support a hole is bored
to receive a coiled spring t (see Figure 5), the end of which bears against a steel
bolt or piece with a concave face and presses the said bolt against the barrel.
As the traversing stay tis carried along with the cross support i and rest / it
supports the barrel a with a yielding pressure close to the point on which the
emery wheel or tool is operating, and thus counteracts the pressure of the said
wheel or tool, and prevents the yielding or springing of the barrel laterally.
For the purpose of preventing the upward springing or yielding of the barrel
during the grinding or turning operation, I joint at to the upright u on the
saddle a crank lever w, x. The end of the horizontal arm w of this crank lever
projects over the barrel a, and carries at that end a set screw w³, having a swivelling
end hollowed out to fit the barrel a. The end of the vertical arm of the crank
lever fits between the snugs y, y, on the cross side i (see Figure 5). As the cross.
slide i follows the curvature of the guide slot r by the action of its pin 8, as before
described, a corresponding motion is given to the crank lever w, x, and the hori-
zontal arm w of the said lever is thus made to prevent the barrel from bending or
springing upwards, the movement of the slide i causing the said crank lever to
adjust itself to the varying thickness of the barrel, as will be understood by an
examination of Figure 5. By the use of this part of my Invention barrels are
produced having great truth of figure externally and of uniform strength of metal,
the barrels so treated being especially fitted for use with the coil or breech piece
herein first described, but this part of my Invention may be applied to the
external grinding or turning of barrels generally.
Having, now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as
my Invention,-
First. The improvements in breech loading small arms herein before described
and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawing, that is to
say, connecting together the double barrels of breech loading small arms, by means
5 of a coil band or breech piece marked b in Figures 1 and 2, having the lump or lumps
on its under side, and the rib on its upper side solid therewith, the barrels being
either soldered or brazed in the said coil band or breech piece, or the coil band or

page_text: breech piece shrunk upon the barrels, substantially as and for the purpose described
and illustrated, also the adaptation of the said improvements to the single barrels
of breech loading small arms herein before described and illustrated in Figure 3.
Secondly. The improvements in machinery for grinding or turning the exterior
of the barrels of small arms herein before described and illustrated in Figures 4
and 5 of the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, the combination with or
adaptation to an ordinary lathe of the cross saddle i and slotted guide bar q, r, and
pin & for the purpose, and substantially as described and illustrated, and the com-
bination with the said parts i, q, r, and s of the mechanism described and illustrated
for preventing the side and upward springing or yielding of the barrel during the
grinding or turning operation.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Monks, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
WILLIAM COWAP,
Crane Street,
Chester.
WILLIAM HENRY MONKS. (L.B.)