IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ORDNANCE and GUN BARRELS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ORDNANCE and
GUN BARRELS" to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of cannon and gun barrels by first
forming a number of cylindric shells and then securing them one upon, and outside
of, another to form a composite cannon or gun barrel; and the object of the inven-
tion is to secure a closer and more perfect fit between the shells which successively
inclose one another.
According to my present invention I first produce a number of seamless drawn
cylindric shells from sheet or plate metal by folding and drawing operations
performed by dies and mandrels, and I then, by means of dies and mandrels, fold
in, and contract, the shells one upon another so that they shall closely hug, and
fit tightly upon, one another when they are all combined to form the gun or
gun barrel.
In carrying out my invention I prefer to subject the metal in a hot state during
the early stages of the process, to the folding-in operations necessary to change the
shape from the flat to the cylindric, and in a cold state to the subsequent drawing
operations by which the cylindric shells are condensed, consolidated, tempered, and
finished; and I also prefer to subject the shells in a cold state to the later folding
operations by which the shells are contracted one upon another.
This invention may be employed in making guns or barrels having two, or any
greater number of shells. These several cylindric shells are made by subjecting
sheet or plate metal to the operations of folding-in, and drawing, by means of
suitable dies and mandrels.. The metal may be subjected, in a hot or cold state, to
such folding-in and drawing operations, or I may, and I now prefer to, subject the
metal in a hot state to the early stages of the operation whereby the metal is folded
in to change its form from flat to cylindric, and in a cold state to the later stages

page_text: "
of the operation, whereby the shells are condensed, consolidated, hardened and
tempered. Such process of making cylindric shells forms the subject matter of
previous application for British Letters Patent No 5265 dated April 28, 1885.
When thus produced, the cylindric shells vary very considerably in size, each
shell being considerably larger in diameter than the one which it is to receive, and
considerably smaller than the shell which is to receive it.
The shells may all be of the same thickness, or the inner shell may be thicker
than those surrounding it.
In combining the shells together, I first place the innermost and smallest shell
on a mandrel, and having introduced the mandrel and inner shell, within the
larger outer shell, I force them together through a suitable die, of such size that,
by the passage of the shells, through the die the outermost shell, will be folded
down tightly on to the exterior of the shell and caused to fit snugly thereon from
end to end.
One passage of the shells through a single die may suffice to fold in and
contract each shell tightly upon the one within it, or two or more passes of the
shells through dies of different sizes may be necessary to complete the folding-in
and contraction of each shell upon the one next within it.
I now prefer to subject the cylindric shells in a cold state to the folding-in
operation necessary to contract them tightly one upon another, as in that case the
hardness, solidity and temper which the shells have received from the previous cold
drawing operations will remain unimpaired, and because the additional solidity,
hardness, and temper imparted to the metal would not be secured by folding in the
shells one upon another while in a hot state.
The folding-in operation or operations are repeated with each shell until the
shells are all contracted solidly one upon another, thus preparing the cannon or gun
for the reception of the trunnion band; and the mandrel is then removed and the
gun completed.
The shells may have, in their closed ends, a small hole serving as a vent to
facilitate the withdrawal of the mandrel.
This 'invention is applicable either to muzzle or breech loading guns, and by it'
a very strong and light gun may be produced and one which may be finished'
at small cost.
Dated them 01
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: Barrels.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to. the manufacture of gun barrels and ordnance by first
forming a number of cylindrical shells and then securing them one upon and
outside of another to form a composite gun barrel or cannon.
The object of the invention is to secure a closer and more perfect fit than hereto-
fore between the shells which successively enclose one another.
According to the present invention I first produce a number of seamless drawn
cylindrical shells from sheet or plate metal, by folding and drawing operations
performed by dies and mandrels; and I then by means of dies and mandrels fold
in and contract the shells one upon another so that they shall closely hug and
fit tightly upon one another when they are all combined to form the gun or gun
barrel.
In carrying out this invention I prefer to subject the metal in a hot state during
the early stages of the process, to the folding-in operations necessary to change the
shape from the flat to the cylindrical, and in a cold state to the subsequent drawing
operations by which the cylindrical shells are condensed consolidated, tempered
and finished; and I also prefer to subject the shells in a cold state to the later
folding operations by which the shells are contracted one upon another.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 represents a mandrel and a sectional view of a shell folded thereon.
Figure 2 represents in section, two cylindrical shells and a die and mandrel and
illustrates the operation of folding-in the shells one upon another; and
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a cannon made according to my invention
and composed of four shells, the cannon being ready for the application of the
trunnion band.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A, B, C, D designate four cylindrical shells which are combined to form the gun
here represented.
The invention may be employed in making guns or barrels having two, or any
greater number of shells.
These several cylindrical shells are made by subjecting sheet or plate metal to
the operations of folding-in and drawing by means of suitable dies and mandrels.
The metal may be subjected in a hot or cold state to such folding-in and drawing
operations, or I may, and I now prefer, to subject the metal, in a hot state, to the
early stages of the operation, whereby the metal is folded in to change its form
from flat to cylindrical; and, in a cold state, to the later stages of the operation,
whereby the shells are condensed, consolidated, hardened and tempered. Such
process of making cylindrical shells forms the subject matter of British Letters
Patent dated April 28th 1885 N° 5265 and I do not therefore desire to claim such
process broadly.
When thus produced the cylindrical shells vary very considerably in size,
as will be seen from Figure 2, each shell.being considerably larger in diameter than

page_text: the one which it is to receive, and considerably smaller than the shell which is to
receive it.
The shells may all be of the same thickness or the inner shell A may be thicker
than those surrounding it.
In combining the shells, I first place the innermost and smallest shell on a
mandrel E, and having introduced the mandrel and shell A, within the next larger
outer shell B, I force them together through a suitable die F, of such size that by
the passage of the shells through the die the outermost shell B, will be folded
down tightly on to the exterior of the shell A, and be caused to fit snugly thereon
from end to end.
One passage of the shells through a single die may suffice to fold-in and contract
each shell tightly upon the one within it, or two or more passes of the shells
through dies of different sizes may be necessary to complete the folding-in and
contraction of each shell upon the one next within it.
I prefer to subject the cylindrical shells in a cold state, to the folding-in opera-
tion necessary to contract them tightly one upon another, as in that case the
hardness, solidity and temper which the shells have received from the previous
cold drawing operations will remain unimpaired and because the additional solidity,
hardness and temper imparted to the metal would not be secured by folding-in the
shells one upon another while in a hot state.
The folding-in operation or operations are repeated with each shell until the
shells are all contracted solidly one upon another, as shown in Figure 3, thus
preparing the cannon or gun for the reception of the trunnion band. The
mandrel, E, is then removed and the gun completed.
The shells may have in their closed ends a small hole serving as a vent to
facilitate the withdrawal of the mandrel.
The invention is applicable either to muzzle or breech loading guns, and by it a
very strong and light gun may be produced and at small cost.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is,
First. The improvement in the method of making a gun or gun barrel, con-
sisting in first producing a number of seamless drawn shells, and in then subjecting
the shells while placed one outside another to a further folding-in operation, in
order to combine them together, substantially as herein described.
Second. The improvement in the method of making a gun or gun barrel,
consisting in first producing a number of seamless drawn shells, and in then sub-
jecting the shells while placed one outside another and in a cold state to further
folding-in operations, in order to combine them together; substantially as herein
described.
Third. The improvement in the method of making a gun or gun barrel, con-
sisting in first producing a number of seamless drawn shells by subjecting the
metal in a hot state to the folding in operations necessary to change its form from
flat to cylindrical, and in a cold state to the subsequent drawing operations, and
in then subjecting the shells while placed one outside another and in a cold state,
to further folding-in operations in order to combine them together, substantially as
herein described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.