IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNS, CYLINDERS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF CAST STEEL AND HOMOGENEOUS IRON, EITHER SEPARATELY OR IN COMBINATION
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Shortridge and Joseph Bennett Howell, both
of Sheffield, in the County of York, Steel Manufacturers, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNS, CYLINDERS, AND
OTHER ARTICLES OF CAST STEEL AND HOMOGENEOUS IRON, EITHER SEPARATELY
OR IN COMBINATION."
Sealed the 23rd August 1864, and dated the 10th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Shortridge and
Joseph Bennett Howell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 10th March 1864.
We, JOHN SHORTRIDGE and JOSEPH BENNETT HOWELL, both of Sheffield, in
the County of York, Steel Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNS, CYLINDERS,
AND OTHER ARTICLES OF CAST STEEL AND HOMOGENEOUS IRON, EITHER SEPARATELY
OR IN COMBINATION," to be as follows:-
In the manufacture of great guns we form a tube of wrought iron or steel
of the length of the bore of the gun desired, and somewhat less in diameter.
This tube we employ as a core or centre disposed in the centre of the mould
in which is cast the first part of the gun; this we form of either hard or soft
steel, which is reduced to a fluid state and poured around the centre tube
which is previously heated red hot. The fluid steel unites with the iron tube
as in one piece. We make this first coating of the gun of a thickness rather
more than the depth of the rifling. This hard steel tube is then subjected to

page_text: a hammering or drawing operation to solidify and improve it, after which it is
suspended in a mould, the lower end having previously been stopped by a
screw or other plug fixed therein; it is also heated red hot before placing it in
the mould. We then cast a coating or thickness of homogeneous iron on the
hard steel tube, using a flux to dissolve the oxide and cause the union of the
homogeneous iron with the hard steel. A second, third, fourth, or more
coatings of homogeneous iron are similarly applied until the gun acquires the
thickness and strength required. It is, of course, necessary to cast extra
thicknesses or coatings on the breech end to graduate and produce the
increased strength required towards and at the breech. The gun may be
subjected to hammering or drawing processes between each of the coatings
cast upon it to solidify and improve its texture; the trunnions we put on
subsequently as usual. When completed the gun is to be bored and rifled as
usual, the boring removing the whole of the first soft iron tube.
We also manufacture other articles besides guns in the manner before
described, such as shafts and axles of all kinds, either in large or small masses,
and various other articles suitable to be made of the metals before mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Shortridge and Joseph Bennett Howell in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 9th September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
SHORTRIDGE and JOSEPH BENNETT HOWELL, both of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Steel Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto we, the
said John Shortridge and Joseph Bennett Howell, Her special licence, that
we, the said John Shortridge and Joseph Bennett Howell, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Shortridge
and Joseph Bennett Howell, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNS, CYLINDERS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF

page_text: CAST STEEL AND HOMOGENEOUS IRON, EITHER SEPARATELY OR IN COMBINATION,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Shortridge and
Joseph Bennett Howell, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, 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 we, the said John Shortridge and Joseph Bennett
Howell, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and accer-
fained in and by the following statement (that is to say):
Our Invention relates to the manufacture of guns, cylinders, shafts, and
other articles of homogeneous iron and cast steel, either separately or in
combination.
According to our Invention we produce a gun of homogeneous iron with a
lining of steel, such gun being formed in successive layers, but which become
united and form one piece as the manufacture progresses; and further we
produce a gun of homogeneous iron with a steel lining, the metal of which is
thoroughly worked during the manufacture by being submitted to hammering
or drawing operations, or to both, in substances suitable to receive the
beneficial effects of such operations. We further manufacture cylinders
hollow in like manner, such as hydraulic press cylinders, or others requiring
to sustain great internal pressure, as also shafts, axles, and other articles of
various kinds, and either in large or small masses, and for which the homo-
geneous iron and steel treated as herein described may be adapted.
In the manufacture of great guns we form a tube of wrought iron or steel
of the length of the bore of gun desired, and somewhat less in diameter. This
tube we employ as a core or centre disposed in the centre of a mould, in
which is cast the first part (the interior substance) of the gun, this we form
either of hard or soft steel, which is reduced to a fluid state and poured
around the centre or core tube, such being previously heated to a red heat.
The centre tube being red hot is further heated by a fluid steel to such an
extent as to cause the fluid steel to unite with the iron or steel core tube, and
become one piece therewith. We make this first coating of the gun of a
thickness rather more than the depth of the intended rifling. This steel tube
is now subjected to a hammering or drawing operation to solidify it and
improve its texture; after hammering this steel tube is suspended in the
mould in which the first layer of homogeneous iron is to be cast, the lower
.

page_text: end having previously been stopped by means of a screw or other plug fixed
therein. It is also heated red hot before placing it in the mould, we then
cast a coating or thickness of homogeneous iron on this steel tube, using in
each case a flux to dissolve the oxide and cause the union of the homogeneous
iron with the hard steel. A second, third, fourth, or more coatings of homo-
geneous iron are similarly applied until the gun acquires the thickness and
strength required. It is of course necessary to cast extra thicknesses or
coatings on the breech end, and to graduate and produce the increased
strength required towards and at the breech. We force a current of air
through the centre of the hollow cylinder to ensure equal contraction during
the time of coating. By this means we obtain great increase of strength of
the cylinders over the usual mode of manufacture; for this purpose we take a
tube with a blowing engine at one end of the tube, and the other end of the
tube we leave open for the free passage of the air. We either use the tube
straight or bent according to circumstances.
We subject the gun to a hammering or drawing process, or to both, at each
stage of its manufacture, that is, between each time of applying the coatings
cast in succession to solidify it and improve the texture of such separate
coatings; the trunnions we form separately and put on subsequently, as usual
in the manufacture of large guns. The gun so fabricated is to be then bored
and rifled as usual, the boring removing the whole of the first wrought iron or
steel core tube mentioned.
In casting the layers of homogeneous iron, and in order that the metal shall
run properly, we form several runners or ports for the entrance of the metal
at points equidistant on its circumference; we dispose the gun or article in a
vertical position while casting, and make the runners or ports in the form of
narrow slits extending radially and throughout the whole height of the mould;
these slits open into enlarged vertical channels, into the whole of which the
metal is poured simultaneously. Three, four, or more of such runners or
channels should be employed according to the diameter of the article. The
metal filling these runners will be cast in a piece with the coating or layer
applied, and form projections thereon, but which projections are cut off before
subjecting the
gun or article to the hammering operation, or the subsequent
application of the succeeding layer. In casting guns the homogeneous iron is
allowed to form round and close the breech end, to a sufficient thickness to
afford the strength required, for which purpose the cylinder is at each time of
casting suspended within the mould, with the requisite amount of worm for
the metal to run round and below the breech in proportion to the thickness of
the coating applied and the strength and weight required at the breech.

page_text: The process of manufacture described with respect to guns will also apply
to cylinders, but in many of which the steel lining may be unnecessary. If
such be the case, and the homogeneous iron suited for the internal surface of
the cylinder, the whole substance of the core tube may be bored out, and the
cast steel layer omitted; or such core tube itself may be suitable for the
internal surface, and may be placed or not and allowed to remain.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent the manu-
facture of guns, cylinders, and other articles of cast steel and homogeneous
iron, ether separately or in combination, in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Shortridge and Joseph Bennett
Howell, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
JOHN SHORTRIDGE.
(L.B.)
JOSEPH BENNETT HOWELL. (L.S.)