IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS, GUN CARRIAGES, AND AMMUNITION
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Whitworth, of the City of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
"
Sealed the 16th April 1859, and dated the 19th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Whitworth at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th October 1858.
I, JOSEPи WHITWORTII, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS, GUN CARRIAGES, AND AMMUNITION," to be as follows:-
They relate, first, to a mode of giving accurate horizontal adjustment to a
gun by moving its trunnions laterally in their bearings. This is effected by
means of a lever, which acts on one of the trunnions, one end of the lever
being connected with a screw, which is adjusted by hand.
Secondly, to the use of dises or cakes of wax and tallow or wax, or other
similar lubricating compounds or substances as wads for ordnance and fire-
arms, whereby the piece is properly lubricated.
Thirdly, to the application of tin or zinc, or other hard metals, or their
alloys, as an outer coating for soft metal rifle projectiles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Whitworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JOSEPHI
WHITWORTH, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Whitworth, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Whitworth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Whitworth, 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 GUNS, GUN CARRIAGES, AND AMMUNITION," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph Whitworth, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 Joseph Whitworth, do hereby declaro
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):
The said improvements relate to, first, a mode of giving accurate horizontal
adjustment to a gun, by moving its trunnions laterally in their bearings.
This is effected by means of a lever, which acts on one of the trunnions, the
opposite end of the lever being connected with a screw, which is adjusted by
hand. To this apparatus and mode of adjusting guns I make no claim.
Secondly, the use of discs or cakes of wax, tallow, or other similar
lubricating compounds or substances as wads for ammunition for ordnance
and fire-arms, whereby the piece is properly lubricated. The lubricating
materials may consist of bees-wax and tallow, used separately or combined, or
paraffine, or such other similar substances as are not materially affected by

page_text: being exposed to the action of the atmosphere. I have obtained good results
from a composition consisting of equal quantities of wax and tallow. These
proportions may be varied according to the temperature of the weather and
climate, care being taken that a sufficient quantity of tallow be used to ensure
perfect lubrication of the barrel at low temperatures, while sufficient wax is
employed to make the wad cohere and withstand the effect of high tempera-
turc. Instead of mixing the wax and tallow together whilst both are in a
melted state, I sometimes melt the wax and run it into a mould, and when
set, pour the tallow into or on to the wax; in this case the tallow adheres to,
but does not mix with the wax, which thus forms a coating. In making wads
for small arms, I take a cake or sheet of the lubricating material, made of the
requisite thickness, and by means of a suitable punch, cut out of it wads or
discs; or the melted material may be run in the form of a rod, and after-
wards cut into wads or discs. In making wads for large ordnance, as shewn
in the accompanying Drawings, I prefer to use moulds of the proper size and
shape, corresponding with the interior of the piece. The material is poured
into the moulds and allowed to set. Other modes of manufacturing, forming,
moulding, or cutting the discs or wads may be adopted, but the simple
methods I have explained answer well. I use one or two discs or wads,
similar to those shewn in end view in Figure 1, and in section in Figures 2
or 3; when two discs or wads are used, they may be of diminished thickness,
one being placed in front of and the other behind the powder. I also in
some cases connect the two discs together by a casing of thin wax, as shewn
in Figures 4 and 5; the space between the two discs forms a chamber, in
which the powder may be inserted, as in a bag or cartridge, and where
necessary I use several such chambers, which are made short for the sake of
strength. Perforations must be made to secure communication and com-
plete ignition of the powder in the several chambers. I also use perforated
wads, as in Figures 6 and 7, made of lubricating material, which I place in
the midst of the powder to remove the deposits caused by excessive fouling
when inferior powder is employed. In some cases I employ wads made with
the softer lubricating material in the centre, surrounded by a casing of harder
substance, such as wax, or other suitable material, as shewn in Figures 8 and 9;
or the wad may be made of wax on the front and rear sides, and tallow
between, as shewn in Figures 10 and 11, all of which several descriptions of
wads are applicable to small arms and ordnance. In all cases the lubricating
materials or compounds which I employ, as herein described, consist wholly of
substances that are melted by the heat of and are altogether dispersed by the
exploding gases of the powder; the use of pulpy or fibrous materials may be

page_text: altogether dispensed with. In choosing the lubricating materials or com-
pounds that may be required for use in hot climates, it will be necessary to
select such as are, to a certain extent, heat-resisting, and possess the necessary
hardness and toughness. I prefer to employ these in combination with other
substances easily melted, as shewn in Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11. I claim the
wads made wholly of lubricating substances or compounds, and used as
described.
Thirdly, the application of tin or zinc, or other hard metals or alloys, as an
outer coating for soft metal rifle projectiles. The soft metal for the projectiles
is made in a continuous length, and is coated by an adaptation of the well
known apparatus employed in manufacturing lead pipes, and coating them
with tin or other metal, and which it is not necessary to describe; any appa-
ratus, whereby the soft metal is made in a continuous length suitable for being
divided into shorter pieces and formed into projectiles by the ordinary bullet-
making machinery, may be used, provided the continuous length of metal is
forced through suitable dics, and through a bath of melted coating metal or
alloy, whereby a continuous coating is deposited. I claim the application of
tin or zinc, or their alloys, for coating soft metal projectiles, applied in the
form of a continuous coating, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Whitworth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
JOSEPH WHITWORTH. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Joseph Whitworth, in the presence of
E. J. Huones, Patent Agent,
Manchester.