IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CYLINDERS OF HYDRAULIC MACHINES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORDNANCE AND OTHER ARTICLES OR VESSELS SUBJECT TO PRESSURE FROM WITHIN
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Nelson Hutchinson, of Plymouth, in the
County of Devon, Major-General in Her Majesty's Army, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CYLINDERS OF
HYDRAULIC MACHINES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORDNANCE
AND OTHER ARTICLES OR VESSELS SUBJECT TO PRESSURE FROM WITHIN."
Sealed the 29th July 1864, and dated the 1st February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Nelson Hutchinson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st February 1864.
I, WILLIAM NELSON HUTCHINSON, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon,
Major-General in Her Majesty's Army, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CYLINDERS OF HYDRAULIC
MACHINES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORDNANCE AND OTHER
ARTICLES OR VESSELS SUBJECT TO PRESSURE FROM WITHIN," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing the cylinders of hydraulic machines
of several concentric steel or other metal tubes or cylinders with a space of,-
say, a quarter of an inch more or less between every two tubes into each of
which
spaces 'I admit water or other liquid, under pressure or not, through a
pipe or aperture at any convenient part. I prefer that the pressures of the
several bodies of liquid should be gradually greater as they are further from
the innermost tube. The outermost tube must be strong enough to resist the
pressure of the body of liquid between it and the next outermost tube, and
may if desired be wrapped with wire, hooped, or otherwise strengthened. I
keep the tubes at the proper distances apart by vertical ribs or other supports.
My Invention is also applicable to the construction of ordnance and other

page_text: articles or vessels subject to pressure from within. In the case of ordnance I
form the touch-hole of a strong thick tube, and retain the tubes in their proper
positions by one or more strong pins at the rear or other convenient part.
The concentric tubes may extend the whole or only part of the length of the
gun.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Nelson Hutchinson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
NELSON HUTCHINSON, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, Major-General
in Her Majesty's Army, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Nelson Hutchinson, Her special licence that I, the
said William Nelson Hutchinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Nelson Hutchinson, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF CYLINDERS
OF HYDRAULIC MACHINES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORDNANCE AND
OTHER ARTICLES OR VESSELS SUBJECT TO PRESSURE FROM WITHIN," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Nelson Hutchinson, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said William Nelson Hutchinson, do hereby
declare 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:

page_text: My Invention consists in constructing the cylinders of hydraulic machines
of several concentric steel or other metal tubes, cylinders, or vessels, with a
space of, say, an eighth of an inch more or less between every two tubes, into
each of which spaces I admit water or other liquid, under pressure or not,
through a pipe or aperturo at any convenient part. I prefer that the pressures
of the several bodies of liquid should be gradually greater as they approach
the innermost tube. The outermost tube must be strong enough to resist
the pressure of the body of liquid between it and the next outermost tube,
and also be able to sustain its share of the pressure from within, to which the
machine is subjected; the outermost tube may therefore, if desired, be wrapped
with wire, hooped, or otherwise strengthened. I keep the tubes at the proper
distances apart by ribs or other supports.
My Invention is also applicable to the construction of ordnance and other
articles or vessels subject to pressure from within. In the case of ordnance I
form the touch-hole in the centre of a strong circular bolt, the centre of which
bolt is coincident with the axis of the gun. This bolt, which is a fixture to
the innermost cylinder, serves to keep the other cylinders in position at the
breech end as the bolt passes through them. The several apertures through
which the bolt passes are rendered water-tight by leather collars or otherwise.
The concentric cylinders, except. the innermost, may extend the whole or any
part of the length of the gun.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a sectional view of a portion of
a.hydraulic machine, illustrating the manner in which I construct the cylinder
thereof. 1, 2, 8, 4, are concentric cylinders with a space C, D, E, of, say, an
eighth of an inch more or less between every two cylinders; c, d, e; are pipes
by which water or other liquid is introduced, under pressure or not, into
the spaces C, D, E. The cylinders 1, 2, 3, 4, are kept at the proper-distance
apart by supports a, a. The ram or piston P passes through the top of all
the cylinders, the apertures through which it passes being rendered water-tight
by leathern collars or otherwise. The central part B of the cylinder is fitted
near the bottom thereof with a pipe 6 connected with a pump, supply cistern;
forcing valve, and other ordinary apparatuses. The outermost tube 4 may;
as before mentioned, be strengthened by wire hoops or otherwise. Figure 2
is a horizontal section of the breech end of a cannon constructed of six
concentric cylinders or tubes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; according to 'my Invention.
The bore of the cannon is, say, 20 inches in diameter, the outermost and
innermost cylinders 1 and 6, say; 8 inches thick; and the cylinders. 2, 3;
4 and 5, say, 2. inches thick. Every two cylinders are separated by a
space A, B, C, D, E, all round, of say, th of an inch in thickness, into which
.

page_text: spaces water under calculated pressure is introduced by five pipes b, b, or
otherwise; two only of the pipes are shewn in the Drawing. The entrances
to the pipes are closed by screwed stoppers x, x, (see the detached view
Figure 3,) carrying strong spiral springs y and pistons z, by which, with the
aid of the screwed stoppers, the calculated pressure is given to the several
bodies of water, and the springs are sufficiently strong to resist the pressure
exerted by the water in the spaces A, B, C, D, E, on the several pistons at
the time of the explosion. The entrances to the water spaces may, if preferred,
be formed in the front end of the concentric cylinders, or in the bolt F, about
to be described, or in other convenient part. The bolt F is firmly secured to
.the innermost cylinder 1, it is not fixed to the other cylinders, but is fitted
with india-rubber collars or other suitable packing to prevent the water
passing from one water space to another. A narrow passage is bored right
through the centre of the bolt from end to end, as shewn, to form the touch-
hole. When the gun is fired the great pressure of water in the innermost
space E acts against the inner surface of the breech end of cylinder 2, and
tends to drive it back and to dissever the junction between cylinders 1 and 2
at the front end, which is the only part at which the cylinders are united.
The pressure of water in the space D acts in like manner on the inner surface
of the breech end of cylinder 3, and so with cylinders 4, 5, and 6. I therefore
leave projections or ribs k, k, (say, for example, three of about 60° long) on the
exterior surfaces of all the cylinders except the outermost and corresponding
projections or ribs ³, ke, on the interior surfaces of all the cylinders except
⚫the innermost.
.
The arrangement of the projections will be better understood on reference
to Figures 4 and 5; which represent the development of a portion of two of
the cylinders, say cylinders 1 and 2. When cylinder 1 is first placed within
cylinder 2, the projections on the exterior surface of cylinder 1 pass
between the projections ¹ on the interior surface of cylinder 2, as represented
in Figure 5; then by giving cylinder 1 a sixth of a turn the projections & on
its exterior surface come behind the projections on the interior surface of
cylinder 2, as represented in Figure 4. The other cylinders are placed in
position in a similar manner. I fill up the spaces between the projections
with wedges or portions of rings p, p, of about 60° in length, and force each
pair together by screws a, a. I form the extremities of the projections k, k,
and of the wedges p, p', angular, so that the greater the pressure the more
closely will they lock together; leather, or vulcanized india-rubber, or other
suitable material may be introduced between the wedges p, p,.and the pro-
jections k, k², to prevent leakage; such a thickness should be given to cylinder

page_text: 1 as would prevent any danger of its collapsing on the gun being fired. The
red line 7, in Figure 2, represents the position of a strong iron bar which
embraces the cylinders as shown. This bar serves as a support for the
trunnions, and instead of the junction of the cylinders being obtained as beforo
described, the cylinders may be screwed one over the other, or otherwise
connected. The cast cylinders can easily be pressed by passing through
double rollers, for the aperture in the breech affords ample space for the
insertion of one arm of the bracket which connects the interior extremities of
the rollers. Although I have herein-before mentioned water as the liquid
introduced into the spaces between the cylinders, yet any other liquid may
be employed. I may particularly name mercury as it is highly incompressible,
is less likely than other liquid to ooze through the fittings and metal of the
cylinders, is not affected by climate, and does not occasion rust. The insertion
of mercury even without calculated pressure between loosely fitting concentric
cylinders would make an easily manufactured gun.
I have only thought it necessary to show my Invention as applied to the
cylinders of hydraulic machines and to ordnance, as the application to other
articles or vessels subject to pressure from within will be fully understood
without further explanation.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, constructing the cylinders of hydraulic machines of several concentric
steel or other metal tubes, cylinders, or vessels, with a space between every
two tubes, cylinders, or vessels into which liquid is admitted, substantially
in manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
Second, constructing ordnance of several concentric steel or other metal
tubes, cylinders, or vessels, with a space between every two tubes, cylinders, or
vessels into which liquid is.dmitted, substantially in manner and for the
purpose herein-before described.
Third, constructing vessels and other articles subject to pressure from
within, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Nelson Hutchinson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of. July, One thousand
.
W. N. HUTCHINSON. (L.s.)
M.-General.