IMPROVEMENTS IN CANNON AND OTHER ORDNANCE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William Lancaster, of New Bond Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Gun Maker, James Brown, of Newport, in
the County of Monmouth, Ironmaster, and John Hughes, also of
Newport, aforesaid, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CANNON AND OTHER ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 26th November 1860, and dated the 2nd June 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles William
Lancaster, James Brown, and John Hughes at the Office of the Coni-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 2nd June 1860.
We, CHARLES WILLIAM LANCASTER, of New Bond Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Gun Maker, JAMES BROWN, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth,
Ironmaster, and JOHN HUGHES, also of Newport, aforesaid, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CANNON AND OTHER ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
Our improvements in cannon aad other ordnance consist in means of
strengthening a gun by the employment of a jacket so as to form a longitu-
dinal truss or brace. We prefer that this truss should extend from the breech
or rear end to a small distance in front of the trunnions, but we do not confine
ourselves to any particular length of jacket. We prepare the exterior of that
part of the gun to which the jacket is to be applied by turning or otherwise
so as to fit it for the reception of the jacket, and at the rear end of the gun a

page_text: portion of the metal may be turned off, so as to form a shoulder all round the
gun, behind which, on the rear of the gun, one end of the jacket is to fit and take
its hold. The jacket may be made in two parts, one part fitting to one side,
and the other to the opposite side of the gun, forming, when put together, a
complete case or jacket for the portion of the gun above mentioned. The jacket
may be heated before being put on to the gun, so as to make it fit more
effectually, and form a longitudinal brace or truss between the trunnions and
the shoulder or rear of the gun. This jacket strengthens the gun longi-
tudinally, and enables it better to resist the longitudinal strain to which it
is subject when fired, and also prevents or assists in preventing the rear end of
the gum being blown out, as frequently occurs in cannon as now constructed.
We secure the jacket by hoops or cylindrical rings, the ends of which may
be shaped so as to dovetail into one another.
The main feature of our Invention consists in forming the exterior of a gun
for the reception of a jacket, and the interior of a jacket to fit upon a portion-
of the gun in such manner that the jacket may become or act as a longitu-
dinal truss or brace.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles William Lancaster, James Brown, and John Hughes
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st December 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
WILLIAM LANCASTER, of New Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Gun Maker, JAMES BROWN, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, Iron-
master, and JOHN HUGHES, also of Newport, aforesaid, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Charles William Lancaster, James Brown, and John Hughes, Her
special licence that we, the said Charles William Lancaster, James Brown,
and John Hughes, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Charles William Lancaster, James Brown, and John Hughes,
our 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

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CANNON AND
OTHER ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Charles
William Lancaster, James Brown, and John Hughes, or one of us, our executors'
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our
or 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 Charles William Lancaster, James
Brown, and John Hughes, do hereby declare the nature of our said Inven-*
tion, 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:-
Our improvements in cannon and other ordnance consist in means of
strengthening a gun by the employment of a jacket so as to form a longi-
tudinal truss or brace. We prefer that this truss should extend from the'
breech or rear end to a small distance in front of the trunnions, but we do
not confine ourselves to any particular length of jacket. We prepare the
exterior of that part of the gun to which the jacket is to be applied by turning
or otherwise so as to fit it for the reception of the jacket, and at the rear end
of the gun a portion of the metal may be turned off so as to form one or
more shoulders all round the gun, behind which, or the rear of the gun, one
end of the jacket is to fit and take its hold. The jacket may be made in two
or more parts, one part fitting to one side, and the other to the opposite side
of the gun, forming, when put together, a complete case or jacket for the
portion of the gun above mentioned. The jacket may be heated before
being put on to the gun, so as to make it fit more effectually, and form a
longitudinal brace or truss between the trunnions and the shoulder, or rear of
the gun. This jacket strengthens the gun longitudinally, and enables it
better to resist the longitudinal strain to which it is subject when fired, and
also prevents or assists in preventing the rear end of the gun being blown
away. We secure the jacket by hoops or cylindrical rings, the ends of which
may be shaped so as to dovetail into one another.
The main feature of our Invention consists in forming the exterior of a gun
for the reception of a jacket, and the interior of a jacket to fit upon a portion
of the gun in such manner that the jacket may become or act as a longitudinal
truss or brace.

page_text: The annexed Drawings shew the manner in which we prefer to carry our
Invention into effect. Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a gun complete,
and Figure, 2 is another longitudinal section of a gun with our Invention
applied thereto. Similar letters refer to similar parts in both Figures. A is
the body of the gun; B, the bore; C, the jacket; D, D, D, are cylindrical
rings surrounding the jacket, and E is another ring which we recommend should
be applied to strengthen the breech, but neither the rings D nor E form any
part of our Invention; F, F, are the trunnions. A portion of the rear end of
the body of the gun from a to 6 is turned off all round in an inclined direction,
as shewn by the Figures. The rear end of the jacket is similarly tapered,
while an incline is formed on the outside of the other end of the jacket, both
being for the purpose of affording a hold to the cylindrical hoops D, D.
Although the Figures represent the jacket extending beyond the trunnions, we
do not confine ourselves to the jacket being carried to such point, as it may be
shorter or longer as circumstances may require.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim, strengthening
cannon and other ordnance by means of a jacket applied so as to form a longi-
tudinal brace or truss essentially in manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles William Lancaster, James
Brown, and John Hughes, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this First day of December, One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
CHARITS W LANCASTER
(LS)