IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RIFLING CANNON
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Coope Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
August 1859.
I, JOHN COOPE HADDAN, of Bessborough Gardens, Pimlico, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RIFLING CANNON," to be
as follows:-
It has been found that the system hitherto pursued of boring or forming one
of the rifle cuts throughout its length, and repeating the operation to form
successively a second, a third, or further cuts, does not admit of the necessary
sectional exactness and uniformity, owing to the tool itself becoming worn, and
from other causes. To remedy this defect is the object of the present Inven-
tion, which consists in turning or boring transversely, or planing longitudinally,
three or more several rifle curved cuts or grooves within the interior of cannon
by causing the tool or cutter at each and every rotation (when cutting trans-
versely) or traversing motion (when planing longitudinally) to act successively
in or upon the three or more positions where the rifle cuts or curves are
required, and observing this order continuously throughout every portion of the
length of the rifle cuts to be formed. I would remark, however, that the
continuous action above mentioned is to be understood not necessarily as
implying that the cylindrical or even surface of the bore between the rifle
cuts is to be cut by the tool, as this surface may either be so cut, or the tool
may cut the rifling only, in the order and mode above set forth.

page_text: One mode of performing my Invention is to mount the boring tool or cutter
upon or boring rod or shaft placed and revolving eccentrically within a tube,
cradle, or bearing, which latter is placed concentrically or to work uniformly
within the cannon, and to cause the boring rod and the tube to rotate con-
tinuously at the same time in the same direction or in opposite directions, but
at different speeds, or either one or both of them to rotate continuously
while the other rotates at intervals, or both to rotate at intervals in the same
or opposite directions, and at the same or different speeds, as may be required.
Or, instead of the foregoing arrangements, the boring tool or cutter may be
mounted upon a rod or tube placed concentrically within the cannon, and may
be made to advance and recede gradually to the required extent from the axis
of the bore towards or from the surface to be cut or acted upon three times or
oftener during each rotation. The cannon is to be mounted on a lathe bed
with traversing motion and rifle twist motion as heretofore, but these features,
irrespective of the mode of forming the cuts, constitute no part of the present
Invention. Or, when planing or forming the rifle cuts longitudinally, I cause
the tool or cutter to cut only a portion of one rifle cut or curve, and then a
similar portion of the other rifle cuts or curves successively and respectively,
and then repeating the operations upon the several rifle cuts or curves respec-
tively, and so on upon each successively until they they are compleated, whereby
the desired sectional exactness of the rifle cuts or curves at any and every
portion of the length will be more satisfactorily attained than by finishing
cach rifle cut or curve separately. When greater despatch is desired, when
making the cuts longitudinally, I employ a separate tool for each rifle cut or
curve acting together, each forming or cutting a portion only of a rifle cut or
I then change over or turn the shaft or apparatus carrying the several
tools round, so that each rifle cut may be continued by a different tool, and I
also again change them over or turn the tools round, so that each rifle cut may
be still further continued by a different tool, repeating the several operations
as often as may be necessary until the rifle cuts are completed and the desired
uniformity attained. The rifle twist is given in the same manner as heretofore.
curve;