A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ORDNANCE
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Duncan Morrison, of Bordesley. Works, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
MANUFACTURE OF ORDNANCE."
Scaled the 24th July 1857, and dated the 31st January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Duncan Morrison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st January 1857.
- I, DUNCAN MORRISON, of Bordesley Works; Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR
IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
My. Invention consists, firstly, in inserting a metallic core in the axis of the
mould in which the ordnance is cast, the melted metal being poured into the
annular space between the mould and the said core. By this method of
manufacture the bore of the ordnance will be both smooth and hard, and the.
ordinary process of boring rendered unnecessary. By making suitable helical
projections upon the said core, corresponding grooves will be formed in the
casting, producing in the ordnance the effect called rifling.
My Invention consists, secondly, in casting ordnance upon a tube of copper,
brass, or other suitable metal or alloy, which said tube constitutes the bore of
the ordnance and forins with the casting one compact mass. The tube may be
kept cool during the casting by the introduction of a core of metal, or fine

page_text: loam or sand, or.by a water stream. A tube of wrought iron or steel may be
used in place of a copper or brass tube for the casting to be formed upon..
Touch-holes may either be formed in the casting, or tubes may be inserted for.
that purpose in the mould.
I sometimes modify the last-described part of my Invention in the following
manner: Instead of casting upon the internal tube, I support the said
internal tube and strengthen the same by bars of iron or steel applied outside;
and fixed on the internal tube by screwing or otherwise. Where steel bars
are used the internal tube may be very thin or altogether omitted.
BUC
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed,
by the said Duncan Morrison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DUNCAN:
MORRISON,, of Bordesley Works, in the County of Warwick, send greeting. e.
WHEREAS,Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand, eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me;
the said Duncan Morrison, Her special licence that I, the said Duncan,
Morrison, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Duncan Morrison, 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
"A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that, I, the said Duncan Morrison, 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 Duncan Morrison, do hereby declare:"
the nature of the 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, that is to say:

page_text: My Invention consists, firstly, in inserting a metallic core in the axis of the
mould in which the ordnance is cast, the melted metal being poured into the
annular space between the mould and the said corc.
By this method of manufacture the bore of the ordnance will be' both
smooth and hard, and the ordinary process of boring rendered unnecessary.
By making a suitable helical projection or suitable helical projections upon
the said core, a corresponding groove or corresponding grooves will be formed
in the casting, producing in the ordnance the effect called rifling. The core
must not be made truly cylindrical, but must slightly taper in order to permit
of its withdrawal. The method of supporting the core in the axis of the niould
may be effected by means well known and commonly practised in casting
operations. A metallic tubular lining may be inserted in ordnance made by
the method last described.
My Invention consists, secondly, in casting ordnance upon a tube of copper,
brass, or other suitable metal or alloy, which said tube constitutes the bore of
the ordnance and forms with the casting one compact mass. The tube may
be kept cool during the casting by the introduction of a core of metal, or fine
loam, or sand, or. by a water stream. A tube of wrought iron or steel may be
used in place of a copper or brass tube for the casting to be formed upon.
Touch-holes may either be formed in the casting, or tubes may be inserted for
that purpose in the mould. When the tube is worn it may be bored out and
replaced by another.
4
...I sometimes modify the last-described part of my Invention in the following
manner Instead of casting metal upon the tube constituting the bore of the
ordnance, I support and strengthen the said tube by applying bars of iron or
steel. I apply the said bars of iron or steel to the exterior of the tube, and fix
them thereon by screwing or otherwise. I prefer to employ a series of bars
having a wedge shape in transverse section; that is to say, a series of bars of
the form that would be produced by dividing a hollow cylinder in a series of
planes whose common intersection is in the axis of the hollow cylinder. The
sides of the said bars may be made to engage with one another by projections
in some of the bars entering depressions in the next ones.
Where steel bars of the kind last described are employed, the internal tube
may be made very thin, or may be altogether omitted; the ordnance in the last
case being made by the binding together of prismatic bars, so as to form a
hollow cylinder, or a hollow cylinder closed at one end.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied

page_text: without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my
Invention,
Firstly, casting ordnance in moulds having a metal core, upon which the
bore of the said ordnance is cast, whether the said core be, plain or furnished
with a curved projection to rifle the bore of the ordnance. Also in certain
tubular metallic linings in the said ordnance.
Secondly, casting ordnance upon a metallic tube, which said tube remains in
the casting and constitutes the bore of the ordnance. Also boring out the said
tubes when worn and replacing them by new ones..
Thirdly, manufacturing ordnance by supporting a tube by means of prismatic
bars situated around and fixed upon the said tube.
Fourthly, manufacturing ordnance by binding, together a series of bars of
steel, of such forms that when bound together they constitute a hollow cylinder,
or a hollow cylinder closed at one end.
In witness whereof, I, the said Duncan Morrison, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this. Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight-hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
-!
RICITARD SKERRETT.
DUNCAN MORRISON. (L.s.)