IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS-PATENT to Benjamin Blake Wells, of the Strand, in the City of
Westminster, Cutler, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 16th July 1858, and dated the 19th January 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Blake Wells
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th January 1858.
I, BENJAMIN BLAKE WELLS, of the Strand, in the City of Westminster,
Cutler, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing cannon in such manner that the piece
of ordnance may be used as a cannon, or may have parts thereof removed and
be then used with additions as a mortar. My Invention also consists in a
method of forming ordnance in segments,-in a means of making the bore of
the gun, composed of segments, gas-tight,-in a means of rifling,-in the con-
struction and fitting of trunnions to guns,-also in minor details, hereafter
mentioned, employed in the construction of the arms herein-before referred to.
I construct the barrel. of the gun in four or more segments, and make them
to screw into a breech.. Outside of the gun where the segments so screw, are
screw threads over which a collar screws to keep all these parts firm and tight.
There are other 'threads formed outside the segments over, which another.

page_text: collar or ring is screwed with trúnnions formed thereon, or with contrivances
for enabling the trunnions to screw therein or be otherwise affixed thereto.
These threads outside the gun collar and trunnions are applicable to ordnance
generally. Screw threads are also formed round the muzzle of the gun, and a
third collar screws over the same, and thus the whole barrel is held secure and
tight; or, instead of the last named collar, I form a muzzle in one piece and screw
it in or on to the segments with a collar to screw over all where the parts
are united. If the collars do not keep the parts of the barrel sufficiently solid,
then I add further collars, either plain or screw threaded. To render the
segments as gas-tight as may be, I affix a flange of the same curve as that of
the bore of the gun to one segment, and cause it to lie in a groove made for its
reception in the next adjacent segment, and so on all round, and upon these
flanges or plates I form the rifling or not, as required. For the purpose of
additional strength, and where thought needful, I insert a tongue into one
segment of different metal to that of which the segments are made, and cause
the tongue to enter a groove made for its reception in the segment next to it.
To use the arm as a mortar, unscrew the segments forming the barrel from
the breech, and screw therein a barrel or muzzle constructed in the necessary
form for a mortar; then screw on the collar over all, when the parts are
united; disconnect the trunnions from the ring encircling the barrel of the
cannon herein-before mentioned, and fix them into a ring at the rear of the
mortar. Behind the breech proper, where great strength is required, I screw
on an additional breech or strengthening piece, and then in this piece there is
a metal disc or plate which is screwed tight against the back of the breech
proper so as to form a solid body; I also screw a heavy knob larger than the
diameter of the bore into the back of the additional breech.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Blake Wells in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
BLAKE WELLS, of the Strand, in the City of Westminster, Cutler, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight; in the: twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said Benjamin Blake Wells, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin
Blake Wells, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Benjamin Blake Wells, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Benjamin Blake Wells, my executors or, administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW, YE, that I, the said Benjamin Blake Wells, 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 :-
My Invention consists in constructing cannon in such manner that the piece
of ordnance may be used as a cannon, or may have parts thereof removed, and
be then used with additions as a mortar. My Invention also consists in a
method of forming ordnance in segments,-in a means of making the bore
of the gun, composed of segments, gas-tight,-in a means of rifling,--in the
construction and fitting of trunnions to guns,-also in minor details hereafter
mentioned, employed in the construction of the arms herein-before referred to.
I construct the barrel of the gun in two, three, four, or more segments, and
make them to screw into a breech, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the
Drawings hereunto annexed, of which Figure 1 is an external view of a piece
of ordnance constructed with my improvements; and Figure 2 is a longitudinal
section. A, A, A", A, are the segments shown in transverse sections in
Figure 3. B is the breech piece; outside of the gun where the segments so
screw, are screw threads a, a, over which a collar c'screws to keep the segments
firm and tight. There are other threads b, b, formed outside the segments,
over which another collar or ring D is screwed, with trunuions E, E, screwed
thereon, or formed with contrivances for enabling the trunnions to be otherwise
affixed thereto; these threads outside the gun, together with the collar and
trunnions are applicable to ordnance generally, either for repairing and
renewing old guns, or for other purposes. Screw, threads may also be formed
i

page_text: round the muzzle of the gun, and a third collar screwed over the same; and
thus the whole barrel be held secure and tight, But instead of this collar, I
prefer to form a muzzle in one piece, as shewn in the Figures, and screw it on
to the segments. I sometimes further use a collar to screw over all where the
parts are united. If the collars do not keep the parts of the barrel sufficiently
solid, then I add further collars, either plain or screw threaded. To prevent
the collars from working loose, I pass a screw pin through each of them into
each of the segments. To render the segments as gas-tight as may be, I affix
to each segment a flange d, shewn in the sectional views, Figures 4, 5, and 6
of the same curve as that of the bore of the gun, and cause it to lie in a
groove e, made for its reception in the next adjacent segment, and so on all
round and upon these flanges or plates. I form the rifling, as shown in
Figure 7, or not as required. For the purpose of additional strength, and
where thought needful, I insert a tongue into one segment of different metal
to that of which the segments are made, and cause the tongue to enter a
groove made for its reception in the segment next to it.
To use the arm as a mortar, unscrew the segments forming the barrel from
the breech B, and screw therein a barrel or muzzle constructed in the necessary
form for a mortar. The part marked e' in Figure 2 may be unscrewed from
the position there shown, and screwed into the fore end of the breech, to form
the said muzzle, the knob f being of course withdrawn from e' after it has
been unscrewed from the breech into which it screws, as shown in the Figure;
then screw forward the collar over all, when the parts are united; disconnect
the trunnion or trunnions E, E, from the ring D encircling the barrel of the
cannon, herein-before mentioned, and fix them into the breech B, or into a
ring, placed for additional strength upon the breech, the stop g. preventing the
said ring from passing beyond its proper position. The parts thus put together
in the form of a mortar are shewn in Figures 8 and 9, in elevation and in
section respectively. The part e¹ of the gun, Figures 1 and 2, behind the
breech proper, is screwed into the breech because great strength is there
required: It forms an additional breech or strengthening piece, and into
this piece I screw a heavy knob (which may, if desired, be larger than the
diameter of the bore) into the back of the additional breech.
part of this knob passes through the part e¹, and at its fore,
threaded, and screwed into the breech. It may also be bored out, as shewn
at h, Figure 2, and be used separately for firing small shells. For this purpose
it may be mounted' in a bed, hollowed out spherically to receive it, and
furnished with appliances for fixing it when aim has been taken; or it may
be furnised with trunnions for the purpose.
The cylindrical
and is screw-

page_text: Figure 10 is a longitudinal view, and Figure 11 a longitudinal section, of
a long or swivel gun, constructed in the main according to the foregoing
arrangements, excepting the plug, in substitution for which a cup-shaped end
piece.g, formed with a knob, is screwed on to the breech B¹, at the back
thereof. The breech of this gun may likewise be used as a mortar, a
plan view of which is seen at Figure 12, and a section at Figure 13.
In the section Figure 7, the end view Figure 14, and the inside view Figure
15, I have illustrated my improved mode of rifling, h, i, k, l, are the segments,
having grooves h¹, ¹, k¹, P, in one side, and tongues h", 2", ", 7", on the other,
both of which are formed parallel to the bore, to enable the sides to slide one
within the other. On the inside of each segment, that is, on the side forming
the bore, small rounded projections, to produce the rifling, are likewise made.
These rifling projections or ridges may be made separately, and secured in
their places in grooves, or in any other convenient manner; or they may be
formed on and be part of the segments; they may likewise be made of a
different kind of metal to that of which the segments are made, if desirable.
In order to keep the segments in their proper places they are secured by
collars, rings, or bands, half bands or clips, which may be either plain or
screwed on the inside. If half bands or clips are used, they must be furnished
with lugs, through which screw bolts are passed. The nuts for securing these
bolts have handles placed vertically on them, for facilitating the screwing and
unscrewing of the same. Rings d, d, may be let in and screwed to the ends
of the segments for additional strength.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the foregoing
arrangements exactly as herein-before described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the essential features of my Invention.
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 cannon in such manner that the piece of ordnance may
be used as a cannon, or may have parts thereof removed, and be then used
with additions as a mortar, by the means and in manner herein-before described
and illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly, the method of forming ordnance in segments, and of rendering
the bore of ordnance thus formed gas-tight, as herein-before described and
illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Thirdly, the methods of rifling ordnance, as herein-before described and
illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fourthly, the method of combining the segments of the improved ordnance,
or of strengthening other ordnance by means of screw collars, and screwed

page_text: muzzle and other end pieces, as herein-before described and illustrated in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fifthly, the method of forming, fitting, and rendering interchangeable the
trunnions of ordnance, as herein-before described and illustrated in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Blake Wells, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
BENJN BLAKE WELLS. (L.s.)