IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF ORDNANCE AND OTHER FIRE-ARMS, AND OF PROJECTILES TO BE USED WITH THEM
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles John Burnett, of Number Twenty-one,
Ainslie Place, in the City of Edinburgh, North Britain, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF
ORDNANCE AND OTHER FIRE-ARMS, AND OF PROJECTILES TO BE USED WITH THEM."
Sealed the 12th September 1861, and dated the 15th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles John Burnett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th March 1861.
I. CHARLES JOHN BURNETT. of Number Twenty-one, Ainslic Place, in the
City of Edinburgh, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature.
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION
OF ORDNANCE AND OTHER FIRE-ARMS, AND OF PROJECTILES TO BE USED WITH THEM.',
to be as follows, videlicet:-
My improvements consist and relate, first, to the building up of the gun or
gun barrel of two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, or other number
of simple cylinders placed one within another, they being united by a series of
corresponding screws, male and female respectively, a male or female screw
being turned on and around the outside circumference of the internal or of each
internal cylinder, and a corresponding and fitting female or male on the inside
circumference of the external or of each external cylinder. I do not confine,
myself to any particular pitch of screw, and the separate cylinders may have
been all or any of them either cast longitudinally welded, or spirally welded.
While designating the component barrels of the compound barrel or gun as

page_text: cylinders, it must be understood that (screws apart) they need not or cannot
be strictly such, as the outermost cylinder may of course be externally many
sided or of any other form which is wished, no screw being required on its
outside: also that the inside of the innermost cylinder may, from a corre-
sponding reason, be of any form wished, either tapering in either direction, or
without taper, and either smooth or rifled on any system, and with any amount
of twist or turn I please. exempli gratia, polygonal with a re-entering angle
projecting from each corner, or circular, with three to thirty, or any number
more of similar projections intended to fit into corresponding openings or slits
left open in the casting, turning, or other mode of formation of the projectile;
also, that any one or more of the cylinders may be tapered so as to be of a
diameter larger towards the breech end than at the muzzle end (or the reverse),
in order it may be to increase gradually the weight and strength of the com-
pound barrel or gun from the muzzle towards the breech end in any proportion
I please, and also if I please, to aid in getting one cylinder within the other,
and properly screwed up into it.
The inside cylinder, or each inside cylinder, or the main part of it, is to be of
such diameter that it cannot enter that which immediately surrounds it, or the
part of it which it is to finally occupy, without their exercising on each other a
certain amount of pressure, which pressure may be either simply as much as or
a little more than enough to keep it firmly in its place, or else any amount
more, and distributed among the different successive layers of the gun or com-
pound barrel in any proportion I please, so as to equalize or regulate the strain
on the different strata of it.
The entrance of the inner barrel or of any inner barrel or barrels where
larger than the inside circumference of that which it is to enter, or that part
of it which it is to finally occupy, may be effected by having the entering end
of the inner cylinder, or else the to be entered end, or both, tapered gradually
to a sufficient extent to permit the first entrance, when by the aid of the screw
we can gradually screw them home. The tapering and loose entering ends
being then cut off the remaining part is of the required tension.
Another plan which may or might be adopted is (as already attended to)
the gradual and proportionate tapering up of the entering and the to be
entered cylinder or any two or more sets of them. On this plan also I may pro-
portion the diameters and consequent tension when screwed up at pleasure, and
the junction in this way may be effected by inserting the inner cylinder or mass
of already screwed up inner cylinders, as the case may be, till the screw catch,
and then continuing to screw up till their lengths coincide, or till each portion

page_text: is opposite that to which it is intended to be finally opposite, or till the required
tension is obtained. I do not, however, necessarily confine myself to these
two modes of entering the screws and screwing up, but any other which is
found suitable may be employed.
In building the gun or barrel on the plan I have indicated, while the screw
junction of internal with external circumferences is the main principle, I do not
bind myself that the cylinders composing the gun or barrel should necessarily
be all, or any number, or even any one of them (though the innermost at all
events should probably be so) all of one piece continuously in length. Any one
or more or all of them may be of two or more pieces; these pieces, or shorter
cylinders, being kept in their places, either simply by their circumferential
screw or screws, internal or external, or both in those which have both without
further attachment, or at the same time each of these shorter cylinders may be
provided with a screw at one or both of its terminations (as required) so as to
enable each cylinder to be in itself proof against separation by straining into
its shorter cylinders, and it will be well in both these cases to have the
junctions of the fragments of one larger cylinder opposite the centre of the
fragments of the next layer or larger cylinder, or to have them at all events
not contiguous.
As to the breeches of these guns (which to avoid complicating my descrip-
tion I have hitherto left out) these breeches may be either separate from or
permanently attached to the barrel; these breeches may also be of one piece
of metal, or if pleased be built up in layers of greater or lesser number,
similar to those of which the barrel is composed, and they (id est) the
breeches may be either separate from or permanently attached to the barrel
(or the breech end of it when not of continuous length.) The different layers
of the built up breech may, if pleased, be each part of one of the concentric
hollow cylinders (or its breech end where annularly compound) being screwed
up along with it. Such breeches may have their internal cavity curved,
sloped, or chambered as in other guns already in use, or with any slope or
taper pleased. If the breech be separable it may still in this case be built up
on the same principle, and where separable it may be either only occasionally
separable for purposes of convenience, cleaning, or inspection, as in ordinary
muzzle-loading fire-arms, or else it may be separable for breech-loading or
loading elsewhere than at the muzzle. I may also substitute a solid cylin-
drical plug screwed into the barrel (which, that is the plug, may however
terminate inside the gun either in a plane, or in a conical or other curved
hollow or chamber) for the chambered or hollow breech we have indicated. If

page_text: the breech or plug be made moveable for breech-loading it may be made
moveable by machinery containing a hinge or hinges (and identical with, or
more or less allied to that of Mr. Westley Richard's breech-loading Whitworth
rifle) or screwable up in any way 1 please by aid of a screw or screws turned
or placed either inside the breech end of the gun barrel or elsewhere, or both
there and elsewhere, as is found in some forms of breech-loading fire-arms at
present in use. To avoid any open space being left when loaded in these
breeches with curved terminations where loading with an unbroken cartridge,
we may have the butt end of such cartridge (or of a wad attached to it) made
to fit this curve of the breech or plug.
In employing the system of screw-junction described, I do not bind myself
to any particular metal or alloy either in the construction of the guns or
breeches; I may employ homogeneous iron, Bessmer's patent iron, stub or
other twist, or any description of malleable or other iron I please, cast steel,
laminated steel, or any other description of steel or mixture of steel and iron,
bronze, copper, and silicon or aluminium alloy with copper, or any other
metal or alloy 1 please. I also do not confine myself to the use of one
metal only in one and the same gun, or one and the same barrel or breech.
I may have different strata of different metals, exempli gratia; I may have
the innermost barrel of steel or other very hard metal to prevent wearing
of its rifling or projections, especially when hard metal projectiles are to be
used. I do not bind myself not to lubricate the screws with eupion, paraffine,
paraffine oil, or other oily substances, or not to coat them galvanically or
otherwise with silver, nickel, platinum, or other metal should I find such
lubrication or coating advantageous.
As to the rifling of these screw-built guns, without binding myself to any
particular form or nature of rifling (or, exempli gratia, in the case of mortars,
without binding myself to their being rifled at all) 1 may name the following
as one or two plans which I intend to employ. A cylindrical barrel cut so
as to leave projecting ridges or wings of sufficient number and amount of pro-
jection (the two being regulated in correspondence) to enable me to give
them an amount of rifle twist suflicient to give the projectile an amount of
circumferential rotation sufficient to keep up spin enough to prevent deflection
to its extreme available or even its extreme actual range without risk of its
stripping the projectile, the strength of the projections or wings being of
course regulated so as to enable them to resist the strain without injury.
Where the projectile is of lead or soft metal (or partly so) I may trust to the
expansion produced by the explosive force for expanding it and filling up the

page_text: barrel where, however, the projectile is formed of iron, steel, bronze, anti-
monial alloy, zinc alloy, or other hard metal or alloy also, if I please, in the
case of leaden projectiles, it may be cast, turned, or formed in a press with
openings corresponding, and to be filled by the projections existing in the
barrel, and in this case the projections or wings may be made higher than in
the other case so as to enter to a considerable depth into the projectile. I do
not, however, confine myself to any particular number or size (height or
breadth) of projections or of the corresponding cavities or cuts into the pro-
jectiles where formed with such cavities, the main principle being to impart
sufficient circumferential rotation or spin along with sufficient projectile
velocity without risk of injury either to the gun or projectile. Further, as to
the form of the projections or lands, they may (twist apart) consist of two
straight sides sloping towards an angle, and either terminating with a pretty
sharp edge or angle (especially when the ordnance or rifle is to be used with
a soft metal projectile unprovided with grooves to fit into) or else square or
rounded off with any curve or curves I please, especially when used with hard
metal projectiles of corresponding form. I do not confine myself to any par-
ticular form of projections or lands in the barrel or corresponding grooves in
the projectile. As to the general outline of the projectiles, independently of
such grooves, a form which I especially recommend is that of a cylinder
terminating at one or both ends by a cone, curve, or point (and with or
without a hollow, or hollow and plug at the base). The proportion between
diameter and length may be one to two and a-half up to 1 to five, or other, at
pleasure, and may have only a small portion of the projectile cylindrical, and
the larger portion at both ends tapering with a curve calculated to offer the
least resistance to the atmosphere.
I claim also the use of a projectile suitable for these and other guns, con-
sisting of three up to ten or more longitudinal segments united by chains or
wires. The chains or wires are concealed in the inside of the projectile, and
the segments form one body until after they leave the gun, when they spread
and from their greater number cover more space than the old double chain
shot does.
The spreading may be produced in various ways; first, by the centrifugal
force of the fragments imparted by a rifled gun; second, by a charge of powder
or other explosive compound which may be arranged by time fuses or otherwise
so as to explode and produce such spreading at any required distance after
leaving the gun, or, in other words, at any part of the projectile's range, this
preventing the increased resistance, diminished range, and diminished force at

page_text: the point where it is intended to take effect, which would be the result of the
projectiles having to travel all the way, or unnecessarily far. in its expanded
condition: The parts or segments of these projectiles may be kept together
by rings of metal, by wire, or by any other method which may be found
suitable, until the powder separates them, and such projectiles may be furnished
externally with projections or grooves to suit the grooves or projections of the
barrel from which they are fired.
Among my claims to novelty under this Patent are:-
(f.) I claim as novel the building up of ordnance, as well as guns for horse
artillery, mountain artillery, and boats, and all other description of artillery, in
addition to smaller fire-arms, of concentric layers or strata which are united
or held together by external or internal circumferential screws.
(II.) I claim this system of screw junction as enabling me, and as employed,
to regulate the tension of the different layers or strata so as to give to the gun,
barrel or breech, the greatest strength and power of resistance to the explosive
force which the materials are capable of producing (this tension being calcu-
lated or regulated according to the same principles which have been advocated
by Captain Blakesley for hooped ordnance, or otherwise).
(III.) I claim this system of screw building as facilitating the carrying out and
as employed to carry out a principle which is pointed out in my Provisional Spe-
cification dated the Sixteenth day of October, One thousand eight hundred and
sixty, Number 2517, for "Improvements in Breech or Muzzle-loading
Ordnance," this principle being the giving to an elongated ordnance projectile
(and the same applies to heavy, that is, one and a half to three or four ounces
shoulder-rifle projectile,) a velocity approaching, equal to, or up to even
considerably greater than that of the projectiles from the strongest shooting
varieties of shoulder-rifles now in use, and this along with a sufficient amount
of rifle twist (varying, of course, according to circumstances) to make the
projectile retain up to its extreme range, or the extreme range at which it is
intended to take effect, an amount of spin sufficient to counteract the tendency
to deflection from its proper path while traversing the air.
I also claim the right to taper my screw-built guns from breech end
towards the muzzle at pleasure, so as to place the resistance where it ought
to be.
(IV.) I claim as novel one plan of rifling (along with its corresponding
formation of projectiles) consisting of a circular (or nearly circular) bore, (with
or without tapering from the direction of the breech upwards, with three,
four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, or any number more of projecting wings

page_text: or lands, smaller (to any extent at pleasure) in breadth than the intermediate
spaces, and made or intended to fit into corresponding openings or grooves cast
or turned with or without the subsequent aid of pressure, or formed by pressure
alone, in the elongated projectile to be used in it. I do not bind myself to
any particular elevation, form, angle, or curve of these lands, which may be
either angled or rounded, and cither two or more sided.
I claim this plan of rifling with its correspondence in the projectiles as
applied both to breech-loading and muzzle-loading arms, and both to ordnance,
screw-built and other (though more especially to screw-built), including of
course mountain artillery, horse artillery, and boat guns; also to shoulder-
guns (especially when intended for projectiles of from one and a half ounces
up to three or four ounces.
(V.) I claim as novel a covering or jacket of felt or paper fibre, or mixture
of felt fibre and vegetable fibre, made by moulding, with or without pressure, in
one piece, and fitting, or capable of fitting, closely into the grooves or channels
of the projectile. This jacket may cover the cylindrical part only of the
projectile (being the part of it which comes into contact with the barrel and
its wings or lands), or else, not only this, but as much more of it as I please.
The jacket may also be lubricated with tallow, wax, paraffin or paraffin oil,
or any oily or fatty substance or mixture of substances.
(VI.) I claim the unscrewing (and the adaptation of the system of gun
building before described to the unscrewing) of the innermost of the cylinders
or strata of a screw-built gun or barrel, so as and in order to enable another
cylinder or lining having a different amount of rifle twist (or it may be a
different form of rifling, or both combined,) to be substituted.
I also claim the same unscrewing and system of substitution as employed to
change the calibre of the gun (either along with or separate from the change
in twist, or in form, or in both of these,) by substituting for one innermost
cylinder or lining either one other of greater or less amount or thickness in
metal, & consequent difference of internal calibre; or two or more inner
cylinders or linings may replace or be replaced by one innermost cylinder
where the difference to be made is great, and it is desired not to injure the
regularity of the tension by having any one cylinder or stratum of such
thickness as might be liable to do so.
I claim also the same substitution as enabling me to and as employed to
We
replace a worn or otherwise damaged innermost cylinder by a good one.
may also employ the screwing down of the component cylinders to increase
the portability of the gun.

page_text: (VII) I claim as novel an improved chain-shot projectile adapted to screw-
built and other guns consisting of different segments or parts, from three
upwards, connected by chains, wires, or cords, and constructed to burst so as
to make them spread out at some distance after they have left the gun by the
explosion in the projectile of a charge of gunpowder or other explosive
substance, which explosion may, if I please, be regulated by a time fuse.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles John Burnett in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
JOHN BURNETT, of Number Twenty-one, Ainslie Place, in the City of Edinburgh,
North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles John Burnett, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
John Burnett, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles John Burnett, 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 STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF ORDNANCE AND OTHER
FIRE-ARME, AND OF PROJECTILES TO BE USED WITH THEM," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles John Burnett, my executors or ad-
ministrators, 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 Charles John Burnett, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
The Invention consists, first, in improvements in the structure and con-
struction of ordnance and other fire-arms; and, secondly, the Invention
consists in improvements in projectiles.
It has before been proposed to construct the barrels of ordnance and fire-
arms of cylindrical tubular rings screwed one within the other, there being
screw threads cut or formed on the exterior surfaces of the inner tubular
rings and interior of the exterior tubular rings, but by reason of the interior
tubular rings and external tubular rings used in constructing a barrel being
cylindrical they have simply been screwed one over the other.
Now the first part of my Invention consists in employing tapering or
conical tubes, with screw threads cut or formed on the outer surface of the
interior tube, and on the inner surface of the outer tube, in order that when
the interior tube is screwed with force into the exterior tube there shall be a
tendency in proportion to the extent to which the two are screwed together to
put the outer tube into a state of extension and the inner tube into a state of
compression. More than two tubes screwed within each other may be thus
used in constructing a barrel for a piece of ordnance or a fire-arm. Barrels
may be thus made of concentric cones screwed within each other of iron, steel,
or other suitable metal, and proper breeches may be either constructed with
the cones or they may be applied by screwing or otherwise, and the barrels
may as heretofore be suitably constructed for breech or muzzle loading. In
constructing ordnance according to this Invention the trunnions will be formed
on the outer tube of which a barrel is constructed.
It is preferred that the tubes used in constructing a barrel should each be
originally somewhat longer than the length of the barrel, and when screwed
together cut to the desired length.
In carrying out the second part of my Invention. in order that a more
advantageous construction of chain shot or shell may be obtained, I construct
hollow projectiles of a cylindrical or other desired form of three or other
number of parts which will readily go together, and be caused to retain
the desired form of the projectile. I connect the several pieces of the projectile
by a chain or chains or by wires or cords which are placed within the hollow
projectile, and the parts of the projectile being fixed or retained together by
any convenient means, I load such projectile with a charge sufficient to separate
the parts when exploded. Thus projectiles in place of passing separated
through the air as is ordinarily the case in regard to chained shots their parts

page_text: will retain the form of a single projectile in each case till separated by
explosion, and the parts being connected will then act in the manner of chain
shot. The time of exploding the charge in a projectile thus constructed may
be regulated in the ordinary manner in which the ignition or explosion of shells
is regulated as is well understood.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles John Burnett, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one.
CHAS. J. BURNETT. (L.S.)