IMPROVEMENTS IN THE to be as MANUFACTURE OF SHELLS FOR ORDNANCE. OF LARGE OR SMALL CALIBRE follows:-
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOHN BALDIE of N° 176 Maxey Road Plumstead in the County of Kent,
Smith do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
to be as
MANUFACTURE OF SHELLS FOR ORDNANCE. OF LARGE OR SMALL CALIBRE
follows:-
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of shells for
ordnance of large or small calibre.
I commence by casting the shell body in mild steel with the sides or walls of
much greater thickness than is required in the finished shell and open at one end.
I then when the shell body is suitably heated insert a mandril and forge the sides
of the body between swages thereby reducing them in thickness- and increasing
the length of the body. When the desired size is nearly attained I force the shell
through a ring as described in the specification of a former patent granted to me
No 3047 in the year 1884. Lastly I form the open end of the shell by forging the.
tubular body so as to thicken it at its outer edges and close the edges inwards as
also is described in the said specification.
Dated this 5th day of March 1885
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Shells for Ordnance of
Large or Small Calibre.
I, JOHN BALDIE of N° 176 Maxey Road Plumstead in the County of Kent
Smith do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of shells for
ordnance of large or small calibre.
I commence by casting the shell body in steel of suitable quality with the sides
or walls of much greater thickness than is required in the finished shell and open
at one end. I then when the shell body is suitably heated insert a mandril and
forge the sides of the body between swages thereby reducing them in thickness
and increasing the length of the body. When the desired size is nearly attained
I force the shell through a ring as described in the specification of a former patent
granted to me No 3047 in the year 1884. Lastly I form the open end of the shell
by forging the tubular body so as to thicken it at its outer edges and close the
edges inwards as also is described in the said Specification.
Describing it more in detail my process for making shells is as follows:-
The first operation is the casting of the shell body in steel; this is done in the
usual way of making such castings. A mild quality of steel but such as is capable
of being hardened is most suitable.
The casting is hollow and is closed at one end and open at the other :-its form
varies to some extent according to the class of shell which it is intended to produce.
If for a common shell it is cast cylindrical from end to end. As before stated the
sides or walls of the body are cast thicker than they are required to be in the
finished shell.
When casting the closed end is preferably downwards and it is made of greater
thickness than is required in the finished shell. The cast body is heated to its
welding heat, a mandril is inserted to fill its cavity and it is hammered all around
the sides between swages in such manner as to reduce its external diameter and
the thickness of its walls: the interior diameter remaining nearly unchanged.
When thoroughly hammered the shell with a mandril within it is forced through a
coned ring of a diameter only a little in excess of that of the finished shell.
More than one ring may be used; the shell is reheated when necessary. The end
or ends of the shell body which are likely to be unsound are now cut off; this
reduces the shell body to the form indicated by the sectional view Figure 1; it is
still a little longer than the finished shell. The next operation is to close in the
open end of the body; this is done by heating the end only, then placing the shell
body in a jacket or casing and by means of the hammer forcing a plug of suitable
form down upon its end. Figure 2 illustrates the arrangement a is the shell
body b the jacket or casing and c the plug which has been forced down against the
end of the shell body.
To finish the end the shell body is again heated at this part and it is hammered
on the sides between wages or dies of a form corresponding to that to be given to

page_text: the end of the shell. A mandril of the proper size is inserted to preserve and
fashion the fuse hole; by this operation the shell is brought to the form shown by
Figure 3. The shell body is then finished by forcing it at a mild heat through
another ring which reduces it accurately to the required diameter.
For armour piercing shells the process is somewhat varied :-the.body is cast
with a sugar loaf end; this closed taper end is destined to form the head of the
shell. The casting is hammered as before on its sides between swages and it is
also hammered endwise the head being inserted into a cavity of corresponding
form in an anvil block and a mandril of the form of the internal cavity of the
shell body being forced down into it with the hammer. When the shell body is
thus thoroughly worked it is driven through a ring or rings which reduce it
approximately to the required diameter. The shell is now cut to a length slightly
exceeding that of the finished shell the upper end which is likely to be unsound
being removed. This brings the shell body to the form represented at Figure 4.
The open end has then to be closed in the manner already described in respect to
Figures 1, 2 and 3 the body is placed in a jacket or case and a plug is driven in
upon it; in this way the form represented by Figure 5 is attained. A repetition
of the treatment with another plug completes the shell body bringing it to the
form indicated in Figure 6.
The further operations for finishing the shell ready for use are as heretofore.
When making shrapnel shell the operations of casting the shell body, hammering
it on the sides on a mandril which enters the cavity and then cutting the shell
body to the length required are as already described. The shell body is thus
brought to the form indicated by Figure 7.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) The improvement in the manufacture of shells consisting in casting a hollow
cylindrical body closed at one end; hammering it on the sides, forcing it through
a ring or rings and contracting the open end substantially as described.
(2.) The improvement in the manufacture of shells consisting in casting a hollow
cylindrical body closed at one end, hammering it on the sides and forcing it through
a ring or rings substantially as described.
Dated th 71 JAT
L100-