IMPROVEMENTS IN COM- POSITE GUNS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Palliser, of No. 19, Earl's Court Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Knight, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COM-
POSITE GUNS."
Sealed the 29th December 1877, and dated the 1st October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Palliser at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st October 1877.
WILLIAM PALLISER, of No. 19, Earl's Court Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Knight. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOSITE GUNS.'
My Invention relates to the construction of composite guns, particularly guns of
large calibre, in such a manner as to obtain great strength and inertia at moderate
cost. For this purpose I construct a gun in three main parts,―
First. A coiled wrought-iron inner or A tube, which is closed at its breech end by
a plug screwed into it.
Secondly. A coiled wrought-iron outer or B tube fitting over and enclosing the
whole length of the A tube.
And, Thirdly. A heavy cast-iron breech casing, which has a solid breech and
cascabel, and extends forwards over somewhat more than half the length of the
barrel.
The B tube is shrunk on the A tube, and to facilitate this in the case of long guns
the interior of the B tube and the exterior of the A tube may be slightly tapered.
I prefer to make the B tube of two separate lengths, making the length at the
breech end considerably thicker than the other length, the A tube being made pro-
portionately thinner at the breech end. In this case the exterior of the A tube is
tapered in opposite directions from the point where the two lengths of the B tube
meet, which are tapered internally in a corresponding manner, so that each length
can be slid on to the A tube from opposite ends.
At the point of junction of the two lengths of B tube I form on the A tube a
collar, against which the outer length of the B tube bears, in order to impart longi-
tudinal strength to the breech end of the A tube.

page_text: For guns of large calibre I prefer this construction, because by making the breech
end of the A tube comparatively thin, sound welds are ensured, and should the tube
crack or the welds open, the fissure is prevented from extending in depth so as to
render the gun unsafe.
If the B tube is made in one continuous length the breech end of the A tube is :
made slightly thicker than the muzzle end, thus forming a collar or shoulder at the
junction of the two thicknesses, against which an interior shoulder on the B tube
bears, the breech end of this tube being of enlarged inner diameter, so as to fit the
enlarged outer diameter of the A. tube.
The breech casing is cast hollow and bored, or it may be merely lapped or ground
out to form an easy fit over the B tube, which is pushed into it, a small vent for the
escape of air having been previously bored through the breech of the casing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Palliser in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th March
1878.
WILLIAM PALLISER, of No. 19, Earl's Court Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Knight. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOSITE GUNS."
My Invention relates to the construction of composite guns, particularly guns of
large calibre, in such a manner as to obtain great strength and inertia at moderate
cost. For this purpose I construct a gun in three main parts,-
First. A coiled wrought-iron inner or A tube, which is closed at its breech end by
a plug screwed into it.
Secondly. A coiled wrought-iron outer or B tube fitting over and enclosing the
whole length of the A tube.
And, Thirdly. A beavy cast-iron breech casing, which has a solid breech and
cascabel, and extends forwards over somewhat more than half the length of the
barrel, being provided at the front end with a screw ring which bears against a
collar on the B tube.
The B tube is shrunk on the A tube, and to facilitate this in the case of long
guns the interior of the B tube and the exterior of the A tube may be slightly
tapered.
I prefer to make the B tube in two separate lengths, and to taper the exterior
of the A tube in opposite directions from the point where the two lengths of the B
tube meet, which are tapered internally in a corresponding manner, so that each
length can be slid on to the A tube from opposite ends.
At the point of junction of the two lengths of the B tube I form on the A tube a
collar, against which the outer length of the B tube bears, in order to impart longi-
tudinal strength to the breech end of the A tube.
If the B tube is made in one continuous length the breech end of the A tube is
made thicker than the muzzle end, so as to present at the junction of the two thick-
nesses a shoulder against which an interior shoulder on the B tube bears, the breech
end of the B tube being of enlarged inner diameter so as to fit the enlarged outer
diameter of the A tube.

page_text: The breech casing is cast hollow and bored, or it may be merely lapped or ground
out to form an easy fit over the B tube, which is pushed into it, a small vent for the
escape of air having been previously bored through the breech of the casing.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings shews a longitudinal section of a composite
gun constructed according to my Invention, the B tube being in this case formed in
two separate lengths, as described.
A is the inner coiled wrought-iron tube, closed at the breech by a screw plug a,
for which is provided a thread projecting internally in the A tube, so that the latter
is not weakened by cutting the thread into its substance. B, B1, are the two lengths
of the outer coiled wrought-iron tube, which are shrunk on the A tube, the latter
being provided with a collar or shoulder al at their junction, against which collar
the tube B¹ is made to bear. From this point the outer surface of the A tube is
tapered in contrary directions towards each end. The B¹ length is secured in the
cast-iron breech casing C by the ring c screwed into it, and pressing against the
collar b formed or screwed on the tube B¹. I prefer to screw this collar on to a
raised thread on the tube, as shewn more clearly in the enlarged detail of this part
of the gun at Fig. 3, as if the collar were formed on the tube it would be necessary
to forge this of considerable thickness. The raised thread is made of sufficient
length to afford the requisite bearing surface to take the thrust, and it should run
in the contrary direction to that of the ring c, or it should be prevented from turning
by means of a pin or other well-known device. From the collar b the tube B¹ is
tapered in thickness externally toward the muzzle, as shewn; it should be made to
bear well against the collar or shoulder a¹ of the A tube in order to impart longi-
tudinal strength to the breech portion of the latter; this is effected by the screw
ring which presses B¹ against the collar a!.
If the tube B¹ is warmed and shrunk over the A tube it will when cold be in a
state of longitudinal tension as well as circumferential tension, and when the first
shot is fired it will contract longitudinally; owing however to the pressure put
upon B' by the screw ring c in the direction towards the breech end, the entire
longitudinal contraction will take place in that direction from the muzzle, and con-
sequently B' will be prevented from shrinking away from the collar a'.
The cast-iron casing has the end face formed perpendicular to the tube B¹ in order
to give strength to resist any tendency of the casing to begin to split at that point,
and its edge where the ring c screws into it should be rounded off, as shewn in
Fig. 3. It should also be well hollowed out behind the thread, as shewn, so as to
make the front part in which the screw thread is cut stronger than the part imme-
diately behind it, and thus ensure that there shall be no tendency to fracture in the
screwed part. In order to ensure this it is necessary to hollow out the casing in
rear of the screwed part to such a depth that the stretch due to longitudinal
pressure would be confined to the curved hollow in rear of the thread. By this
arrangement the fore part of the casing acquires all the longitudinal strength which
it would have if, instead of the screwed ring c, it had a solid end. The casing is cast
hollow, and bored or ground out to fit over the tubes B, B¹.
Fig. 2 shews a longitudinal section of the modification of the gun wherein the B
tube is constructed of one entire length, suitable for guns of smaller calibre than that
for which the design Fig. 1 is intended. The only difference between the two con-
structions is that in this case the breech end of the A tube is formed of enlarged
external diameter, the interior diameter of the breech end of B being also corre-
spondingly enlarged, thus forming a shoulder at 6', which is pressed against the
shoulder a¹ of A by means of the screw ring c in precisely the same manner as
described with reference to Fig. 1.
For guns of large calibre I prefer to use the construction shewn in Fig. 1, because
by making the breech end of the A tube comparatively thin, sound welds are insured,
and should it crack or should the welds open, the fissure is prevented from extending
in depth so as to become dangerous to the safety of the gun; and owing to the lon-
gitudinal support given by the ring c, and transferred through the B₁ tube to the

page_text: collar a¹, any risk of the A tube being blown out at the muzzle is completely
avoided.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim,-
First. The construction of a composite gun consisting of a coiled wrought-iron A
tube, of a coiled wrought-iron B tube in one length or in two separate lengths
shrunk thereon, and of a heavy cast-iron breech casing C stopping short at some
distance from the muzzle, and holding the B tube by means of a screw collar C, sub-
stantially as herein described.
Second. In composite guns constructed according to the first claim, the collar or
shoulder a¹ on the A tube operating in combination with the shoulder b¹ on the B
tube, and with the collar band screw ring c for affording longitudinal support to the
breech end of the A tube, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Palliser, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
W. PALLISER. (L.S.)