CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC VESSELS, CHAMBERS, OR HOLLOW CYLINDERS USED IN HYDRAULIC APPARATUS, CANNON, OR HEAVY GUNS. AND FOR LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Allman, of 10, Ampthill Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC VESSELS,
CHAMBERS, OR HOLLOW CYLINDERS USED IN HYDRAULIC APPARATUS, CANNON,
OR HEAVY GUNS. AND FOR LIKE PURPOSES."
Sealed the 24th November 1865, and dated the 1st June 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Allman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
June 1865.
I, HERBERT ALLMAN, of 10, Ampthill Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC
VESSELS, CHAMBERS, OR HOLLOW CYLINDERS USED IN HYDRAULIC APPARATUS,
CANNON, OR HEAVY GUNS, AND FOR LIKE PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention may be generally described as in title, but relates especially
to strengthening the cylinders or vessels berein mentioned by brazing or
soldering one or more coils of steel wire around or upon the outer surface of
such vessels.
I do not claim the use of wire or strips of metal, nor do I claim the use of
hard or soft solder, but I claim the manner in which I unite by hard or soft..
solder the said coils of wire. After the wire and cylinder around which it is
to be coiled are made perfectly clean and free from dirt, oil, or grease, the

page_text: coils are laid by a rotary action as close in contact as possible. When the
laying is finished, brass, copper, german silver, or other solder in the form of
wire or in sheets is placed closely round the wire; the wire is then washed
with carbonate of soda, then washed with pure water, the work being next
completely wetted by a saturated solution of borax; it is then heated until
all the water is driven off and coated with clay lute over every part. On
being placed in a leer or oven of the proper temperature the solder is melted,
and runs by capillary attraction into the interstices, and completely unites
the whole into one solid mass of steel and brass. In the instance of cannon
or heavy guns the thickness or guage of the wire must vary in each suc-
cessive layer, so that the force of explosion shall propagate the wave of
expansion from the inner to the outer surface of the gun in such manner that
the force of the said explosion shall affect the whole mass simultaneously; for
this purpose I increase the size of the wire in each successive coil in order to
increase the tesion; the first coil one hundred pounds, second two hundred,
third three hundred, and so on.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Herbert Allman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERBERT
ALLMAN, of 10, Ampthill Square, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Herbert Allman, Her special licence that I, the said Herbert Allman,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Herbert Allman, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE FORMATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC VESSELS, CHAMBERS, OR
HOLLOW CYLINDERS USED IN HYDRAULIC APPARATUS, CANNON, OR HEAVY GUNS, AND
FOR LIKE PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said

page_text: Herbert Allman, 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 Herbert Allman, 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 (that is to say):
In strengthening guns, cylinders, and other articles, it has been usual
heretofore to do so by the application of wire or strips of steel wound tightly
on the exterior of said cylinder or gun, which strengthening coils have some-
times been united by hard or soft soldering.
Now my Invention relates to the method of preparing and treating coils of
wire or strips of metal, and the manner of applying the solder for the purpose
of uniting such coils together and to the cylinder, gun, or other article.
After the wire and cylinder around which it is to be coiled are made perfectly
clean and free from dirt, oil, or grease, the coils are laid by a rotating action
as closely in contact as possible. When the laying is finished, brass, copper,
german silver, or other solder in the form of wire or in sheets is placed closely
round the wire; the whole is then washed with carbonate of soda, then
rewashed with pure water, the work being next completely wetted by a
saturated solution of borax, and subsequently heated until all the water is
evaporated and driven off; I then coat or enclose the article coiled with the
strengthening wires or coils and brass or other solder, and lute it over every
part; having so enclosed and luted it, I place it in a leer or oven of the
proper temperature, whereby the solder is melted and runs by capillary
attraction into the interstices and completely unites the whole into one solid
mass of steel and brass. For cannon or heavy guns, the thickness or guage
of the wire should be varied in thickness and tension in each successive layer,
so that the force of the explosion shall propagate the wave of expansion
simultaneously, or nearly so, from the inner to the outer surface of the gun.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to the
exclusive use of wire or strip metal coils applied for strengthening guns,
cylinders, and other articles, nor to the use of hard or soft solder for that
purpose; but I declare that what I claim to be protected by the herein-before.
in part recited Letters Patent, and the exclusive use of, is the application of

page_text: brass or other analogous soldering material to the strengthening coils of guns,
cylinders, or other articles prepared and treated all in the manner herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert Allman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
HERBERT ALLMAN. (L.s.)