US2345359A - Manufacture of rifled gun barrels - Google Patents

Description

w 1 3 m 5 e 4 & 3 2 m e h s 4 s L E R R A B M G D R E L cw Filed July 22, 1942 Zmvcutor W. C. RICK RODE March 28, 1944. w. c. RI

MANUFACTURE OF R (Ittornc March 28, 1944. w. c. RICKRODE MANUFACTURE OF RIFLED GUN BARRELS Filed July 22, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nncntor W. C. RICK R0 DE March 28, 1944. 'w c RlcKRODE 2,345,359

MANUFACTURE OF RIFLED GUN BARRELS Filed July 22, 1942 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 5

'I I III Simon-tor w. c. RICK R005 35 W rk (Itfomeg March 28, 1944. w. c, RICKRODE MANUFACTURE OF RIFLED GUN BARRELS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 22, 1942 F Summer K RO DE W. C. RIC

3 W Gttorncu Patented Mar. 28, 1944 MANUFACTURE OF RIFLED GUN BARRELS William C. Rickrode, Ma

County, Pa., assignor nchester Township, York to York Safe and Look Company, York, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application July 22, 1942, Serial No. 451,819

11 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of rifled gun barrels, and more particularly to the operation of honing the spiral rifle grooves after the same have been formed with cutting tools.

Under present practice of rifling the bores of gun barrels of high velocity, long range cannon, in some instances the bores are formed with a large number of spiral rifle grooves. For instance, there may be as many as sixteen rifle grooves. These rifle grooves may all be simultaneously formed by a suitable cutting tool or by a series of cutting tools. At the completion of the groove cutting operation it is necessary to remove burrs and to otherwise finish the rifled bore of the cannon so that the rifle grooves will be very smooth.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and means for honing grooves, especially the spiral rifle grooves of gun barrels and the like. I

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method and means for finishing the bore of a gun barrel by honing actions, substantially as herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 illustrates ashort section of a gun barrel with a honing tool disposed therein in the act of honing the rifle grooves;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing the gun barrel with a pair of honing tools arranged therein in tandem relationship with each other;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevationof the honing tool shown in Fig. 1 removed from the gun barrel;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 55 of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the rifle grooves before the same has been honed; and

Fig. '7 is a view of the structure shown in Fig. 6 showing the manner in which the surfaces of the groove are honed.

Referring to the drawings, the gun barrel II, which may be of any size or cross section, has its bore formed with a series of spiral radial grooves l2 defining lands l3 therebetween. The lands l3 may be somewhat narrower in width than the width of the grooves 12.

As shown in Figs. 6 and '7, each rifle groove i2 has a bottom surface [4, and two side walls l5 and I6 which extend from the bottom of the groove outwardly to the lands I3. At the junction of the side wall IS with the bottom I4, there is a curved surface 11, and'like'wise at the junction of the side wall l6 with the bottom I4 there is a curved surface l8. g

In order to form the grooves l2 in'the bore of the gun barrel H, a draw cutting tool may be used. Such a tool is reciprocated and'rotated within the gun barrel bore. When the cutting operation is completed the surfaces of the rifled bore are usually rough, as shown in Fig. 6, and in order to remove burrs and other roughness, which tend to hinder the free passage of a projectile through the bore of the gun barrel, and give the surfaces of the bore and especially the surfaces of the rifling grooves a smooth finish, it is necessary to finish such surfaces with a suitable honing tool or by some other method.

The honing tool comprises a body 2|, preferably in the form of a cylinder of suitable diameter and length to slide easily in the bore of the gun barrel The longitudinal center of the cylindrical body 2| may be formed with an opening 22 so that suitable means may be secured to the tool for the purpose of operating the same.

In the present instance the operating means for the honing tool shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, comprises a rod 23 having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the opening 22 so that the body of the honing tool 2| will be free to rotate with respect to the rod 23.

One end of the rod 23 is formed with an eye 24 which is held in spaced relation to an end wall of the honing tool body 2| by means of a washer 25 disposed on the rod between the eye 24 and the end wall of said honing tool body.

The end of the rod 23 opposite to the end having the eye 24 is formed with screw threads 26 for the reception of one or more nuts 21.

Interposed between the nuts 21 and the end wall of the honing tool body 2|, is a washer 28 which may be substantially similar to the washer 25.

The manner in which the rod 23 is operatively connected to the body of the honing tool 2| is such that the washer 25 prevents the eye 24 from bearing tightly against one end wall of the honing tool body and the washer 28 separates the nuts 21 from the other end wall of the body 2|. Since the rod 23 is freely rotatable in the opening 22, a loose connection is provided between the body 2| and the rod 23, thereby permitting free rotative movements of the honing tool with respect to said rod. The body 2| can also move lengthwise of the rod for a limited distance.

A handle or stem 29 of suitable length is connected to the rod 23 by means of a link or connector element 30.

The link 30 has one end formed with a bifurcated portion to provide spaced ears 3|, between which the eye 24 of the rod 23 is disposed.

The ears 3| are formed with alined openings 32 so arranged that the opening of the eye 24 can be alined therewith to receive a coupling member in the nature of a bolt or screw 33.

In this way one end of the link 30 is pivotally connected to the rod 23, and such pivotal connection should preferably be loose so as to permit free movement of the link with respect to said rod.

The end of the link 3|] opposite to the end having the ears 3| is formed with a fiat portion having a size to be disposed in a slot 35 formed in the end portion of the handle 29.

The end portion of the handle 29 is formed, on each side of the slot 35, with alined openings 35 which said openings are adapted to be alined with the opening 34 in the end of the link 39 for the reception of a pin 31.

If so desired the handle 29 may have screw threads 38 formed on the end portion thereof having the slot 35, and threadedly engaging the screw threads 38 is an internally threaded annular band 39.

The band 39 may be formed of a material which will not injure the rifling grooves 2 of the gun barrel H should the end of the handle 29 contact such grooves during operation of the honing tool.

When the band 39 is mounted on the end of the handle 29 in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 4, said band is formed with diametrically disposed openings 40 which aline with the openings 34 and 36, and the pin 31 is driven tightly into said alined openings so as to make the link 39 rigid with the handle 29.

Formed in the outer periphery of the body 2|, is a series of similarly constructed spiral radial pockets or grooves 43.

The grooves 43, in cross section, may be substantially rectangular in form, and said grooves may have suitable depth. However, the bottom of each groove 43 is spaced a considerable distance from the wall of the opening 22, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The pockets or grooves 43 extend lengthwise of the body 2|, being suitably spaced apart in the manner shown best in Fig. 5. The grooves 43 are arranged at an angle with respect to the longitudinal center line of the body 2|, so that the honing elements or stones will fit properly in the rifle grooves |2 If so desired, arcuate or semicircular ends 44 may be formed at each end of the pockets 43. Each end 44 is spaced a suitable distance from the end of the body 2|, so that the pockets have a length somewhat less than the overall length of the body 2|.

Mounted in each pocket or groove 43 is a stone 45 which may be in the form of a block of abrasive material. These abrasive elements 45 are so constructed as to be freely movable inwardly and outwardly of the pockets or grooves 43, and each abrasive element 45 may have an arcuate end 45 corresponding substantially to the ends 44 of said pockets or grooves. Since the pockets or grooves 43 are of elongated form, the abrasive blocks or stones 45 likewise are elongated in form and said stones have a width to fit the rifling grooves |'2 so that during the operation of the tool said rifling grooves will be honed in the manner to be hereinafter more fully described.

In order to resiliently support each abrasive stone 45 in its pocket 43, the bottom of each pocket is formed with one or more recesses 41.

Mounted in each recess 41 and bearing against the bottom face of each abrasive block 45, is an expansible coil spring 48.

In Fig. 4, the device is shown as being con- 1| structed with a pair of spaced apart springs 48 under each abrasive block 45.

To limit the amount of outward movement of the stones 45 with respect to the body 2|, any suitable means may be employed. In the present instance such means is shown as comprising a pair of spaced rings 49 which encircle the body 2| and are mounted in alined slots or notches 50 and 5|, formed in the body 2| and in the stones 45, respectively.

The slots 5| may be disposed adjacent to the ends 46 of the stones 45, as shown best in Figs. 3 and 4, and the rings 49 are so arranged relative to the disposition of the springs 43 that the forces of said springs, acting against the forces of said rings, prevent the abrasive blocks 45 from rocking upwardly and downwardly lengthwise of the pockets 43. In other words, the rings 49 retain the abrasive blocks 45 in proper position in the tool so that smooth surfaces are produced during the honing operation. In this way better work will be produced with the use of the improved honing tool than has been possible heretofore with known devices designed for a similar pur- DOSE.

During operation of the honing tool, the stones 45 may shift their positions in the body 2| as the result of the action of the springs 48 thereagainst, consequently the rings 49 should be of a flexible type and should have sufficient resiliency to at all times counteract the expansion forces of the springs 48 sufliciently to retain the stones 45 in the desired position in the grooves 43 and to also prevent said stones from being dislodged or misplaced from their respective pockets.

As shown in Fig. 5 the body 2| carries eight honing stones 45. Such a hone is primarily adapted to be used for honing the rifle grooves of cannons of the type in which the barrel is formed with either eight or sixteen rifle grooves. Thus, when the honing operation is commenced in a gun barrel having sixteen rifle grooves, the eight stones 45 of the honing tool are arranged in every other rifle groove. The operating handle 29 should have sufficient length to enable the "body 2| to bemoved lengthwise of the gun barrel :for the entire lengthof said barrel.

The operator inserts the honing tool in one end of the gun barrel, with the stones 45 disposed in alternate rifle g ooves I2, as has been described, and by moving the operating handle 29 inwardly and outwardly of the barrel with short strokes, hones a section of the rifle grooves. After honing a shortsection of the rifle grooves, the hone is advanced further into the .bore of the gun barrel II and the operation repeated until the entire gun barrel has been honed.

Although, in actual practice it has been found best to operate the honing tool in the above described manner by imparting relatively short reciprocating strokes thereto, it will be understood that, when so desired, the honing tool can be moved in a single stroke through the gun barrel from one end to the other end thereof, either manually or by means of a suitable machine or power operated means.

Since each abrasive element '45 is individually urged outwardly by its respective pair of springs 48, wear of the honing elements will not afiect the operation of the tool to properly hone at one time a plurality of rifling grooves, and therefore all rifling .will be honed smoothly and uniformly at one time by the operation of the tool in the .above described manner.

Due to the manner in which the body 2| is hingedly connected to the operating handle 29 through the loose connection provided by the link 30 and the rod 23, the operator can hold the handle 29 somewhat rigid and move the same rectilinearly of the gun barrel without affecting the spiral or curvilinear movement of the honing tool 2| resulting from the action of the abrasive stones 45 following the spiral rifiing grooves of the gun barrel. Thus, the honing tool 2| is free to move spirally within the gun barrel as the result of the rectilinear movements imparted thereto by the operating member 29, without the abrasive stones 45 becoming wedged or otherwise restricted in freely moving in the rifle grooves I2. In other words, since the body 2| is free to move in all directions with respect to the rod 23, when said body is moved rectilinearly in a gun barrel the abrasive stones 45 will slide freely in the rifling grooves l2, and thereby hone said grooves to the desired finish in the least possible time.

In order to enhance the operation of the honing tool when the abrasive stones 45 encounter extremely rough surfaces during the honing operation, means have been provided by which the normally freely rotatable body 2| can be coupled to the operating member or handle 29 and the handle manipulated to exert forces upon the body 2| so that the abrasive stones 45 are urged against the surfaces of the grooves |2 in such manner that such surfaces will be quickly honed to a smooth finish.

The above referred to means for coupling the honing tool body 2| to the handle 29 comprises a pair of pins or lugs 4| and 42,

The pin 4| projects outwardly from an end wall of the body 2| into the path of the pin 42 which is carried by the link 30.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the pins 4| disengaged.

During operation of the honing tool, in order to hone the three surfaces |4, l5 and I6 and also the corners H and I8 of each rifle groove I2, when the handle 29 is moved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, and with the pin 42 engaging the pin 4 as shown in Fig. 7, the honing stones 45 will hone the surfaces l4, l5 and H. In other words, the surface I5 is the pressure edge when the honing tool is moved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. l, and the edge It is the relief edge. Upon a reverse stroke or movement being imparted to the honing tool, the handle is first rotated to dispose the pin 42 in engagement with the side of the pin 4| opposite to the side shown in Fig. 7, so that the surfaces l5 will be engaged by the sides of the abrasive stones 45 on the outward stroke of the honing tool in the gun barrel. During the inward and outward strokes of the honing tool the bottom surfaces l4 are honed by the outer surfaces of the abrasive stones 45, while on the inward stroke surfaces l5 are honed and on the outward stroke the surfaces it are honed. In this way the rough surfaces of the rifle grooves can be quickly finished to the desired smoothness.

' Since the honing tool herein shown carries only eight hones, and the bore of the gun barrel is shown as having sixteen rifle grooves |2 formed therein, in order that all of the rifle grooves can be honed simultaneously, two honing tools may be coupled together in end to end relation, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the abrasive stones 45 of one tool can be disposed or positioned in certain of the rifle grooves, and the abrasive stones 45 of the other tool disposed in the remaining rifle grooves.

In mounting the two honing tools in end to end and 42 are shown relation, the rod 23 is made long enough to accommodate two of the bodies 2| and a washer 52, mounted on said rod, is disposed between the adjoining ends of the two bodies so as to maintain said bodies in spaced relation to permit free movements thereof during the honing operation.

When the two honing tools are coupled together in the manner shown in Fig. 2, the abrasive stones 45 of the second tool occupy the empty rifle grooves l2 shown in Fig. 5.

It will be understood that the honing tool can be constructed with any number of abrasive stones 45 so that the tool can be used to hone the bores of gun barrels having any number of rifle grooves other than the particular type of gun barrel herein shown and described.

While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Havin thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A honing tool of the character described comprising, a body having in its outer surface longitudinally spaced spirally disposed grooves, a block of abrasive material in each groove, operating handle, means for connecting the operating handle with said body so that said body is freely movable in both rectilinear and rotatable directions with respect to said handle, and means carried by said handle and engageable with means carried by said body for transmitting rotative forces imparted to said handle to said body.

2. A tool for honing the spiral rifle grooves of gun barrels and the like, comprising a cylindrical body having in its outer periphery longitudinally extending spirally disposed grooves, an abrasive element resiliently mounted in each groove for disposition in said rifle grooves, means for limiting the outward movement of said abrasive elements with respect to said body, a bore formed lengthwise of said body along the center thereof, a rod mounted in said bore about which said body is freely rotatable, an operating member, means for loosely connecting the operating member with said rod so that said rod is freely movable rectilinearly and rotatively with respect to said operating member, said operating member being adapted to be moved rectilinearly to impart rectilinear movements to the honing tool, said honing tool being adapted to turn on spiral lines in the gun barrel during rectilinear movements imparted thereto by said operating member without likewise turning said operating member.

3. Means for honing the spiral rifle grooves of a gun barrel or the like, comprising acylindrical body having a pluralityof abrasive elements resiliently mounted in its outer periphery, said abrasive elements extending longitudinally of the cylindrical body and arranged spirally in spaced relation so as to be disposed in the rifle grooves, a rod mounted in said cylindrical body and freely rotatable with respect thereto, an operating member having an end loosely connected to said rod so that said rod is freely movable rectilinearly and rotatively with respect to said operating member, said operating member being adapted to be moved rectilinearly to impart corresponding movements to said cylindrical body, said abrasive elements in said cylindrical body being adapted to follow the paths of the spiral rifle grooves of the gun barrel during rectilinear movements imparted to the cylindrical body by said operating member.

4. A device for polishing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, said device comprising a cylindrical holder having in its outer surface longitudinally spaced spirally disposed grooves, an abrasive element resiliently mounted in each groove, a bore formed lengthwise of said holder along the center thereof, a rod mounted in said bore about which said holder is freely rotatable and movable rectilinearly with respect thereto, and an operating member loosely connected to an end of said rod in spaced relation to an end of said holder.

5. A device for polishing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, said device comprising a cylinder having a plurality of abrasive elements resiliently mounted in its outer periphery, said abrasive elements extending longitudinally of the cylinder and arranged spirally in spaced relation so as to be disposed in the spiral grooves of the hollow body, a rod mounted lengthwise in said cylinder and freely movable rectilinearly and rotatively with respect thereto, an operating member having an end loosely connected to said rod so that said rod is freely movable with respect to said operating member, said operating member being adapted to be moved rectilinearly to impart corresponding movements to said cylinder, said abrasive elements in said cylinder being adapted to follow the paths of the spiral grooves of said hollow body during rectilinear movements imparted to the cylinder by said operating member.

6. A device for polishing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, said device comprising a holder having in its outer surface longitudinally spaced spirally disposed grooves, a block of abrasive material in each groove, an operating handle, means for connecting the operating handle with said holder so that the holder is movable rectilinearly and rotatively with respect to said handle, and means carried by said handle and engageable with means carried by said holder for transmitting rotative forces imparted to said handle to said holder.

7. A device for honing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, said device comprising a holder having in its outer surface longitudinally extending spirally disposed grooves, a block of abrasive material in each groove, an operating means, means for connecting the operating means with said holder so that the holder is movable rectilinearly and rotatively with respect to said operating means, and an extension carried by said operating means and engageable with an extension on the holder for transmitting rotative forces imparted to said operating means to said holder.

8. A device for polishing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, said device comprising a cylindrical holder having in its outer surface longitudinally spaced spirally disposed abrasive elements, a bore formed lengthwise of said holder along the center thereof, a rod mounted in said bore about which said holder is freely rotatable, an operating member, means for loosely connecting the operating member with said rod so that said rod is freely movable rectilinearly and rotatively with respect to said operating member, said operating member being adapted to be moved rectilinearly to impart rectilinear movements to said holder, said holder being adapted to turn on spiral lines in the hollow body during rectilinear movements imparted thereto by said operating member without likewise turning said operating member.

9. A device for honing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, said device comprising a holder having in its outer surface abrasive elements for disposition in said spiral grooves, a bore formed lengthwise of said holder along the center thereof, a rod mounted in said bore about which said holder is freely rotatable, an eye formed at one end of said rod and normally disposed in spaced relation to the end of said holder, an operating member, means for loosely connecting an end of said operating member to the eye of said rod, so that the rod is freely movable with respect to said operating member, said operating member being adapted to be moved rectilinearly to impart rectilinear movements to said holder, said holder being adapted, when moved rectilinearly by said operating member, to rotate in the hollow body as the abrasive elements carried by said holder follow the spiral grooves in the hollow body without rotative movements being imparted to said operating member, and means carried by said operating member and engageable with means carried by said holder for transmitting rotative forces imparted to said operating member to said holder.

10. A device for honing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, said device comprising a holder having in its outer surface longitudinal spirally disposed blocks of abrasive material, an operating means, means for connecting the operating means with said holder so that said holder is rotatable and movable rectilinearly with respect to said operating means, and a lug carried by said operating means and .engageable with a lug carried by said holder for transmitting rotative forces imparted to said operating means to said holder.

11. A device for honing inner spiral grooves of 'a, hollow body, said device comprising a holder having in its outer surface longitudinal spirally disposed blocks of abrasive material, an operating means, means for loosely connecting an end of said operating means with said holder so that the holder is shiftable a. limited amount rectilinearly with respect to the operating means to thereby dispose the holder either in a position in proximity to the end of the operating means or in a position remote from the end of the operating means, said holder being mounted on said connecting means for free rotation with respect to the operating means and the connecting means, and means carried by said operating means and engageable with means carried by said holder when said holder is disposed in proximity to the end of said operating means for transmitting rotative forces imparted to said operating means to said holder.

WILLIAM C. RICKRODE.

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