Improvements in Sights for Ordnance.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 12th Oct., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sights for Ordnance.
I, THORSTEN NORDENFELT, of 53 Parliament Street in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows :-
The object of my invention is to make a sight which will allow of a gun being layed
readily so as to reduce the time necessary to direct a gun on to an object without
reducing the accuracy of the sighting.
Sights as made up to the present time have the fault of covering the object aimed
at or to cover the object until it comes in straight line with the two sights. 1 there-
fore construct my sight so that when the object and the two sights are in a line the
object is still visible and its position compared with the sights can be readily determined
both vertically and horizontally. I also construct my sight so that the object is
visible even if it should not be in line with the two sights. For this purpose I make
the rear sight in the shape of a ring with two horizontal bars and the front sight with
two edges pointed against each other leaving an open space where the line of sight
passes through Both sights are covered over with hoods so as to keep the sight in the
shade.
When sighting the gunners eye is generally about 10 to 12 inches from the rear
sight. I make the proportional size of the hole in the ring of the rear sight and the
hood of the front sight so that they (from the position of the gunners eye) appear to
be of the same size. When in line the object will be in the centre of the ring of the
rear sight and between the two edges of the front sight. The two edges of the front
sight will be in one line with the horizonial bars which connect the ring of the rear sight
with its hood and the opening between the two edges of the front sight will be in the
centre of the ring of the rear sight. Rapid and accurate laying is secured thereby as
the object will not be covered by the sights and consequently it is easy to direct the
As the main
gun so as to get the line of sight to pass through the point aimed at.
thing is the ring of the back sight and the opening between the two points of the
front sight I sometimes make the connections between the ring of the rear sight and

page_text: its hood by bars or lines going in other direction than horizontally but I prefer the
horizontal bars as they give a good guide in getting the gun in the right elevation. I
also sometimes form the front sight with two beads at a short distance apart from one
another near the centre of the hood. Each bead being carried by two thin arms
passing from it at an angle to one another to the hood.
'
For very rough laying I sometimes provide a small knob on the top of the hood of
the rear sight of the same shape as the hood of the front sight and of such size that
it, from the gunners eye when in laying position, appears to be of the same size as the
hood of the front sight.
Sometimes I prefer to make the ring and the bars that connect the same with the
hood of the rear sight of very small thickness and instead increase the number of bars
so that it forms a kind of netting round the ring. For the gunner's eye the area
inside the hood of the rear sight appears like a bright centre with a shaded ring around
it. The bars must however not be so close to each other that the front sight or the
object will be covered.
Dated this 16th day of December 1887.

page_text: 1, THORSTEN NORDENFELT, of 53 Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, 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 stateinent :-
The object of my invention is to make a sight which will allow of a gun being layed
readily, so as to reduce the time necessary to direct a gun on to an object, without
reducing the accuracy of the sighting.
Sights as made up to the present time have the fault of covering the object aimed
at. I therefore construct my sight so that when the object and the two sights are in a
line the object is still visible and its position compared with the sights can be readily
determined both vertically and horizontally. I also construct my sight so that the
object is visible even when not in line with the two sights.
For this purpose I make the rear sight in the shape of a ring with two horizontal
bars and the front sight with two edges pointed towards each other leaving an open
space where the line of sight passes through. Both sights are covered over with hoods
so as to keep the sight in the shade.
When sighting the gunners eye is generally about 10 to 12 inches from the rear
sight. I make the hole in the ring of the rear sight and the hood of the front sight
of such proportional size that they (from the position of the gunners eye) appear to
be of the same size.
When in line the object will be in the centre of the ring of the rear sight and
between the two edges of the front sight. The two edges of the front sight will be in
one line with the horizontal bars which connect the ring of the rear sight, with its hood
and the opening between the two edges of the front sight will be in the centre of the
ring of the rear sight.
Rapid and accurate laying is secured thereby as the object will not be covered by
the sights and consequently it is easy to direct the gun so as to get the line of sight to
pass through the point aimed at.
As the main thing is the ring of the back sight and the opening between the two
points of the front sight I sometimes make the connections between the ring of the
rear sight and its hood by bars or lines going in other direction than horizontally but
I prefer the horizontal bars as they give a good guide in getting the gun in the right
elevation.
I also sometimes form the front sight with two beads at a short distance apart from
one another near the centre of the hood. Each bead being carried by two thin arms
passing from it at an angle to one another and to the hood.
Sometimes I make the ring and the bars that connect the same with the hood of the
rear sight of very small thickness and instead increase the number of bars so that it
forms a kind of netting round the ring. From the gunner's eye the area inside the
hood of the rear sight appears like a bright centre with a shaded ring around it. The
bars must how ever not be so close to each other that the front sight or the object will
be covered.

page_text: In order that my said invention may be more fully understood and readily carried
into offoot I will pressed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a rear elevation, and
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the back or tangent sight for a gun.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation and
Figure 4a side elevation of the foresight.
Figure 5 shows a modification of the rear sight.
In Figures 1 and 2 A is the hood of the sight, it is strongly made of bronze or
other metal and is supported in the usual way so as to admit of its being moved
vertically in relation to the gun to give the necessary elevation and transversely to
allow for wind and drift. Within the hood A are two slender horizontal bars of steel
or other material B, B. they form part of and carry the ring C-This ring is no broader
than is necessary to admit of it being clearly seen, and the aperture through it is of
such a size as just to embrace the aperture in the hood of the foresight when the eye
of the gunner is in position for aiming.
In Figures 3 and 4 1 is the hood of the foresight, it is, as will be seen, a ring with
a circular aperture and within it are fixed two radial bars or edges EE which however
do not meet in the centre but leave a space sufficient to admit of the object aimed at
being clearly seen centrally between the pivots the inner ends of these radial bars
may in some cases be somewhat thickened and formed as beads to render them more
clearly visible, but whether this is desirable or otherwise will to a great extent depend
on the sight of the person making use of the sights.
In some cases, in place of supporting the ring of the rear sight by two bars B Bas
shown in Figure 1, 1 support it upon an open network of very fine wire, as shown in
Figure 5.
This wire net work, as before stated will appear transparent and will not
prevent the object aimed at from being seen but the aperture in the ring will
appear as a bright centre into the middle of which the object has to be brought.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The rear sight consisting of a ring with two horizontal bars connecting it with
an outer ring or hood; the whole mounted so that it can be adjusted vertically and
horizontally.
2. The fore sight consisting of a circular ring or hood with two horizontal radial
bars with a space between them in the centre of the hood.
3. The combination of the said rear and fore sights so proportioned to each other
that as seen from the sighting point the ring of the rear sight will coincide
with the ring hood of the fore sight and the bars in the foresight will appear
as prolongations of the bars by which this ring of the rear sight is connected with its
hood.
4. The modification of the before mentioned sights which consist in placing the
bars B and the points E in positions other than horizontal.
5. The rear sight consisting of a hood and central ring carried by a transparent
support substantially as described in respect to Figure 5.
Dated this 4th day of September 1888.