IMPROVED SAFETY SIGNALS FOR FIRE-ARM PRACTICE
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Nethersole and Charles Buckland,
both of Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan, South Wales, Engi-
neers, for the Invention of "IMPROVED SAFETY SIGNALS FOR FIRE-ARM
PRACTICE"
Sealed the 19th May 1863, and dated the 22nd November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward.
Nethersole and Charles Buckland at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 22nd November 1862.
We, WILLIAM EDWARD NETHERSOLE and CHARLES: BUCKLAND, both of
Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan, South Wales, Engineers, 'do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED SAFETY SIGNALS. FOR
FIRE-ARM PRACTICE," to be as follows:-
We propose to place various flags or signals on a pivot behind the target,
and work them from the butt by means of ropes or chains and pullies' or.
rollers. One end of each chain or rope being attached to the signals, and the
other leading to the butt, from whence the marker, using a hand léver.or other
mechanism, or by a simple pull on one of the ropes,' will work the corresponding
signal. The gearing may be placed underground: or on the surface, as may
be desired, and when not in use it may, together with the signals; 'be stowed
away. By this arrangement the direction of a shot may be indicated, if.

page_text: desired, by inclining the signal at an angle. Further, as the danger signal will
be hoisted from the target, a man on the knee in the act of firing could not
fail to see it, whereas when hoisted from the butt it often escapes the obser-
vation of the person firing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Nethersole and Charles Buckland in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
EDWARD NETHERSOLE and CHARLES BUCKLAND, both of Swansea, in the County
of Glamorgan, South Wales, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent: Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said. William Edward Nethersole and Charles Buckland, Her special
license, that we, the said William Edward Nethersole and Charles Buckland,
our executors, administrators, and assigns; or such others as we, the said
William Edward Nethersole and Charles Buckland, our executors, admini-
strators, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVED SAFETY SIGNALS FOR FIRE-ARM PRACTICE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William Edward Nethersole and Charles
Buckland, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, 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 we, the said William Edward Nethersole and
Charles Buckland, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Sheet of Drawings hereto annexed, and forming part of this our Specification,
and to the letters of reference marked on the several Diagrams :-

page_text: The object of our Invention is partly to ensure the safety of those employed
in signalizing for rifle or other practice, and at the same time the apparatus
we use in signalizing will be found much better adapted for the purpose than
the contrivances hitherto used.
In the Drawing, Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and six shew the manner in which
signals would be shown for hits at the third class or short range targets. It
will be seen that not only the value but also the direction of any hit can be
shewn, as the angle at which the signal is made to rest denotes the position of
the hit. Low outers can be marked by an extra small or supernumerary
white flag with a black spot in the centre, or some other suitable mark, so as
to be easily distinguished from the ordinary outer flag, as shewn in No. 1.
No. 7 denotes danger, and the advantage of shewing the danger signal over
the targets must obvious, as the eye of any person in the act of firing would
be arrested by the danger signal immediately it was hoisted, and, no doubt,
many lives would be saved. It is so arranged that the danger signal can
be hoisted by the marker before he leaves the mantlets or butts, and he
cannot drop that signal before he returns to the butts. Numbers 8 and 9
denote the method of signalizing at longer (or second and first class) ranges.
No. 10 shews an extra or supernumerary signal, as mentioned above, for
marking low shots; Numbers 11 and 12 are respectively a ground plan and
sectional elevation.
A is a post fixed in the ground immediately behind the props (which support
the targets). To this post is fixed an iron spindle or pin horizontally, B,
on which are suspended the signals C, C, C, C. These signals are made of
wood or other suitable material, formed into frames and having canvas
stretched on them, painted to represent the various flags used in signalling,
namely, danger, red; bull's-eyes, red and white; centre, blue; and outer,
white. We also use a supernumerary signal D, as shewn in Figure 10, and
before alluded to as of great service in denoting correctly a low hit on the
target. To each of these signals a wheel is fastened with a groove round the
edge thereof, and to each of these wheels a chain is attached, as shewn at E
in Figure 13, having three or four links of a larger size than the chain at F
(these links are of use in adjusting the signals). Hooking into these links, with
a spring swivel hook each, are other chains G, G, communicating with and
attached to rods H, H, carried under the surface of the ground in a common
wood drain, or a ditch covered over (according to the nature of the ground),
and which rods are fixed or attached to levers I, working in a wood or iron
box K. By means of these levers a man is enabled with but little trouble to
signal the value and direction of any shot without removing from his seat, and

page_text: very much more expeditiously than according to the usual method with flags.
The red flag waved over the target two or three times denotes a ricochet shot;
misses also can when necessary be signalled by means of the red flag if
required. These signals always shew their full size to the firing party, not
being affected by wind as in the case of ordinary flags. Wood or iron boxes
(as shewn at L) fitted with wheels are used when required (according to the
nature of the ground). The signals are very light, and can be taken away
when not in uise, without trouble, by unscrewing the nut which secures them
on the spindle or pin, and loosening or unhitching the swivel spring hook from
the chain.
. Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and means by
which we carry it into practical effect, 'we would have it distinctly understood
that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein given or illustrated
in the Drawing, as modifications may be made in the arrangements without
departing from the principle of our Invention; and, although we use flags when
it may be found desirable, we prefer to use signals of various colors made of
sheet iron or of tin, or of other material which will allow of the display at all
times when required of the surface or part thereof over or at either side of
the target; or bunting may be framed in wire or other framing, and used with
the apparatus for signalizing; but what we declare to be of our Invention is
and we claim the exclusive use of the combination of mechanical parts forming
when combined "Improved Safety Signals for Fire-arm Practice," the whole
essentially as herein-before set forth, described, and illustrated in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, William Edward Nethersole and Charles
Buckland, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
first day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
' hundred and sixty-three.
WILLIAM EDWARD NETHERSOLE. (L.S.)
CHARLES BUCKLAND.
(L.S.)