IMPROVEMENTS IN DOUBLE-SIGHTED DOUBLE RIFLE GUNS FOR MILITARY AND SPORTING PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Oliver Bayliss, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun Barrel Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DOUBLE-SIGHTED DOUBLE RIFLE GUNS FOR MILITARY AND SPORTING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 8th April 1862, and dated the 29th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Oliver Bayliss at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th October 1861.
I, OLIVER BAYLISS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Barrel Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DOUBLE-SIGHTED DOUBLE RIPLE GUNS FOR MILITARY AND
SPORTING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in fixing a top and bottom sight on each of the
barrels of a double rifle or gun, instead of fixing one top and one bottom sight
on a rib between the barrels, as is commonly practised. By placing a top and
bottom sight on each barrel the aim of the rifle or gun is made more true,
and the crossing of the balls is avoided.
My Invention consists further of a double top rib for the same purpose,
the said rib being double top and bottom sighted. The said rib is fixed on
and extends from end to end on the top side of the barrels.
My Invention consists further in sighting the left-hand barrel without
sighting the right-hand barrel of double rifles or guns, or sighting the right-
hand barrel without sighting the left-hand barrel. My Invention is applicable
to double rifles and guns of any bore and of any length.
0

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Oliver Bayliss in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, OLIVER
BAYLISS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Barrel Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Oliver Bayliss, Her special licence that I, the said Oliver
Bayliss, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho
said Oliver Bayliss, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DOUBLE-SIGHTED DOUBLE RIFLE GUNS FOR MILITARY AND SPORTING PUR-
POSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Oliver Bayliss,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Oliver Bayliss, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in fixing a top and bottom sight on each of the
barrels of a double rifle or gun, instead of fixing one top and one bottom sight
on a rib between the barrels, as is commonly practised. By placing a top and
bottom sight on each barrel the aim of the rifle or gun is made more true, and
the crossing of the balls is avoided.
My Invention consists further of a double top rib for the same purpose, the
said rib being double top and bottom sighted. The said rib is fixed on and
extends from end to end on the top side of the barrels.
My Invention consists further in sighting the left-hand barrel without

page_text: sighting the right-hand barrel of double rifles or guns, or sighting the right-
hand barrel without sighting the left-hand barrel. My Invention is applicable
to double rifles and guns of any bore and of any length.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawing represent a double
sporting gun, sighted according to my Invention, Figure 1 being a side eleva-
tion; Figure 2, an end elevation of the muzzle; and Figure 3, a plan. The
said gun has top and bottom sights on its barrels according to my Invention,
the bottom sights being marked a, and the top sights being marked b. The
sights a, b, are fixed upon the ribs c, c, by sliding transversely or across the
said ribs in dovetails marked d. The ribs c, c, carrying the sights may be
made in one piece or of separate pieces of metal, and the ribs may either be
fixed to the barrels by brazing or soldering, or be made in one piece with
the barrels.
Figure 4 represents in plan a double long Enfield rifle gun, having a top
and bottom sight on each barrel, according to my Invention; the bottom
sights are marked e, and the top-sights are marked f. In the gun, Figure 4;
the sights e, f, are soldered to the barrels g, g², respectively, instead of being
fixed to ribs, as described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3. This gun
has double gun loops and swivel loop for slinging it to the shoulder. The
muzzles h, h3, of the barrels g, g³, are detached from one another for the
purpose of fixing the bayonet i, or other weapon on one of the muzzles. Or
instead of having detached muzzles h, h², one of the barrels may be made
longer than the other for the purpose of attaching a bayonet or other weapon
thereto. The bayonet i is shewn separately in side elevation in Figure 5, and
end elevation in Figure 6. By an examination of the said Figures 4, 5, and 6,
the manner of attaching the bayonet or other weapon to the muzzle of the
gun will be readily understood. Figure 7 represents in plan, and Figure 8 in
end elevation the barrels of a double cannon double-sighted according to my
Invention.. Instead of sighting both barrels of double rifles, or guns, or
cannons, as illustrated in the Drawing, the right-hand barrel only may be
sighted, or the left-hand barrel only. . The sights may either be soldered to
the barrels or attached to a rib or ribs on the barrels, as before described and
represented. Or they may slide in dovetails transversely on the barrels, or on
the rib or ribs; or they may slide longitudinally on the barrels or rib or ribs.
The two bottom sights or the two top sights may either be made upon one
plate, so as to be fixed on the gun together, or each top sight and each bottom"
sight may be made on separate plates, so that either of the said sights may be
fixed in its place, or removed at pleasure.
My Invention is applicable to guns of all sizes from the smallest double gun

page_text: to the largest double cannon, and to guns, full stocked or stocked part up, of
whatever material they may be made. My Invention may also be applied to
double breech-loading as well as to muzzle-loading guns or cannons, and to
double guns, one barrel of which is rifled and the other barrel plain, or both
barrels may be rifled or both plain, and the guns may have bar or back action
locks. I do not limit myself to the particular construction of sight described and
represented, as sights of other constructions may be employed; neither do I
limit myself to any particular position of the sights on the double guns or
cannons.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the
Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly, fixing a top and bottom sight on each of the barrels of double rifles
or guns for military and sporting purposes, as herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly, fixing on the barrels of double rifles or guns for military and
sporting purposes a double top rib, the said rib being double top and bottom
sighted, as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing.
Thirdly, sighting the left-hand barrel of double rifles or guns for military
and sporting purposes without sighting the right-hand barrel, or sighting the
right-hand barrel without sighting the left-hand barrel, as herein-before
described.
Fourthly, the improvements herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, in fastening the bayonet or other weapon to one of
the barrels of double-sighted double rifles or guns.
In witness whereof, I, the said Oliver Bayliss, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
OLIVER BAYLISS. (L.s.)