Improvements in Gun signts.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Gun signts.
I, ALEXANDER WESTON, Indian Forest Service, of 18, St. Augustine Road, in the
Town and County of Bedford, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The gun sights to which my invention relates are intended respectively for use
in shooting animals by moonlight or in semi-darkness.
For this purpose I provide a rear sight having refracting material cut in facets;
artificial diamonds of large size and cut in the usual manner serve the purpose
admirably. Two stones are employed; they are mounted upon a spring band
which clips the barrels and can be applied or removed at pleasure. The two stones
are arranged at such a distance apart that the foresight can be easily seen between
them, and the axes of the stones are inclined somewhat upwards so that light may
fall upon their tables or principal facets.
The stones are each set in a metal cup which is inserted into a ring soldered on
to the spring clip.
it
The foresight consists of a single stone set and mounted in a similar manner;
is carried upon a small plate which is notched in such a manner that it may be
slidden into its place over the stem of the ordinary bead foresight; or in the case of
a shot gun it can be fixed by a spring band.
In the use of the weapon the beam of light emitted from the facets of the stone
on the foresight is brought into view between the two similar beams emitted from
the facets of the stones which constitute the rear sight.
I, ALEXANDER WESTON, Indian Forest Service, of 18, St. Augustine Road, in the
Town and County of Bedford, 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 statement:-
The gun sights to which my invention relates are intended respectively for use in
shooting animals by moonlight or in semi-darkness.
For this purpose I provide a rear sight having refracting material cut in facets;
artificial diamonds of large size and cut in the usual manner serve the purpose
admirably, Two stones are employed, they are mounted upon a spring band which
clips the barrels and can be applied or removed at pleasure. The two stones are

page_text: arranged at such a distance apart that the foresight can be easily seen between
them and the axes of the stones are inclined somewhat upwards so that light may
fall upon their tables or principal facets.
The stones are each set in a metal cup which is inserted into a ring soldered on
to the spring clip, or they are mounted on a bar which can be turned and clamped
in different positions.
The foresight consists of a single stone set and mounted in a similar manner, it
is carried upon a small plate which is notched in such a manner that it may be
slidden into its place over the stem of the ordinary bead foresight; or in the case
of a shot gun it can be fixed by a spring band.
In place of stones I may use spheres made of highly polished metals, or of electro
plated metals, or of glass internally silvered, or of glass filled with mercury. These
spheres are mounted on similar bands and plates as the stones. Metal spheres are
fixed to the bands or plates by soldering and glass spheres are mounted in cups
secured to the bands or plates.
I find that a convenient size for the spheres for sporting rifles is of an inch in
diameter and the distance between the spheres of the rear sight may conveniently
be the same.
In the use of the weapon the beam of light emitted from the foresight is brought
into view between the two similar beams emitted from the rear sight.
The drawings annexed to the specification illustrate sights made in accordance
with this invention.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a rear sight; Figure 2 is a front elevation and
Figure 3 is a plan of a foresight. In this case stones are used; the stones which
are cut in facets in the usual manner are not shown in detail in the drawings.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of a rear sight, and Figure 5 is a front elevation of
-a-foresight in which metal spheres.are.used.
Figures 6 and 7 are similar views of sights in which glass spheres are used.
The rear sights are mounted upon a spring clip a, and the foresights are mounted
on a plate b which is notched at 6' (Figure 3) so that they can be slidden into place
over the stem of the ordinary bead foresight.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 the stones c are set in cups & fixed to a bar e
which can turn in bearings f on the band a or plate b as the case may be. The
bar e is fixed to the handle g on one side, whilst on the other the handle g¹ turns
on the screw thread e¹ on the bar e; thus by turning the handle g¹ whose end
engages with the side of the bearing f the sights can be clamped at any inclination
to the barrel of the gun.
In Figures 4 and 5 the metal spheres h are soldered on to the band a and plate b.
In Figures 6 and 7 the glass spheres i are held in cups k soldered on to the band
and plate.
Sights made in accordance with this invention are applicable for use with
ordnance, machine guns, shot guns or rifles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I am aware that light emitting
sights have before been proposed and I therefore do not claim them broadly, but I
declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of two light emitting bodies forming the rear sight and one
light emitting body forming the foresight substantially as described and illustrated
in the drawings.