PROTECTIVE SLIDE COVER FOR BACK SIGHT OF "MARTINI-HENRY" RIFLE
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM LIGHTWOOD Gun Rifle & Pistol Implement Maker of Partridge
Works, Price Street, Birmingham do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for PROTECTIVE SLIDE COVER FOR BACK SIGHT OF "MARTINI-HENRY" RIFLE,
to be as follows:―
The objects of this Back Sight Cover are:-
1stly For a more effectual protection from injury of the Back Sight of a Rifle (in
this case the Martini-Henry) when the Rifle is not in use, combined with entire
novelty and originality of design.
2ndly Greater facility of putting it on & taking it off Rifle Back Sight,-the
slide principle being adopted.
3rdly I propose to so construct the cover, that it may slide over the Back-Sight
without any friction on the Back-Sight-Iu this way, a range having been arrived
at, at any given distance, the marksman may leave his Rifle, protected by the
Cover, certain, on resuming firing, to find the elevation of the Bar of Sight in the
same position as when he left it. This will obviate the necessity of his first
having to slide back the Bar of Sight to its normal position in order to fit on
the Cover, & then having the additional trouble of again finding the necessary
elevation
REFERENCES TO DRAWINGS.
For the purposes of my invention I make use of a sheet of metal, stamped &
pressed by means of dies & press tools into the form required, as shown in
drawings.
=
Fig. IV represents Back sight (without cover) on Martini Rifle Barrel, A. A being
Bar, which slides along leaf of sight any distance up to the extremity C.
My
method of fixing my Sight Cover which is shown in figs. I, II, & III- is by sliding
same from left extremity of sight, (as shown in drawing) along Barrel over the
sight until the raised portion of Cover D covers corresponding elevation of sight C,
the Bar A A of sight sliding along, but not touching in any part the flanges of
cover, B B, the Bases F F of Cover fitting over & clipping Bases of Sight E E
where sight joins Barrel, thus serving to keep sight cover in firm position over
sight.
Figs. II & III represent end views of Sight Cover.

page_text: Protective Slide Cover for Back Sight of
"
"
Martini-Henry Rifle.
I, WILLIAM LIGHTWOOD, Gun Implement Manufacturer of Partridge Works,
Price Street, Birmingham do hereby declare the nature of 'ny invention for
PROTECTIVE SLIDE COVER FOR BACK SIGHT OF "MARTINI-HENRY" RIFLE, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a Cover having for its object the protection from injury
of the Back Sight of the "Martini-Henry" Rifle.
This Protector or Cover consists of a sheet of Brass, Steel, or other suitable
metal, or material, cut out, and pressed, by means of dies and press tools con-
structed for the purpose, or cast, into the hollow form required, for enclosing or
covering in the Back Sight of the "Martini-Henry" Rifle. This sheet of metal
or other suitable material I leave open at one end and closed at the other, with a
closed top and open bottom; the Cover when formed being introduced by its open
end and slided over the Back Sight from the lower extremity of the Back Sight.
By a widening, or pressing out of the metal, or other material into grooves on
either side of the Cover as thus formed, sufficient spaces are afforded to allow of
the free passage of the Cover over the projections formed by the ends of the Bar
or moveable Slide of the Back Sight; this I effect in two ways;-either by con-
structing the grooves straight or taper. When the grooves are straight, the Cover
will not slide over the Back Sight except when the Bar or moveable slide of Back
Sight is in its normal position at the lower extremity of the Back Sight; but,
when the grooves are taper, the Cover may be slided over the Back Sight at any
position of the Bar. By a somewhat similar pressing out of the metal or other
material near the open end of the Cover, space, is in like manner afforded for the
reception of the projecting piece formed by the upper end of the Back Sight.
To the raised end of the Cover as thus formed I attach, by a hinge, another and
smaller piece of metal or other suitable material, cut out, or cast into the required
shape to serve as a lid, or flap, having for its purpose the closing in of the open
end of the Cover, after the Cover has been slided into position over the Back
Sight. In the forming of this lid or flap I leave small projections on its sides;
these projections I bend round in the form of clasps with which to secure the lid
or flap to the main body of the Cover itself, thus closing-in the open end of the
Cover.
And in order that the said invention may be perfectly understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the sheet of drawings, filed with my Provisional Specification
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figs. I. II and III. represent respectively, Side, Back, and Front-Elevation of the
Cover with the grooves pressed out straight.
"
Fig. IV. shows a portion of a Martini-Henry" Rifle Barrel with Back Sight on
which the Cover is intended to be placed.
Fig. V. represents the Cover with the grooves pressed out taper, and with the
addition of a lid or flap to close in its open end.

page_text: B. B. are the two grooves pressed out on either side of the Cover, and which are
intended to afford free passage for the Cover over the ends A. A. of the Bar or
moveable slide of Back Sight (Fig. IV.). These grooves may be either straight, as
in Figs. I. II. III. or made taper as shewn in Fig. V.
D. represents a raised portion of the Cover, which may either be formed with a
flat top, as in Fig. I., or with a curved top as in Fig. V. When the Cover is in
position the raised portion D. covers corresponding elevation C. of Back Sight.
The open end of the Cover being fitted on to lower end of the Back Sight, the
bases of the Cover slide along and clip the sides of the Back Sight until the ends
of the Cover F F. F1 F1 rest on the points E E. E¹ E¹ where the base of the
Back sight joins the Barrel.
G is a small piece of metal or other suitable material, cut out or cast into the
required shape to form a lid, or flap with which to close in the open end of the
Cover, and hinged to the raised portion D, having projections or clasps for securing
same as shewn in Fig. V.; these projections or clasps may be formed in various
ways for securing the lid or flap to the body of the Cover.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The employment of a Cover formed of metal or other suitable material designed
as set forth in the drawings hereunto annexed, and constructed on the sliding
principle, the same having either straight or taper grooves, and with or without
hinged lid or flap for closing its end, the same constructed and arranged substan-
tially as, and for the purpose herein before described.
WILLIAM LIGHTWOOD.