AN IMPROVED SUPPORT FOR CARRYING RIFLES OR OTHER FIREARMS SO THAT THEY CAN BE ADJUSTED FOR DIFFERENT RANGES
Year: 1885

page_text: L I, GEORGE SHEPHEARD, of Ivybridge, in the County of Devon, Army Pensioner
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for. "AN IMPROVED SUPPORT FOR
CARRYING RIFLES OR OTHER FIREARMS SO THAT THEY CAN BE ADJUSTED FOR
DIFFERENT RANGES" to be as follows:-
3
My invention relates to fixed supports in which a number of rifles or other
firearms can be supported and held in such a position that they cover any desired
width, the width so covered remaining the same at different ranges, and the extent
of convergence or separation of the rifles at different ranges, as well as the angle of
elevation being simultaneously altered when required at one operation.
The improved support or rest may be adapted for any desired number of rifles,
but supposing that it is to carry six rifles, it consists of two side frames, a front
transverse supporting bar, and a moveable and adjustable back transverse
supporting bar.
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Each of the side frames consists of a triangular frame of metal, wood, or other
suitable material formed of a horizontal bar, from the front end of which rises a
vertical one the upper end of which is connected to the other end of the horizontal:
one by a third diagonal bar. These three bars are preferably hinged together s0
that they can be folded up for convenient carriage. The two frames are arranged
side by side at a suitable distance apart and across the tops of the two upright bars
is fixed a transverse bar in which the muzzles of the six rifles are supported.
For this purpose the transverse bar is made in two parts the upper one of which
is hinged at one end to the lower end, a hook or fastening being provided at the
other end by which they can be held when brought together. Six openings are
made at equal distances apart through the compound bar, to receive the muzzles of
the rifles, these openings being partly in the upper and partly in the lower half of
the bar. L
Across the other or lower, ends of the two triangular frames, is also fitted a
transverse bar, so arranged that it can be made to slide along the diagonal bars of
the side frames into a position nearer to or further from the front transverse bar,
and can be fixed in any desired position by screws, or bolts, or other equivalent
means.

page_text: This sliding bar is L shaped in section, and upon its lower horizontal flange the
butt ends of the six rifles rest at equal distance apart and are held in position by
screws screwed into them through the vertical flange of the bar, or by other
equivalent means.
It is evident that by raising or lowering the sliding bar carrying the butt ends
of the rifles as described, along the diagonal frames, the elevation of the rifles will
be diminished to suit a shorter range whilst by bringing the crossbar down the
elevation will be increased to suit a longer range, the barrels of the rifles sliding
through the holes in the front compound crossbar.
By marking, therefore, upon the diagonal side bars a scale having different
ranges indicated upon it, the crossbar can be at once brought to position giving to
the rifles the proper elevation for any particular range.
If the distances between the butts of the several rifles is the same as that
between the holes through which their muzzles slide, it is evident that the barrels
will remain always parallel, but if the spaces between the buts are wider then as
the moveable bar is brought up to suit shorter ranges the muzzles of the rifle
barrels will converge, whilst if the bar be brought down for longer ranges the
muzzles will separate.
Accordingly I so proportion the relative spaces between the rifles, at their butt
and muzzle ends, and the length and angle of inclination of the side frames, that
the fire delivered by the six rifles shall cover the same width at any range.
For instance, supposing as already explained that twenty five yards is the width
so to be covered, I arrange the six rifles so that when the crossbar is in the position
indicating two hundred yards range, the aim of all converges at such a distance in
front of the apparatus that the bullets which at that point begin to diverge
laterally shall cover a width of twenty five yards at two hundred yards from the
rifles.
If now the sliding bar and rifles are drawn down to the point marking one
thousand yards range, the elevation being increased proportionally then the
convergence of the barrels is lessened to such an extent that the point of
convergence of the bullets is removed to such a distant point that their divergence
after passing such point still causes them to cover a width of twenty five yards at
a distance of one thousand yards from the apparatus.
Of course the same applies to intermediate distances, so that by the use of this
invention rifles supported in the rest are fixed at the proper elevation for any range
and at the same time are adjusted so as to cover a width of twenty five or any
other desired number of yards.
By arranging sets of apparatus of the kind described in line at intervals apart
corresponding with the width to be covered by the fire, any desired width may be
so covered.
The improved rest or support may be constructed to carry six or any other
number of rifles, and I prefer to use magazine or repeating rifles by which a
succession of shots may be fired as rapidly as desired, each alternate rifle being
preferably so fired whilst the others are being recharged, and vice versa, and in this
way, any width of fire may be kept up and at any range, with absolute certainty and
without difficulty.
The improved apparatus is simple, light, and easily used, and not liable to get
out of order.

page_text: I, GEORGE SHEPHEARD, of Ivybridge, in the County of Devon, Army Pensioner,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED SUPPORT FOR
CARRYING RIFLES OR OTHER FIREARMS SO THAT THEY CAN BE ADJUSTED FOR
DIFFERENT RANGES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to bo
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement and
accompanying drawing (that is to say) :-
My invention relates to fixed supports in which a number of rifles or other
firearms can be supported and held in such a position that they cover any desired
width, the width so covered remaining the same at different ranges, and the extent
of convergence or separation of the rifles at different ranges, as well as the angle of
elevation being simultaneously altered when required at one operation.
The improved support or rest may be adapted for any desired number of rifles,
but supposing that it is to carry six rifles, as shewn in the accompanying drawing
which is in illustration of my invention, it consists of two strong side frames ƒ, ƒ¹,
a front transverse supporting bar g, and a moveable and adjustable back transverse
supporting bar h.
Each of the side frames f, f¹, consists of a triangular frame of metal, wood, or
other suitable material formed of a horizontal bar, from the front end of which
rises a vertical one the upper end of which is connected to the other end of the
horizontal one by a third diagonal bar p. These three bars are preferably hinged
together as shewn so that they can be folded up for convenient carriage.
The two frames are arranged side by side at a suitable distance apart as shewn
in plan in figure 3, and across the tops of the two upright bars is fixed a transverse
bar in which the muzzles of the six rifles are supported.
For this purpose the transverse bar is made in two parts the upper one of
which gl, is hinged at one end to the lower one, a hook or fastening at g2 being.
provided at the other end by which they can be held when brought together. Six
openings r, r, r, r, r, r, are made at equal distances apart through the compound
bar to receive the muzzles of the rifles, these openings being partly in the upper
and partly in the lower half of the bar.
Across the other or lower ends of the two triangular frames, is also fitted a
transverse bar h so arranged that it can be made to slide along the diagonal
bars p, p, of the side frames into a position nearer to or further from the front
transverse bar g, and can be fixed in any desired position by screws, or bolts, as
shewn at 8, or other equivalent means.
This sliding bar h is L shaped in section, and upon its lower horizontal flange
the butt ends of the six rides rest, as indicated in dotted lines in figure 1, at equal
distances apart and are held in position by screws t screwed into them through the
vertical flange of the bar, or by other equivalent means.
It is evident that by raising or lowering the sliding bar h carrying the butt ends
of the rifles as described, along the diagonal frames p;p', the elevation of the rifles

page_text: will be diminished to suit a shorter range as indicated in the diagram figure 6 at E
whilst by bringing the crossbar h down the elevation will be increased to suit a
longer range as indicated at E¹, the barrels of the rifles sliding through the holes in
the front compound crossbar.
By marking, therefore, upon the diagonal side bars p, a scale having different
ranges indicated upon it as shewn in figure 1, the crossbar h can be at once
brought to a position giving to the rifles the proper elevation for any particular
range.
If the distances between the butts of the several rifles upon the sliding bar h is
the same as that between the holes r, r, r, through which their muzzles slide, it is
evident that the barrels will remain always parallel, but if the spaces between the
butts are wider as shewn in the figures then as the moveable bar h is brought up
to suit shorter ranges the muzzles of the rifle barrels will converge as shewn in
figure 4 at m, whilst if the bar be brought down for longer ranges the muzzles will
separate as shewn at n.
Accordingly I so proportion the relative spaces between the rifles, at their butt
and muzzle ends, and the length and angle of inclination of the side frames, that
the fire delivered by the six rifles shall cover the same width at any range.
For instance, supposing as already explained, that twenty five yards is the width
so to be covered, I arrange the six rifles so that when the crossbar is in the position
indicating two hundred yards range, the aim of all converges at such a distance in
front of the apparatus that the bullets which at that point begin to diverge
laterally shall cover a width of twenty five yards at two hundred yards from the
rifles.
If now the sliding bar and rifles are drawn down to the point marking one
thousand yards range, the elevation being increased proportionally then the
convergence of the barrels is lessened to such an extent that the point of
convergence of the bullets is removed to such a distant point that their divergence
after passing such point still causes them to cover a width of twenty five yards at
a distance of one thousand yards from the apparatus.
This is illustrated by the diagram figure 5, in which a, b, may be taken to
represent 500 yards, and a, c, 1000 yards.
The rifles are shewn in four sets of six each, each set covering 25 yards at
any range. If the rifles are elevated for 1000 yards range, their barrels will
separate so as to converge at x, y, whilst if the elevation is altered for 500 yards
range the barrels will approach so as to converge at w, z.
At both ranges they
cover a width of 25 yards.
Of course, the same applies to intermediate distances, so that by the use of this
invention rifles supported in the rest are fixed at the proper elevation for any range
and at the same time are adjusted so as to cover a width of twenty five or any other.
desired number of yards.
The back sliding bar may have additional screws or supports by which if desired
the rifles may be adjusted so as to be parallel at all ranges, without converging,
(or additional openings may be made in the front bar for the same purpose).
By arranging sets of apparatus of the kind described in line at intervals apart
corresponding with the width to be covered by the fire, any desired width may be
so covered.
The improved rest or support may be constructed to carry six or any other
number of rifles, and I prefer to use magazine or repeating rifles by which a
succession of shots may be fired as rapidly as desired, each alternate rifle being
preferably so fired whilst the others are being re-charged and vice versa, and in this
way, any width of fire may be kept up and at any range, with absolute certainty
and without difficulty.
The improved apparatus is simple, light, and easily used, and not liable to get
out of order, and may be mounted on wheels if required.

page_text: 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 combination of the inclined side frames, the front transverse rest carrying
the muzzles of the rifles, and the moveable transverse bar carrying the butt ends
of the rifles, all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose
described and shewn in the drawing.