Improvements in Sights for Fowling Pieces.
Year: 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sights for Fowling Pieces.
1, EBEN JOSEPH CUTLER, of No. 270 Franklin Avenue, in the City of Cleveland,
State of Ohio, United States of America, Physician, 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 :-
My invention relates to sights for fowling-pieces and other firo-arms; and it consists
in a fowling piece-as a single or double barrel shot-gun, rifle, or like weapon-
provided with a single fixed or adjustable sight arranged on the breech of the gun,
substantially as shown in the drawings, whereby a sight is obtained for taking aim in
the shooting of any object in motion, animate or inanimate, which enables the gunner
to "hold" with precision the proper distance in advance of the object while at the
same time he is "sighting" the object, the same as if it were fixed or at rest. Where
and how to hold with reference to game in motion is a question which perplexes the
most skilful marksman, however long and varied his experience, for the reason that
the conditions under which a shot is made are seldom repeated, and so many fine
calculations are required on the instant that at best and by the observance of all
known rules a wing shot becomes largely a matter of guess-work with the element
of "chance" largely against it. For illustration, take a bird in flight, say, forty
yards away. Now, if all birds flew at exactly the same rate of speed and a hunter
were absolutely certain that he were just forty yards distant, he might with some
certainty be able to determine where to hold; but it is known that the flight of
birds differs widely, according to the variety of bird, and that. the same. birds do
not always fly equally fast, the speed varying according to circumstances, as when
flying against wind or with it, when about to light, when rising and starting off,
and the like. Here, then, the hunter has to take into account whether the bird
is moving at the rate of, say, twenty-five miles per hour or one hundred or more
miles per hour, and in the same moment. ho inust determine its distance from him,
for he will have to hold ahead of the bird according to both its speed and distance
and according to the size of the shot employed and the angle of flight to the line
of fire. It will be seen that these conditions are liable to such wide variation, and
that a shot which must frequently be made without a moment's time for calculation,
is subject to so many contingencies, that, as beforesaid, it becomes largely a
matter of guess-work with the most expert gunner as to where he should hold to
get his game. That he should hold ahead when the flight is at an angle to
the line of fire is obviously necessary; but how far ahead, whether five feet or ten
feet, is the question, and if he should know definitely how far he would at last-be
left to the uncertainty of a hurried sweep of the eye to ineasure off the right
distance and to hold his gun at that distance when discharged. His immediate
attention would be directed to getting correct measurements but in getting these
the eye would have to be relied upon to do the work, and there is nothing more
reliable or certain offered in the best practice' hitherto known.
The object of my invention is to reduce the conjectural and uncertain in wing
shooting to the minimum, and to provide means whereby the bird may be "sighted
::

page_text: -
JUST AS IT
rab rest, and the gun nera mechanicany the proper distance anead, an
as hereinafter described.
Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a double-barrelled gun
provided with my improved sights, and showing the line of sight on a bird in full
lines and the line of discharge on the bird in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a corresponding
view with the bird flying in the opposite direction. Fig. 3 is a view showing
adjustable sights, and Fig. 4 is a detail of the adjustable sight-plate and the sights
fixed thereon.
1 have chosen to illustrate the invention with a double-barrelled gun; but a single
barrel would serve the purpose as well. As it is, each barrel is provided with a single
sight, a, on the breech of the gun, just at the end of the barrel; but the sight
might be located on the barrel if preferred, and be within the scope of the invention,
the exact location or form of the sight not being material, provided it be in
position to sight an object about as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These sights are
fixed, and by them the gunner will be able to adapt himself to a variety of birds
flying at different rates of speed without any material change in sighting. Suppose,
for example, that, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the figure 2 denotes the eye of the
hunter, 3 the bird, and 4 the line of sight. Now, if the bird flies at the rate of
sixty miles an hour, it will fly eleven feet in one-eighth of a second-say to figure
marked 5 on line 6, the direct line of the gun. Assuming that the gunner is
distant one-eighth of a second from the bird and that sixty miles is an average
rate of flight, the gunner would sight the body of the bird, while the barrel of the
gun would hold exactly eleven feet ahead. This would occur mechanically and
unavoidably if the gun he held in the usual and natural position with the cheek
against the cheek-piece. Then, if the bird were of a variety that flies at a more
rapid rate, he would sight, say, the head, which would throw the muzzle a
corresponding distance forward, and if sighting a slower bird than the average
sight back of the body. The same rule would hold good in sighting the same bird
under different rates of flight. If the fixed sights do not afford sufficient range
for the carrying out of this rule of sighting, an adjustable sight may be employed,
though this will not ordinarily be found necessary. I have shown such a sight or
set of sights, a, a, adjustable laterally in slots in a plate b, removably fixed on the
rear end of the barrels, said sights having fingers to gage the adjustment by a scale on
the plate b. By this means it is easy to fix the sight for shooting birds that fly either
very fast or very slow, while the sighting in either case will be upon the body of the
bird the same as if all the conditions were of the average, as above described. It will
be observed, also, that by this system, the distance of the bird is wholly immaterial,
provided it be within range. If it be nearer than here shown, it will be on the
converging lines, and if it be further than shown it will be on the diverging lines,
counting back and forth from the bird, Figs. 4. and 5. In any case the gunner will be
sighting his bird all the time, just as though it were at rest, and when he pulls may
feel certain that he has got the correct measurements both as to distance personally
away from the bird and the distance he is holding ahead. These difficult measurements
are determined for him and with a degree of accuracy that renders shooting on the
wing by an ordinarily skilful marksman much more easy and certain than by any
other system hitherto known.
In the shooting of any object in motion, or " on the wing" as it is generally
termed, there have been three things to take into consideration-viz., the distance of
the bird from the shooter, the speed of the bird in flight, and the measuring off by the
eye the distance necessary to hold ahead of the bird. By the use of this breech-sight
two of these conditions are done away with: first, the distance the bird is from the
shooter, because the sides of the angle formed by the aid of breech-sights will widen
as the distance increases, and consequently the sights be the same, whether near or
far; second, the breech-sights will be so arranged as to give the measurement
necessary to hold ahead. In practice, throw the nuzzle of the gun on the moving
object, and then forward till the eye, the sight a, and the object are in line. Hold in
this relative position by moving the gun at the same rate af speed as that of the object

page_text: until the trigger is pulled and the gun discharged. After a little practice it will not
be necessary to notice the muzzle of the gun at all; but throw the sight a directly
upon the object and hold it there till the gun is discharged.
"
In speaking of a sight" in the foregoing description the sight a is always
referred to, as no other sight is needed in a gun constructed to carry out my inven-
tion. It will be understood that this sight a covers and includes any and all elevations
or depressions or other markings made upon or near the breech of a gun-double or
single barrel-for accomplishing the purposes, directly or indirectly, herein described
and claimed. A hammerless gun is here shown; but one with hammers would be
used in the same way.
An experienced gunner will mechanically bring his cheek to the cheek-piece on the
same spot every time so nearly that, the angles of sight and barrel, having their apex
at the eye, being once established, there will be no material variation therefrom in
repeated shots; but there should be any difficulty in this particular with beginners
or others a suitable mark or guide of some kind as a small plate of inlaid silver, c,
may be placed on the cheek-piece at the point where the cheek should rest.
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:
1. In combination with a gun, a pair of sights attached thereto at the breech at
opposite sides of the normal sight-line of the barrel or barrels, whereby the sight-line
to the object aimed at will extend across or diverge from the said normal sight-line,
substantially as set forth.
2. In combination with a gun, a pair of sights mounted at the breech thereof on
opposite sides of the normal sight-line of the barrel or barrels, and each capable of
lateral adjustment, whereby the sight-line to the object aimed at will extend across or
diverge from the said normal sight-line, and the angular adjustment thereto may be
varied at will, substantially as set forth.
QOLL
Nb 1000