IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO THE SIGHTS OF FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Taylor, M.D., of 17, Norland Square, Notting
Hill, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED
TO THE SIGHTS OF FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 5th December 1873, and dated the 10th June 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Taylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th June 1873.
I, JOHN TAYLOR, M.D., of 17, Norland Square, Notting Hill, London,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED Appa-
RATUS TO BE APPLIED TO THE SIGHTS OF FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
The said Invention consists of two silvered reflecting surfaces placed
near each other and acting together, the one receiving the reflection from
the other in such a manner as to bring by reflection the line of sights
within reach of an eye placed below and behind, or to the one side of
the ordinary aiming position, and to do this so far as to allow of a
marksman while he is aiming being behind some protecting object and
safe from being scen from the front in the line of fire.

page_text: It applies to small arms for military purposes, and also for decr
stalking, punt shooting, &c., and is so arranged as to enable the marks-
man to reconnoitre and take aim while he is in complete concealment,
and with the gun at his shoulder to receive the recoil in the usual
manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th December 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TAYLOR, of Norland Square, Notting Hill, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-sixth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said
John Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Taylor, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO THE SIGHTS
OF FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Taylor, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain 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 John Taylor, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The said Invention relates to an apparatus to be applied to the sights
of fire-arms for enabling a marksman to take aim from behind a parapet
or other sheltering object without exposing himself to be seen or hit from
the front in the line of fire.
As regards the application to rifle sights the following description
refers to it when placed on the upper surface of the stock of the rifle,
held as if about to be fired in a horizontal position, the muzzle pointing
to the left in the Figures.
(Figure 1) shews a horizontal section through the lower part of the
instrument, and (Figure 2), a vertical section from before, backward.
It consists of two plain silvered reflecting surfaces of glass, an upper or
first, C, D, (Figure 2), and a lower or second, A, B, placed near each other,
the two reflecting surfaces being turned toward each other. The lower
surface is placed in a vertical or nearly vertical position, and so as to look
backwards and to the left a little, as shewn in (Figure 1) at A, 1. The
upper surface is inclined forward and downward at an angle varying
from 20 to 40 degrees as shewn at (Figure 2) C, D. It is made to look
forwards and to the left as shewn at C, d, (Figure 1), so that there is
a greater interval between the two reflecting surfaces at their left than at
their right edges, the amount of this difference depending on the degree
of clevation to the left required of the line of sight from its original
direction, to enable the eye, when placed near the side of the stock of
the rifle, conveniently to see it just as the amount of the sloping forward
of the first or upper reflecting surface determines the depression of the
visual line as it emerges from the apparatus to the eye at E (Figure 2).
These silvered surfaces may be on the opposite surfaces of one piece
of glass or they may consist of two pieces of mirror glass placed in a
case of wood or other suitable material, and must be so chosen and
placed that they shall give as nearly as possible a single and perfect
image.
In the case of one piece of glass only being used it is made of the
shape in cross vertical section of the space in the direction of the length
of the rifle, represented by the space enclosed between the two surfaces
above deseribed, C, D, and A, B, (Figure 2), these two parts being

page_text: silvered, and the parts A N, N C, D B, being polished, the former for
the ingress of the light, and the latter for its exit.
The horizontal section of the piece of glass is shewn by A, G, F, e,
(Figure 1), the silvered parts being shewn by the heavy lines A, G,
and C, F.
A small spirit level is placed along the lower edge of the first
reflecting surface in a horizontal position to show when the rifle sights
are upright. This spirit level is represented at o (Figure 2) in cross
section.
The two reflecting surfaces so arranged are fitted to the rifle by means
of a metallic rod I, P, (Figure 2), sliding through an opening or tube H
in the case. The lowest end of the rod expands into a saddle shaped
plate, which is shewn at I, J, and is strapped on to the edge of the stock
of the rifle somewhere about midway between the butt and the breech
of the barrel. This sliding motion, steadied by a spring and assisted by
a rack and pinion, permits the reflectors to be raised or lowered to suit
the position of the sights at different elevations, or, according to
another method of fastening the metallic rods, forms a stalk to the case
as shewn at h, Figure 2, and slides in a tube attached to the stock of the
rifle.
In the Figures, the case of the apparatus is shown by the dotted lines
M, L, O, the course of the rays of light being shown by the interrupted
lines S, T, V, E.
When the apparatus is fixed on the stock of the rifle, and the sights
arranged for the lowest elevation, it is requisite that the upper edge of
the second reflecting surface should not rise so high as to prevent the
light from the alignment of the sight from passing over it backwards
to the first reflecting surface, at such an angle as when thrown down on
the second surface, and from it again reflected, it may reach the eye at E,
supposed to represent its position for aiming.
Another mode in which the apparatus may be arranged is by attaching
the two plain mirrors to the side of the stock of the rifle on the left side
by flap hinged joints, so that they may, when not in use, be folded flat
on the stock, and thus be out of the way and safe from injury. In such
a mode of placing them, side sights would in general be necessary, and
if the front sight be made the one giving the varying elevation, the

page_text: position of the mirrors does not require to be changed for different
elevations.
To use the apparatus arranged in any of these modes, it is in general
better to rest the rifle on the parapet or sheltering object to catch the
stock of the rifle by or near the heel or lowest point, the latter being at
the same time rested on the shoulder with a sufficient hold to receive the
recoil, to grasp the small of the stock and the trigger with the right
hand as usual, to bend the head forward, and to the left side low enough
to enable the right eye to get below, and to look up into the second
reflector when the reflected image of the sights will be seen in a position
slanting upwards, forwards, and to the right side with the image; also
of the object at which it is pointed.
Having first looked to the uprightness of the sights, the eye is brought
to the alignment, and the aim taken at the image of the object. When
this is done the real sights will be on the real object, thus enabling the
marksman to look and shoot over the parapet, or from a rifle pit, or
from behind a tree or corner without exposing himself.
If the two reflecting surfaces are less inclined to each other as regards
vertical position, the line of sight will only be carried to the side, and
the eye can perhaps more easily catch it without stooping the head.
This arrangement enables complete protection to be got from a sand
bag or other object placed at the side of the rifle, though it does not
enable it to be placed on its upper surface, as in the arrangements
previously described.
Either of these forms can be used by resting the rifle on the left hand
if the elbow rests on the knee or is otherwise supported.
The apparatus applied to the sights of cannon consist likewise of two
plane silvered reflecting surfaces, the back and the front, or the first and
the second reflectors, the second tending to neutralize the motion and to
correct the inversion of the image produced by the other.
They may be placed separately, but in general it is more convenient
to place them together in a case, so that they may be protected and
moved together.
They are sloped toward each other at an angle more or less acute,
according to the degree of displacement desired in the image to allow of
its being seen from a sheltered position.

page_text: Figure 4 shews a longitudinal section through the two glasses, and
Figure 3 a transverse section from A to D of Figure 4, the heavy lines
representing the two reflectors. The dotted lines represent the case
containing them, and the interrupted line the progress of the light from
the direction of the sights S to its impact on the first surface at T, when
it is reflected to the second surface and thence to the eye in the direction
of F, the case of the instrument being left open to allow of the entrance
and exit of the rays.
By placing the second reflecting surface perpendicular to the line of
alignment of the sights, and behind them an upright image will be seen
by looking into this second surface, more or less displaced, according to
the degree of slope given to the first mirror.
By turning the instrument round on an axis perpendicular to the
first surface A, B, the sights and the objects to which they are directed
can be seen from below or from either side to an extent sufficient to:
enable the aim to be taken from any sheltered position. This instru-
ment may be fastened behind the common tangent site, or in the modern
guns with breech coils on the small part of the barrel in front of the
coils, either on the upper or under surface, the sights being flap sights
so as not to require perforation of the metal, or they may be placed at
the side.
In the case of the sights being placed on the under surface, the front
sight is the rising and falling one to give the varying elevation. This
arrangement of the sights on the small part of the barrel enables a
smaller port to be used, and in the case of turret guns enables the gun
itself to be laid and not the turret, and at the same time enables the
gunner while laying the gun to remain in perfect shelter.
The same arrangement of the sights on the small part of the gun will
in guns in earthworks, in siege guns, and in guns en barbette, enable
the gunner to lay the gun from a sheltered position, either at the side of
the gun or by looking up from a pit beneath into the reflectors seen
above and in front of him when the gun is run out for firing.
In the above described arrangements the reflecting apparatus is placed
on the gun and recoils with it if allowed to remain during the discharges,
but it may also be fixed on a standard supported on the traversing slides
of the gun carriage, behind and in line with the ordinary sights, or the

page_text: pole on which it is fixed may be carried in the hand of the gunner,
the lower end of the pole resting on the ground or gun carriage, while
the reflectors are raised to the line of the sights, and the aim taken by the
gunner, merely looking up into the lower reflector instead of mounting
on the carriage and requiring to descend before the firing takes place,
thus saving time as well as danger.
Another mode in which I apply the combination of reflecting surfaces
is by attaching them to an ordinary military cap or shako.
When the intention is that they should be used as a means of aiming
a rifle, the lower reflector is of small size and is placed under the lower
surface of the peak of the cap to which it is hinged, and admits of
being folded up out of the way. When about to be used it is turned
into such a position as to receive the reflection from the upper reflector,
and to transmit it to the eye when the cap is worn in the ordinary
manner. The upper reflector is of circular form, and is hinged to the
right side of the cap four or five inches above the level of the peak in
such a manner as to admit of its being folded forward on the cap so as
to conceal and protect the mirror from injury when not in use, or to
allow of its being turned into such a position looking forwards slightly
downwards and to the left side so as to throw down the image of any
object in front of it to the lower mirror for transmission to the eye.
This it does through a hole in the peak, or by passing over the front
edge of the peak.
When the mirrors are turned so that the image of distant objects
seen in the lower mirror by the right eye appear to correspond in
position with the same objects seen directly by the left eye, the cap is
ready for use in aiming.
To use it the rifle is in general rested on the parapet and held as
previously described. The head with the cap is bent forward till the
large mirror being brought in a line with the sights, the right eye sees
the alignment and the distant object, at which the aim is to be taken,
as if it were the real object. In this way it is easy to obtain a sufficient
field of view, with at the same time enough depression of the head
beneath the level of the parapet for protection.
For use in laying artillery or turret sights the cap may have any
convenient height, and the upper mirror may be placed at its upper
part in the centre, and when not in use may be folded down, leaving

page_text: the ornament only on its back surface exposed to view and not dis-
tinguishable from the ordinary ornament usually worn in such a
situation.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of using the same, I would have it understood that what I
claim is, the use of two reflecting surfaces, arranged as previously
described, for enabling rifles and other fire-arms to be aimed while the
marksman is concealed from view.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Taylor, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.