Improvements in Appliances for Directing the Discharge of Ordnance, and other Weapons of War at Night.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 17th May, 1889-Accepted, 21st Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Directing the Discharge of Ordnance,
and other Weapons of War at Night.
We, HUBERT HENRY GRENFELL, of Elswick Works, Newcastle upon Tyne, in the
County of Northumberland, Captain R.N. and CHARLES AMBROSE MCEVOY of the
London Ordnance Works, Bear Lane, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an illuminated trunnion and breech sight.
which permits of the more accurate firing of ordnance at night. The same is also.
applied to gun and torpedo directors, &c. for the more accurate directing of guns,
torpedoes, and other weapons of war.
Figures 1 of the annexed drawing shew a fore sight made in accordance with our
invention.
Figures 2 shew one form of breech sight; and Figures 3 shew another form.
A small piece of glass, or other suitable substance colored or clear, is illumined on
each sight by electric lamps which are placed in suitable positions.
When the trunnion or foresight is a fixed one, it is made hollow, and a small.
electric lamp is fixed in the interior, below a piece of glass, or other suitable substance.
The light from the lamp makes the glass glow, so that the sight may be easily seen,
and brought to bear upon any required point.
When the trunnion sight is not fixed (usually called a speed sight), a. fitting is
clamped, or otherwise readily fixed to the ordinary day sight. This fitting contains.
the electric lamp, and the piece of glass or other suitable substance illumined by it.
The breech sight consists of a fitting which is clamped, or otherwise readily fixed
to the ordinary sight, and this fitting contains the electric lamp and the piece of glass,
or other suitable substance which is illumined by it. The clamping or. fixing
arrangement is adapted to suit the sights to which it. is fixed.
The lamp is made portable by means of a special tube made to slide into the fitting,,
so that should a light be required to adjust the sights, this lamp can be used.
The lamp and pieces of glass or other suitable substance are perfectly protected, the.
one by the case containing it, and the other by a hood specially arranged for the
purpose. This hood can be used as an ordinary day-sight, so that it is not necessary
to unship any part of the sight for day use.
The conducting wires to the lamps are led from-any convenient place where the
battery may be fixed. The wires are so arranged that the outer part of the cable
takes any strains which may be put on them, and the conducting copper wires remain
uninjured.
Fittings are similarly arranged for Gun and Torpedo Directors, by which their.
sights are illumined.
Pieces of glass or other suitable substance are illumined by small electric lamps,
suitably placed.
The back sight and fore sight are alike, except that the back sight may
removed and used, while fixing or setting the director.
Dated this 16th day of August 1888.
be easily
H. H. GRENFELL.
H. H. GRENFELL.
C. A.. MCEVOY..

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Directing the Discharge of Ordnancé
and other Weapons of War at Night.
We, HUBERT HENRY GRENFELL, of Elswick Works, Newcastle upon Tyne, in the
County of Northumberland, Captain R.N., and CHARLES AMBROSE MCEVOY, of the
London Ordnance Works, Bear Lane, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Engineer,
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 object of this invention is to provide an illuminated trunnion and breech sight
which permits of the more accurate firing of ordnance at night. The same is also
applied to gun and torpedo directors &c., for the more accurate directing of guns,
torpedoes, and other weapons of war.
.
The sight consists of a fitting or socket piece clamped or otherwise readily fixed to
the ordinary day sight. In the socket piece a small piece of glass or other transparent
substance of any desired color is set so as partly to project. Inside the socket piece a
small electric lamp is placed. The light passing out through the transparent
substance causes it to glow or to show a luminous point which serves as a sight.
It is sometimes preferred that the transparent substance forming the sight should
be colored in order that in aiming the sight point may be readily distinguishable from
a light which may form the object on which the gun is to be laid. Preferably the
fore and rear sights are differently colored.
The lamp is made portable by means of a special tube made to slide into the fitting,
so that should a light be required to adjust the sights, this lamp can be used.
The lamp and pieces of glass or other suitable substance are perfectly protected, the
one by the case containing it, and the other by a hood specially arranged for the
purpose. This bood can be used as an ordinary day-sight, so that it is not necessary
to unship any part of the sight for day use.
The conducting wires to the lamps are led from any convenient place where the
battery may be fixed. The wires are so arranged that the outer part of the cable
takes any strains which may be put on them, and the conducting copper wires remain
uninjured.
Fittings are similarly arranged for gun and torpedo directors, by which their sights
are illumined.
In order that the said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section and Figure 2 is a plan of a fore sight constructed in
accordance with our invention.
Figure 3 is a section and Figure 4 is a plan of a breech or rear sight constructed
in accordance with our invention.
Figures 5 and 6 show the breech or rear sight in a modified form.
a is a fitting or socket piece which fits on to the day sight and is clamped to it by
means of a small screw b or in other simple way admitting of its being readily removed.
c is the day sight. d is a piece of glass set in the socket piece and retained in place
by a cap e. fis an electric lamp inserted into the socket piece. is a cable con-
taining conducting wires by which current is supplied to the lamp. h is a ring
surrounding the cable g and screwing into or engaging by a bayonet joint with the
socket piece to retain the lamp in place. The electric lamp is preferably made as an
ordinary incandescent lamp but of very small size; it may however be simply a coil
of platinum or other wire heated by the current.
In Figures 1 to 4 the transparent sight piece d is represented as conical at the
upper part and flat on the under side which is exposed to the lamp. This is the
form preferred especially for the fore sight but it is not essential.

page_text: The sights for gun and torpedo directors are in all respects similar.
In Figures 5, 6 and 7 the transparent sight piece d is cylindrical in form; it shows
a line of light which may be formed into a scale by opaque lines upon the surface of
the glass.
In Figures 8, 9 and 10 the transparent sight piece d is globular.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
:-
1. A sight consisting of a socket piece capable of being readily clamped upon and
removed from the ordinary day sight-an electric lamp contained therein, a trans-
parent substance set in the socket piece and partly projecting therefrom and rendered
visible by the light from the lamp passing through it.
2. The use in combination of fore and rear sights on separate supports and both
consisting of transparent substance rendered visible by light passing through and
issuing from the transparent substance.
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