provements in Back and Fore Sights for Fire Arms.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Back and Fore Sights for Fire Arms.
I, FRANZ MERREM of Homburg v. d. Höhe, Prussia Germany, Royal Ranger,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to enable the back and fore sights of firearms,
more especially of small arms, to be made so that they may be turned so as to
present either a light coloured and light reflecting surface or sight, or a dark
coloured and dull, substantially non reflecting surface or sight. By this means
greater facility and accuracy of aim may be obtained when firing at dark or at
light objects or in dull or in strong sunlight respectively and aim may be taken in
scanty or dull light, for instance in the twilight or dusk when the improved sights
are serviceable for about a quarter of an hour longer than ordinary sights.
The improved back and fore sights may be used together on the same firearm,
or either may be fitted without the other in replacement of other kinds of 'sights.
The sights are made so that they have two obliquely directed faces one of these
being presented upwards and of a light reflecting or bright nature; and light
colour, for which purpose it may be covered with ivory, mother of pearl, silver, or
similarly suitable material; the other face being presented downwards and being
of dull black so that it may reflect no light, but is kept always in perfect shadow. The
sights are so fitted that either may be turned, so that, its bright, or its, dark face is
visible to the firer, and if desired the bright face of the one may be used with the
dark face of the other.
The sight may be made in the form in side view of a rhomb, being of any
desirable thickness and shape of section as seen in the direction of the barrel, and
it may be mounted by means of a pin projecting from one of its sides into base
plate attached in any suitable way to the barrel so that it may be turned on said
base plate to present either of its two inclined edges rearward, thus presenting
towards the firer either of the oblique receding bright face, or the overhanging
oblique dull face.
A spring engages the head of the pin or otherwise holds the sight in the one of
other of these two positions, in conjunction with a locking projection and recesses
for exactly defining the positions. This sight is more suitable for the fore sight.
Another form of sight more suitable for the back sight is in the form of a
triangular prism with its axis horizontally placed across the barrel. The prism
has one obinse and two acute angles aud it is hinged in line with its.obtuse edge.
If it is rocked away from the firer it presents to his eye 'an overhanging down-
wardly facing oblique surface which is dull and not reflective.
If however,
it is rocked towards the firer it presents a receding oblique surface.
Notches are made in the two acute edges, and that acute edge which is further
from the firer may have a strip of bright material along it of the same or less width
than the depth of the notch so that the latter intersects this bright strip.
In addition thereto a triangular light reflecting or bright piece may be inserted
into the face of the sight which recedes from the firer in the same manner as in
other known sights with its point directed to the notch which is visible at the same
time.

page_text: Improvements in Back and Fore Sights for Fire Arms.
I, FRANZ MERREM, of Homburg v. d. Höhe, Prussia, Germany, Royal Ranger,
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 enable the back and fore sights of fire arms,
more especially of small arms, to he made so that they may be turned so as to
present either a light coloured and light reflecting surface or sight, or a dark
coloured and dull, substantially non reflecting surface or sight.
By this means greater facility and accuracy of aim may be obtained when firing
at dark or at light objects or in dull or strong sunlight respectively and aim
may be taken in scanty or dull light for instance in the twylight or dusk when
the improved sights are serviceable for about a quarter of an hour longer than
ordinary sights.
The improved back and fore sights may be used together on the same fire-arm,
or either may be fitted without the other in replacement of other kinds of sights.
The sights,are, made so that they have two obliquely directed faces one of
these being presented upwards and of a light reflecting or bright nature and
light colour for which purpose it may be covered with ivory, mother of pearl,
silver, or similarly suitable material, the other face being presented, downwards
and being of dull black so that it may reflect no light but is kept always in
perfect, shadow. The sights are so fitted, that either may be turned, so that its
bright or its dark face is visible to the firer, and if desired, the bright face of
the one may be used with the dark face of the other.
The sight may be, made in the form. in side-view of a rhomb, being of any
desirable thickness and shape of section as seen in the direction of the barrel
and it may be mounted by means of a pin projecting from one of its sides into
a base plate attached in any suitable way to the barrel so that it may be turned
on said base plate to present either of its two inclined edges rearward, thus
presenting towards the firer either the oblique receding bright face or the
overhanging oblique dull-face.
A spring engages the head of the pin. or otherwise holds the sight in the one or
other of these two positions, in conjunction with a locking projection and recesses
for exactly defining the positions. This sight is more suitable for the foresight.
Another form of sight more suitable for the back sight is in the form of a
triangular prism with its axis horizontally placed across the barrel. The prism
has one obtuse and two acute angles,,and it is hiuged in line with its obtuse edge.
If it is rocked away from, the firer it presents to his oye an overhanging down-
wardly facing oblique surface which is dull and not reflective. If however it is
rocked towards the firer it presents a receeding oblique surface. Notches are
made in the two acute edges, and that acute edge which is further, from the firer
may have a strip of. bright material along it of the same. or less width than the
depth of the notch so that the latter intersects this, bright strip.
In addition thereto a triangular, light reflecting or bright piece may be inserted
into the face of; the sight, which, recedes from the firer in the same manner, as in
other known sights with its point directed to the notch which is visible at the same
time.
In the accompanying drawings a convenient mode' of making the improved
sights is shown.
Figs. 1 and 2 represent a side-view of the foresight in its two positions and
TAL

page_text: Figs. 4 and 5 represent two side-views of the back-sight in two positions and
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same showing also a triangular bright face.
Fig. 7 shows a manner of making the fore sight to turn on a horizontal axle and
of a triangular form in its cross-section.
The fore-sight A is put by means of a pin B upon the plate C, in such a way,
that the linge of the sight sits in a groove c, which is exactly adapted to the pin B.
The pin B is provided with a projecting head, behind which the two forks of the
spring D lie this spring being fastened by means of the screw E prossing down-
wards the pin and the fore-sight. When the fore-sight is raised out of the
hollow, against the pressure of the spring, it can be turned round.
On the upper face, a plate a of bright material is put, the opposite face is
simply made a dim-dark colour. The plate C may be fastened upon the gun-
barrel in any suitable way.
The effect of the fore sight may still be increased, if applied with a back-sight,
provided in the same way with oblique lighted and shaded faces. Only it will not
do to render bright the whole face, directed upwards, but only a strip, corre-
sponding in breadth to about the depth of the notch.
The accuracy of aiming is then increased by using the dark face of the fore sight
together with the bright face of the back sight and vice-versa.
The back-sight G is fastened on the plate F so as to be capable of being turned
on the axis g', the plate F serving the same time as a support in the two positions
of the back-sight.
On the two edges of the back-sight, the triangular notches g³ 9³ are cut and one
side of it is provided with a bright plate.g².
The obliquely cut edge of this plate forms in the position shown in Fig. 5 a
white band at the upper margin of the aiming-face of the back-sight which band
is interrupted only in the middle by the notch and indicates thus distinctly, where
the notch is.
Besides this, one can use the known means of providing a triangular bright
face g, the top of which is lying exactly beneath the notch.
As may be seen from Fig. 7, the fore-sight, without changing the principle of
the light and shade position, can be constructed to turn on a horizontal axle, by
giving to the fore-sight a triangular form similar to the cross-section of the back-
sight. Fig. 7 shows the fore-sight O, which is seated to turn on the horizontal
axle M in the base plate N, with the plate P of shining material, (ivory) directed
towards the eye, therefore in the position for weak light, the fore-sight being kept
in its given position by means of a spring Q.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this iuven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A fore-sight, capable of being turned, or back-sight, showing to the eye in
one position an oblique lighted face, directed upwards, and in its other position an
oblique shaded face, directed downwards.
2. The peculiar arrangement of this bright aiming-face, consisting of a strip of
the approximative breadth of the depth of the notch.
3. The peculiar arrangement of the fore-sight, distinguished by its being pressed
into a hollow of the plate, bearing the fore-sight, by means of a spring gripping
into its turning pin.
1000
I
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents for Applicant.