IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGHTS FOR RIFLES.
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Turner and John Field Swin-
burn, both of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SIGHTS FOR RIFLES."..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Turner
..and John Field Swinburn at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 12th August 1853.
We, THOMAS TURNER and JOHN FIELD SWINBURN, both of Bir
mingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturers, lo.,
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SIGHTS FOR RIFLES" to be as follows:
Our Invention consists in forming the leaf or upright piece of
the sight with a spring, which, by passing into a groove or grooves
on the block or foot to which the said leaf is applied, retains the
same in its required position, but allows it to be pressed back-
wards or forwards; the lower end of the said spring passing over
the upper surface. of such block or foot, and being so formed as
to close the space in the centre part of the said leaf or sight..
S₁

page_text: The leaf or upright piece is formed so that the portion of it
which constitutes the spring may act as such either at the centre
or sides of the block or foot. The form of the spring or leaf may
be varied, so long as its action is that of a vertical pressure
exerted upon the upper part of the block or foot, the surface of
which is for a short distance cylindrical, with a groove or grooves
cut in it, and cut away beyond such distance in order to allow
the spring or leaf to pass freely out of tension.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Thomas Turner and John Field
Swinburn in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 11th Feb-
ruary 1854.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
we, THOMAS TURNER and JOHN FIELD SWINBURN, both of Birming-
ham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three,
in the seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Turner
and John Field Swinburn, Her special licence that wo, the said
Thomas Turner and John Field Swinburn, our executors, adminis-
trators; and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Turner
and John Field Swinburn, our executors, administrators, and as-
signs, 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SIGHTS FOR RIFLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Thomas Turner and John Field Swinburn, by an instrument
in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal
of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature

page_text: 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 Field Swinburn, (on
behalf of myself and on the behalf of the said Thomas Turner,).
do hereby declare the nature of our said Juvention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):
.
. Our Invention of "Improvements in Sights for Rifles" is intended
to obviate the disadvantage that may arise from the ordinary
opening or space in the block in which it has been usual to
place the spring for retaining the leaf of the sight in its elevated:
position.
For this purpose the block is made solid, or without the ušuál
opening, and the leaf or upright piece of the sight is formed with
a spring, which by passing into a groove or grooves on the upper
part of the block to which the said leaf is applied retains the
latter. in its required position, but allows it to be pressed back-
wards or forwards over the surface of the block. The form of
the spring or leaf may be varied, so long as the action of the!
spring may be exerted in a vertical direction upon the upper part
of the block or foot, the surface of which is for a short distance.
cylindrical, with a groove or grooves cut in it, and cut away beyond
such distance in order to allow the spring or leaf to pass freely
out of action.
In order, however, that our Invention may be fully understood
we will describe a mode by which it may be readily carried into
effect, and which is represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Fig. 1, is a front view of the leaf and block, with the former
in its elevated position; Fig. 2, is a side view of the same, the.
depressed position of the leaf, being indicated by dotted lines; and
Fig. 3, is a sectional view, shewing the lower end of the spring
fitting into the groove on the upper part of the block or foot.
.

page_text: a, is the block or foot, which may be fixed to the barrel of the
rifle in any convenient manner. b; is the leaf or upright piece of
the sight, which is fixed to the block by means of a pin or bolt
passed through the two cars c, c, and through the solid block ä,
and secured at the two ends. *, is the spring, which, by pressing
into the groove a*, in the upper part of the block, retains the leaf
in its elevated position. d, is the ordinary slide, which may be
moved up and down the leaf. e, is a groove in the centre of the
block a, by which a sight may be taken when the leaf b, is
depressed.
On reference to Fig. 3, it will be perceived that the block a, is
cut away from the circular form at a little distance from cach side
of the groove a*.
The sight thus constructed and fixed to the rifle may be set in
the ordinary manner, by raising or depressing the leaf b, thereby
causing the lower end of the spring *, to work over the surface.
of the solid block d, and by inoving the slide d, as required.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and in'
what manner the same is to be performed, we would have it
understood that we do not mean or intend to confine ourselves to.
the precise forms of all the parts represented and described; but
what we claim as of our Invention is, the combination of a solid
block or foot with a leaf formed with a spring, which is made 'to'
press vertically upon the upper surface of the said block or foot'
for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Field Swinburn, havé
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-four.
Witness,
DAVID JARVIS.
•
JOHN FIELD SWINBURN. (L.S.)