Means or Apparatus for Adapting Ordnance for Use with Miniature Ammunition.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 21st June, 1890-Accepted. 26th July, 1890
Means or Apparatus for Adapting Ordnance for Use with Miniature
Ammunition.
I, JOHN EWART, Captain Royal Artillery, & Adjutant 1st Banff Artillery Volunteers,
of Banff, in the County of Banff, North Britain do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to means or apparatus for adapting ordnance for use with
miniature ammunition.
In accordance with my Invention a military carbine or rifle barrel with its lock is
fitted on a field or garrison gun and fired with or without a tube in the barrel of the
rifle at a range of from 5 to 1000 yards, the object being that the gunner can use his
proper gun sights for laying on a target and strike the object aimed at by firing the
small rifle instead of his big gun.
The woodstock of the rifle is removed and a metal stock substituted. The stock can
be made to take any rifle barrel with lock bolts &c. of any Government rifle. The
rifle barrel and lock being secured in the said stock, the rifle is then adjusted on any
description of big gun by means of two bands round the gun and the centre of the
bore of the rifle is placed parallel to that of the big gun bore. This may be effected
by the employment of a small spirit level and an elevating pin and screw provided in
the front part of the stock. The object of this arrangement is that the gunner can use
his proper big gun sights and do everything in the way of loading and laying the big
gun the same as if it was to be fired. The small rifle is loaded and fired by means of
a wire passed along the gun from the rifle to the vent of the big gun and by inserting
the proper dummy tube into a metal patch at extreme end of the wire and then into
gun vent. The pull of the trigger of the small rifle is worked from above instead of
below, so that the firing is effected by pulling the lanyard the same as when firing the
big gun.
All the parts in accordance with my invention with the exceptions of the stock and
gun fittings being Government property, the said parts are always available and my
invention could always be readily made use of.
In accordance with my Invention drill and firing can be carried out in drill halls,
drill sheds and barracks squares by using the ordinary aiming tubes and ammunition
in the barrel of the rifle, or the proper rifle ball cartridge can be fired at any range in
the open as far as the rifle bullet will carry.
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Means or Apparatus for Adapting Ordnance for Use with Miniature
Ammunition.
1, JOHN EWART, Captain Royal Artillery and Adjutant 1st Banff Artillery Volunteers
of Banff in the County of Banff, North Britain, 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 :-
This Invention which relates to means or apparatus for adapting ordnance for use
with miniature ammunition, has for its object to provide means whereby ordnance
drill and firing may be effected in a more efficient manner than hitherto ; and as it is
miniature ammunition that is fired the practice may be carried on in drill balls, drill
sheds, barracks squares etc. by using the ordinary aiming tubes and ammunition in the
D

page_text: barrel of the rifle, or in the field or open at any range that the ordinary rifle ball
cartridge bullet will carry, the gunner using his proper gun sights for aiming or laying
on an object at any range from 5 to 1500 yards, and striking the object aimed at by
firing the small rifle instead of the big gun, which may be loaded and unloaded with
dummy cartridge and shell after each round, so that every part of the gun drill can be
carried out same as at gun practice.
In accordance with my said Invention I mount in any suitable manner, an ordinary
carbine or rifle barrel with its lock on a field or garrison gun (the said carbine or
rifle barrel being mounted in any desired position on the gun, either along the top,
along any of the sides, or underneath) in such a manner that the gunners go through
the ordinary operations of loading and firing the gun as hitherto, with the exception
of loading and firing the rifle.
But in order that my said invention may be more readily understood and easily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe some methods of carrying out the same
with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which the same reference
figures are used for the same parts.
Figure 1, sheet 1, is a perspective view showing one method of mounting an
ordinary Snider carbine on the top of an ordinary gun in accordance with my
invention.
Figure 2, sheet 1, is a perspective view of a Martini-Henry rifle mounted along the
side of a gun in accordance with my invention.
Figures 3, 4, and 5, sheet 2, are side elevation, end elevation, and cross section
respectively of my improved stock and trigger arrangement as shewn in Figure 1.
Figure 6, sheet 2, is a perspective view of the vent lever and dummy tube used in
accordance with my Invention.
Figures 7 and 8, are front elevation and side elevation of the front hoop or band
with elevating or adjusting arrangement mounted thereon as shewn in Figure 1.
And Figures 9, 10 and 11, are part front, and part side elevations, and part plan
respectively of the back hoop or band and its connections as shewn in Figure 1.
Figure 12, sheet 3, is a perspective view of another method of mounting an ordinary
Snider carbine on the top of an ordinary gun, in accordance with my Invention.
Figure 13 sheet 3 is part front elevation shewn partly in section, and Figure 14 a
side elevation of the front hoop, showing modifications of same and mountings as
shewn in Figure 12.
Figures 15 and 16, sheet 3 are end and part side elevations of a modification of my
improved stock as shewn in Figure 12.
And Figures 17 and 18 sheet 3, are part front and part side elevations of a modi-
fication of connecting the bands or hoops to their mountings.
As shewn in Figure 1, sheet 1, and in the detail Figures 3 to 11, sheet 2, I mount
an ordinary Snider carbine barrel A, and lock B, on the top of the chase of a field or
garrison gun C (the muzzle of the two barrels being flush or nearly so with each
other) by means of a suitable metal stock D, and hoops or bands E, F, the said stock
which is preferably made in two halves is so constructed as to securely hold the barrel
and lock in position, and in order to allow of it being placed as near to the chase of
the gun as possible I provide an improved trigger arrangement G (Figures 3 and 5
sheet 2) in the said stock, the said trigger arrangement being operated from above the
stock instead of underneath, and which consists of the pivotted hell crank lever or
trigger g, the lower or tail end gl, of which actuates the tail part b, of the locks lever,
while the top end is formed with an eye or hole so as to enable the one end of the
firing cord or wire H, being attached, the other end of which is attached to the metal
patch or vent lever J (Figure 6 sheet 2) through the hole j, of which the drill tube J';
is passed into the vent of the gun, the split, of which engages on the projecting
pin, of the vent lever, care being taken that the wire is so adjusted as that on the
lanyard being pulled, the hook is freed and the rifle fired.
In order to secure the said stock D, and its fittings to the gun C, and hold it in its
proper position, I provide two metal hoops or bands E, and F, which may be made so
as to be easily detached from their connections as shewn at K, figures 1, sheet 1,

page_text: and 7, 8, 9 and 10 sheet 2, or they may be secured to their connections as shewn
at K', Figures 12, 13 and 14, sheet 3, or riveted as shewn at K', in Figures 17
and 18 sheet 3, these bands being formed in one, two, or more parts according to the
size of gun, the two ends of which are adjustably connected to each other by means of
the screw thumb bolts L, and nuts L³, which also enable the said bands to grip the
chase of the gun. The front band E (which may either be connected to the front end
of the stock D, as shewn in figure 1, sheet 1, or to the muzzle end of the barrel as
shewn in Figure 12 sheet 3) is provided on its top side with a suitable elevating screw
arrangement M, (one arrangement of which is shewn more particularly in section in
Figure 7 sheet 2) which consists of a metal saddle piece m, having a socket formed in
it, so as to carry the boss m', of the thumb screw nut m², which can revolve inside the
said socket but cannot move up or down owing to the ends of the engaging screws m³,
fitting into the groove m², on the said boss m. The said thumb screw nut m², works
on the pivotted screw pin N which is provided at the front end of the stock D, and
which is caused to work clear in an oval hole n, formed in the lower bar n', of the
front clamp n, and when desired the said nut m², may be held in any desired position
by means of the pinching pin m³, (Figure 8) or the elevating screw arrangement M
may consist of (as shewn in Figures 12, 13 and 14 sheet 3) of a saddle piece m,
having an internal screwed boss m' into which the lower end m², of a right and left
handed thumb screw N, works, the top end m³, of which works in another internal
screwed boss or nut N', which is clamped to the gun, preferably as shewn by a metal
has a washer or
band n', and pins n². The said right and left handed thumb screw,
thumb ring n³ on it, so as to enable it to be easily manipulated. The back hoop or
band F, being provided at its top side with a suitable pivot arrangement P (more
particularly shewn in Figures 9 to 11, sheet 2) so as to allow of the stock and its
fittings being elevated or adjusted by the pin and screw arrangement M, on the front
band E; this pivot arrangement P, consisting of a metal saddle piece p, having two
upright brackets or arms p¹, which carry the screw bolt or pivot p², and nut p³, the
said pivot p², passing through the hole d, Figure 3, sheet 2, at the back end of the
stock D.
In cases where the front band E is to be attached to the barrel as shewn in
Figure 12, sheet 3, I form the stock D, Figures 15 and 16 sheet 3, with a suitable
barrel clamping device D'.
As hereinbefore mentioned my said invention relates to any desired kind of carbine
or rifle being mounted on any kind of ordnance and in any desired position thereon.
The said mountings in all cases being so modified (but the working and fittings
remaining on the same principle) as to fit the kind of rifle, and the position that it is
to be used in, an example of which I have shewn in perspective in Figure 2, sheet 1,
which is an ordinary Martini-Henry rifle R, mounted on the chase of the gun C, by
means of the two hoops or bands S and T which have their mountings s, t, so modified
as to fit the particular case. The said carbines may be used either with or without an
aiming tube.
It will be seen from the foregoing that the gunners working a gun do everything
precisely the same; as if they were loading and firing their big gun at a target, with
the exception of loading and full cocking the rifle.
When firing the said rifle and if the bullet strikes to the right or left, the error can
be corrected on the deflection scale in the usual way, and if the bullet should hit the
target above or below the bulls' eye the correction can be made on the tangent
scale.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
First. In adapting ordnance to be used with miniature ammunition, the employment
of a suitable mounted carbine or rifle of any desired kind, and mounted on any position
on the gun and having its trigger pull connected to the vent lever and drill tube by
means of a wire, or cord, substantially as herein before described.

page_text: Second. The general arrangement, combination and construction of the various
parts constituting my said means or apparatus for adapting ordnance for use with
miniature ammunition, all substantially as, and for the purposes, hereinbefore described
and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Third. In Snider carbines or such like, the employment and construction of a metal
stock D, having trigger arrangement G, so constructed as to be operated from above,
and pivot pin N, and hole d, all substantially as, and for the purposes, hereinbefore
described and shewn in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5, of the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In mounting small rifles on ordnance, the employment and construction of
the detachable or fixed hoops or bands E, F, S and T, having suitable connections M,
and P, thereon and screw bolts and nuts L L' all substantially as, and for the
purposes, hereinbefore described and shewn in Figures 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
14, 17 and 18, of the accompanying drawings.
Fifth. The combination and construction of the various parts constituting my
elevating or adjusting screw arrangement M, and in combination therewith the pivot
arrangement P, or any modification of said arrangements, all substantially as and for
the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn in Figures 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,
13 and 14, of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of June 1890.
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.