IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR SIGHTS FOR FIRE ADM
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hunt, of Leman Street, Goodman's
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR SIGHTS FOR FIRE ADM"
Sealed the 30th April 1853, and dated the 12th March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hunt at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th March 1853.
I, THOMAS HUNT, of Leman Street, Goodman's Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SIGHTS FOR FIRE-ARMS" to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of mounting the sight on a ball and socket,
or universal joint; also in arranging it to be moved laterally by a screw,
in order to get adjustment; and also, in place of engraving the scale
on the fixed sight, the scale is engraved on a moveable and adjustable
surface, by which arrangement the sight to each fire-arm may be
adjusted with nicety.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Hunt, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 12th September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS HUNT, of Leman Street, Goodman's Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty, Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Iler reign, did, for Ierself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Thomas Hunt, Her special licence that I, the
said Thomas IIunt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Thomas Hunt, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SIGHTS
FOR FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Hunt, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Thomas Hunt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention consists of mounting the sight on a ball and socket,
or universal joint; also in arranging it to be moved laterally by a
screw, in order to get adjustment; and also, in place of engraving the
scale on a fixed sight, the scale is engraved on a moveable and adjustable

page_text: surface, by which arrangement the sight to each fire-arm may be
adjusted with nicety.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner in which the same is to be performed, by reference
to the accompanying drawing, in the various figures of which the same
letters indicate the same parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, is a plan; Figure 2, a side view; Figure 3, a longitudinal
section; and Figure 4, a transverse section taken through the dotted
line 1, 1, in Figure 1. The other views show the various parts in detail.
a, is the seat or metal which carries the parts which form my improved
sight for fire-arms, &c., having an opening a', and a recess a², to re-
ceive the slide b; the recess a², is countersunk at a³, which serves to
keep down the end 61, of the slide b; the other end 6%, is placed in the
opening a, and is kept in position by the garter screw c, which passes
through and works within it: the screw c, is kept from travelling, by
means of the vertical screw d, which enters the groove or garter of the
screw c; so that by turning the screw c, the slide b, and parts connected
therewith, will be caused to travel laterally in the recess a², in either
direction as the screw c, is turned forward or backward, which consti-
tutes the lateral movement I give to the sights of fire-arms.
The slide b, has a cup or socket 63, formed or affixed thereon to
receive the ball d', of the frame d, which is placed in its position by
being passed through the slot or opening 64, of the slide b. On the
right, left, and under sides of the ball d', a V groove is formed, in either
of which the V formed end e', of the spring e, (attached to the slide b,)
enters, so as to retain the frame in either of these positions, viz*., upright
when in use, or laying down when not required, as shown by Figure 2,
or in a reverse direction; the ball d', also allows of the frame d, receiving
a small amount of lateral movement, as is represented by dotted lines
in Figure 4, which is important, inasmuch as it renders the breaking
off of the sight, &c. by accident, almost impossible. Although the
spring e, at e', is shown as V formed, it may have a flat surface, and the
three grooves of the ball would then be three plane surfaces.

page_text: In place of engraving the scale on the fixed sight I cause the scale
to be engraved upon a moveable and adjustable surface, by which
arrangement the sight to each fire-arm may be adjusted with the nicest
precision. The frame d, has a recess formed therein, in which the
graduated slide f, is caused to move up and down by the action of the
garter screw g, which is kept in its position by the pin h, which enters
the groove formed for it in the screw, g. At the back of the graduated
slide f. is a projection, f, which has a hole with a female screw cut
therein for the garter screw g, to work in. It will be evident, therefore,
that by turning the garter screw g, in either direction, a slight up or
down movement of the slide f,f, will take place. The sight i, which
is formed as shown by the drawing, slides upon the frame d, and may
readily be slidden to any position thereon as indicated by the graduated
slide f.
the
Having thus described my invention, and the manner of performing
same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to tho
exact details herein given. But what I claim is, the construction herein
described, wherein the sight is provided with a ball and socket, or
universal joint. It can also be moved laterally by a screw to get
adjustment, and the scale is engraved on a moveable and adjustable
surface.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hunt, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
THOMAS HUNT. (L.B.)
Witness, S. CARPMAEL.