MAKING NIGHT SIGHTS OR LUMINOUS SIGHTS FOR GUNS
Year: 1885

page_text: We CHARLES WILLIAM HEATON of Charing Cross Hospital in the City of
Westminster Analytical Chemist and THOMAS BOLAS of 8 Grove, Terrace in the
Parish of Chiswick Analytical Chemist do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for MAKING NIGHT SIGHTS OR LUMINOUS SIGHTS FOR GUNS to be as
follows:-
Our invention consists in the manufacture and application to Guns of hollow
glass sights containing some phosphorescent or luminous material, which after
exposure to light becomes itself luminous. We make the luminous glass sights by
introducing into small glass tubes or other hollow glass vessels the substance or
substances known commercially as Balmain's luminous paint, Puzey's luminous
Powder and phosphorescent Sulphide of Calcium or some other equivalent phos-
phorescent material. At the present time Balmain's luminous Paint and Puzey's
luminous Powder are sold by W. C. Horne of 5ª Aldermanbury Postern London and
phosphorescent sulphide of Calcium is sold by Hopkin & Williams 16 Cross Street
Hatton Garden London.
When in filling the hollow glass sights we use the luminous material in powder
we find it convenient to saturate the said luminous powder with melted Paraffin
Wax or some other. analogous cementing material. We make the frame work of
the sights of suitable metal and construct them in such a manner that they will
easily fit or be bolted upon the required places on the Gun. For example we make
luminous sights for the regulation Martini Henry Rifle in the following manner
For the foresight a luminous glass sight made as above described is attached by
a suitable setting to a short metal tube which slips with friction over the muzzle
of the gun, so that the said luminous sight is visible from the stock. For the
backsight a similar luminous glass sight is mounted by means of a suitable setting
on a small metal block grooved on two opposite edges which fits between the side
strips of the hinged frame of the regulation sight. This metal block can then be
fixed in position by pushing down the slide into one of the grooves, the other
groove fitting over the bottom of the hinged frame.

page_text: We CHARLES WILLIAM HEATON of Charing Cross Hospital in the County of
Middlesex, Lecturer on Chemistry and THOMAS BOLAS of 8 Grove Terrace Chiswick
in the County of Middlesex Consulting Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of
our said invention for "MAKING NIGHT SIGHTS OR LUMINOUS SIGHTS FOR GUNS,"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
'ascertained in and by the following statement:
:-
According to our invention hollow glass sights containing some Phosphorescent
or Luminous material which after exposure to light becomes.itself luminous.are
fixed either to the foresight only, or to both sights of any Gun Pistol or Cannon
We make the luminous glass sights by introducing into glass tubes or other suit-
able glass vessels the substance or 'substances known commercially as Balmain's
Luminous Paint, Puzey's Luminous Powder and Phosphorescent Sulphide of
Calcium, but we can use any other suitable Phosphorescent material. At the
present time Balmain's Luminous Paint and Puzey's Luminous Powder are sold by
W. C. Horne of 5a Aldermanbury Postern London and Phosphorescent.Sulphide
of Calcium is sold by Hopkin and Williams of 16 Cross Street Hatton Garden
London,
In filling the hollow glass sights we prefer to use the Luminous material in
powder and we find it convenient to saturate the said Luminous Powder with
melted Paraffin Wax or some other analogous cementing material. The foresight
may conveniently consist of a hollow glass dome or cone a quarter of an inch or
more 'in 'height and the backsight of a short glass tube lying transversly and at
right angles to the barrel each of these glass vessels being filled with Luminous
material.
These Luminous glass sights may be fixed to Guns of all kinds by simple
mechanical contrivances which we do not claim as our inventions. We have fitted
them to the regulation Martini Henry Rifles in the following manner For the
foresight a hollow glass Cone fitted with Luminous material as above described is
set in a short tube of iron or other suitable material fixed at right angles to another
tube two or three inches long which last is of such a diameter. as to slide with
friction over the muzzle of the Gun thus allowing the Luminous sight to be visible
to the person ifiring the (Gun. By means of a Bayonet joint it is also easy to
arrange that the larger tube shall slide over the ordinary sight and then by a
lateral movement the luminous sight be brought round so as to hide and replace
the ordinary sight to the person firing the Gun.
For the back sight a small glass tube, filled with luminous material 'as above
described is mounted by means of a suitable setting on a small metal block cut so
as to fit between the side strips of the hinged frame or leaf of the regulation sight.
This sinall block is grooved on its opposite edges so that by pushing down the
slide it is fixed in a vertical position when the leaf is lying flat on the Gun. We
have also made good back sights by fixing the small tubes filled with luminous
material as before described to small clips which fit on the slide of the regulation
sight rising and falling with it when it is pushed up or down.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention we declare that what we claim is,
The manufacture and application as sights for Guns Pistols and Cannons of
hollow glass tubes or other vessels filled with Phosphorescent or luminous materials,
in such manner as hereinabove described, that after exposure to light they shall for
some time remain visible in the dark to the person who fires the Gun.
20
T
3000
CHARLES WILLIAM HEATON.'
THOMAS BOLAS.