IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SIGHTS FOR FIRE-ARMS to be as follows:
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ROBERT WRIGHT STUDDY of Shorncliffe, in the County of Kent, Major of
the 1st Manchester Regiment, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SIGHTS FOR FIRE-ARMS
to be as
follows:-
"
My invention relates to sights chiefly designed for military rifles, but also
applicable to other fire-arms.
The chief object of my said invention is to provide the back sight of a fire-arm
with means whereby a person using the same may be enabled to make allowance
for the deflection of a ball from its course by the wind, and the said invention
comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
The sight to which I prefer to apply my invention is that known as the sliding
back sight which consists of a slotted plate having a notched bar sliding upon it
vertically, and adapted to be raised or lowered according to the range desired.
According to the present invention this notched bar is dispensed with and is
replaced by a level-edged bar, hereinafter termed the vertically sliding bar, which
is preferably bright or has a white appearance.
Upon the vertically sliding bar is arranged a plate adapted to be adjusted
laterally, and hereinafter termed the horizontally sliding plate.
This plate is
preferably black or of a dark colour for a purpose hereinafter described.
The lateral movements of the said sliding plate are produced by a screw carried
in the vertically sliding bar and entering a nut attached to the horizontally sliding
plate.
At the centre of the length of this horizontally sliding plate is formed a narrow
vertical slot which serves, in lieu of the ordinary notch, for sighting the fire-arm.
The said horizontally sliding plate being of a very dark colour, or black, the said
vertical slot has the appearance of a fine white line on a black ground.
On the lower edges of the said vertically sliding bar and of the horizontally
sliding plate is marked a scale, preferably a vernier scale, so that the said hori-
zontally sliding plate may be accurately adjusted in one or the other direction as
desired.
In its normal position the horizontally sliding plate is arranged so that the
centre of the vertical slot therein is exactly in a vertical plane passing through

page_text: the axis of the barrel, the centre of the front sight, and the zero point of the said
scale on the vertically sliding bar.
With
The thread of the screw for adjusting the said horizontally sliding plate is
preferably of such a pitch that about one half of a revolution will move the
sliding plate to either its extreme right or left position. The head of the said
screw is semicircular so that when the vertical slot is in its central position the
flat side of the said head. will be flush with the surface of the slotted bar.
this construction, when the sight is folded down after being used, if the horizontally
sliding plate is not in its central position the screw will be turned until the flat
side of the head rests against the barrel. Thus, as will be understood, the sighting
slot is always in its central position when the sight is raised ready for firing.
The head of the said screw is also divided into a number of equal divisions
corresponding to those of the Vernier scale.
In using the improved sight the vertical slot in the sliding plate is placed at the
zero point of the scale when no wind pressure is allowed for. When the sight is
to be set to compensate for a wind blowing from the right the said slot is moved
more or less to the right according to the pressure, and to compensate for a wind
blowing from the left the sight is moved to the left.
This sight may be very advantageously employed for military service as it is
easily adjusted, there being only one guiding line to adjust instead of three as in
rifle arnis now used in the ariny. It will thus be very easy for an officer to order
the men under his command to first of all adjust the vertically sliding bar to the
desired elevation and then to move the horizontally sliding plate to any desired
point on the scale in the following manner, thus "Volley at 800 yards, 4 to the
right."
The improved sight also ensures great uniformity of aim, especially at long
distances, and in firing rapid volleys, when, with the sight at present used, there
is not time to make any uniform allowances for wind owing to the several sighting
lines and the difficulty of calculating the distance, right or left, of the centre notch.
Dated this 96th dex of August 1885
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: I, ROBERT WRIGHT STUDDY, of Shorncliffe in the County of Kent, Major of
the 1st Manchester Regiment 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:-
=
My invention relates to back-sights chiefly designed for military rifles, but also
applicable to other fire-arms.
The object of my said invention is to provide improved means for adjusting the
sight to allow for lateral deflection of the projectiles by the wind.
In carrying my invention into practice, I employ a vertically sliding metal bar
similar to those used in back-sights as heretofore constructed, and either polished;
or coloured with white or other light colour, and I arrange a dark coloured metal
plate to slide horizontally in front of the said bar. This plate is made with a
central vertical slot, through which the bright or light coloured metal can be clearly
seen. The said bar is suitably graduated and the plate is provided with means.for
laterally adjusting it to move the said slot more or less in one or the other
direction according to the allowance to be made for deflection of the projectiles by
the wind.
My said invention, moreover, comprises various improvements hereinafter
described.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shewn my improvements applied to a
back-sight of that class wherein a slotted plate or arm hinged at one end to the
barrel of the gun, and has the vertically sliding bar fitted thereon.
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of part of a rifle, with my improved sight
applied thereto, shewing the sight in its raised position.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same with the sight removed.
Figure 3 is a face view of the said sight.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line. x, x, Figure 3.,
Figure. 5 is a face view illustrating a modification of my invention.
a indicates the slotted plate or arm, which is hinged at a¹ to the gun-barrel b, or
to a metal piece b¹ attached thereto. c is a bar fitted to slide up and down upon
the plate or arm a when raised. This bar c, which is herein termed the vertically
sliding bar, takes the place of the notched sliding bar heretofore employed. The:
said bar c is bevelled at its lower edge and graduated to any suitable scale. It is
polished or otherwise treated to impart to its surface a white or light colour: d is.
a plate fitted with a capability of lateral adjustment upon the bar c.
This plate
bas a black or dark coloured surface and is formed with a central vertical slot d¹..
The lower edge of the plate d is bevelled and has a black or dark coloured
mark d upon it beneath and in line with the slot d, which mark serves as an
index or pointer for indicating, upon the scale of the sliding bar c, the position of
the plate d relatively to the centre of the said bar.
As the part d has a black or dark coloured surface, the bright metal of the bar c
can be clearly seen through the vertical slot d, and has the appearance of a fine:
white line on a black or dark ground, which. line can be utilized in combination:

page_text: -
with an ordinary or any suitable front sight (as at a³) for the purpose of sighting
the gun in a well known manner.
When no allowance is to be made for deflection of the projectiles by the wind,
the plate d is so adjusted that its slot d and index d' are exactly in line with the
centre of the bar c and in the vertical plane which passes through the axis of the
barrel. This central position is indicated by a well defined line on the scale. I will
hereinafter term the centre of the said scale the zero-point. On each side of this
zero-point, the scale has four, eight or any other suitable number of divisions to
facilitate the proper adjustment of the plate d. The range of movement of the
plated will be more or less according to the extreme allowance for deflection which
it is desired should be provided for.
e is a screw which is carried in bearings c¹ in the bar c, and which passes through
one or more nuts or internally screw-threaded lugs d³ attached to, or forming part
of, the plate d, and projecting through a slot in the bar c.
The pitch of the thread of the adjusting screw e is such that, by turning the
said screw one quarter of a revolution in either direction, the sliding plate d
will be moved from its central position to the corresponding extremity of its
movement.
. I prefer to make the head e¹ of the said screw semi-circular, as shewn, and to so
arrange the said head relatively to the screw and the plate d that, when the
slot d is in its central position, the flat side of the said head will be parallel with
the arm a. Moreover I provide a projection 63 on the piece b¹ or on the barrel b,
with which projection the said head will come in contact when the sight is turned
down. By these means I provide for ensuring that, when the sight is raised, the
slot d shall be in its central position, because should the said slot be out of its
central position, when the sight is folded down after being used, the head of the
screw will strike against the projection band will thereby be turned until its
The head e of the screw. e is
straight or flat edge is parallel with the arm a.
preferably graduated on its periphery to correspond with the scale on the bar c, or
so that its divisions correspond with sub-divisions of the scale on the said bar;
and an index or pointer f is attached to the said bar to indicate the position of
the parts.
In using my improved back-sight, the plate d is, as above stated, so placed that
its slot is in line with the zero-point of the scale, when no allowance is to be made
for deflection by the wind. When it is desired to adjust the sight to compensate
for a wind blowing from the right hand side of the person using the gun, the
plate d is moved more or less to the right according to the force of the wind. To
adjust the said sight to compensate for a wind blowing from the left hand side of
the person using the gun, the said plate is moved more or less to the left according
to the force of the wind.
In some instances, I graduate the bevelled edges of the bar c and plate d like a
Vernier scale, as shewn in Figure 5, to permit more accurate adjustment of the said
plate than can be effected by the means above described.
The head of the screw e may be of any other suitable shape than that shewn.
In some cases, I make the said head circular, and graduate the periphery of the
said head in such a manner that each division thereof will represent a fourth or any
other convenient part of a division of the scale on the bar c. By these means
I provide for very accurate adjustment of the plate d.
My improved sight is very advantageous for military service as it can be easily
and accurately adjusted, and has only one guiding line for use in sighting the gun
instead of three lines as in the sights now used in the army. Moreover, by the use
of guns provided with my improved sight, an officer is enabled to give orders to
the men under his command first with respect to the adjustment of the vertically
sliding bar c to the desired elevation, and then with respect to the adjustment of
the plate d to allow for deflection by the wind, for example as follows:-" Volley
at 800 yards, 4 to the right," in which case the men, after adjusting the bar c to
suit.a range of 800 yards, would move the plate d.to the right through a distance

page_text: equal to four divisions of the scale; and the men do not require to use their own
judgment with regard to the allowance to be made for deflection by the wind.
The improved sight, furthermore, ensures great uniformity of aim, especially at
long distances, and in rapid volleys; whilst, with the sight at present in use, there.
is no time to make any uniform allowances for deflection by the wind by reason of
the number of sighting lines employed and the consequent difficulty of accurately
estimating the distance of the sighting point to be used from the centre of the
vertically sliding bar.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it understood
that I do not confine myself to the employment of the means above described for
adjusting the plate d, as other suitable means may be used for this purpose. For
example, the said plate may be so fitted on the bar c that it will require con-
siderable force to move it, a pin or stud being fixed in the said plate and projecting
through a slot in the said bar, to facilitate the adjustment of the said plate; and
I declare that what I claim is
First. In a back sight for a fire-arm, the combination, with the vertically sliding
bar having a bright or light coloured surface as above described, of a dark coloured
metal plate formed with a vertical slot and fitted to slide upon the said bar, and
provided with means for adjusting it, as, and for the purpose, specified.
Second. The combination, with the vertically sliding bar and the slotted plate
fitted to slide thereon, of the adjusting screw provided with a semi-circular head,
substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Third. The modification of my invention wherein I employ a Vernier scale, as,
and for the purpose, specified.
Fourth. The modification of my invention wherein I employ an adjusting screw
having a circular head, as, and for the purpose, specified.
Signed at Waddeton Court, Brixham, Devon, this 26th day of December 1885.