Improvements in Sighting Devices for Fire-arms.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 18th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sighting Devices for Fire-arms.
I, THOMAS GILBERT-RUSSELL, (formerly known as Thomas Gilbert) of
Pluscardeu, Neasden, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements on the invention described in the
Specification of my former Patent No. 53 of 1884, the object of the present
invention being to provide improved means. for fixing and adjusting the disc or
screen described in the Specification of my said. former Patent.
For this purpose I provide an arm slotted or forked at the upper end so as to
form a kind of clamp into which my disc or screen can be placed in such a manner
that it will allow of the screen being adjusted, a set-screw being provided for fixing
the screen in the adjusted position.
The lower end of the arm is placed and can turn in a socket on a pivot-pin or
in a plate or bracket adapted to be fixed to the side of the stock or barrel by
screws or otherwise, flats being formed on the pivot-pin against which 'a spring in
the plate bears. This arrangement will allow of the arm carrying the screen being
raised into position for use or shut down against the side of the barrel or stock
when the weapon is not in use, the said spring and flats holding the said arm in
either of its two positions.
Instead of the arm being arranged as above described it may be adapted to slide
and turn in a socket fixed to the stock.
For double barrelled fire-arms, I prefer to make my disc carrying arm curved
outwards and upwards, the lower end of this arm being arranged to fix into a hole
drilled in the solid part of breech action or stock.
In practice have found it advantageous to make my disc or screen of vulcanized
india-rubber, leather or other suitable flexible material.
Dated this 21st day of January 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Sighting Devices for Fire-arms.
I, THOMAS GILBERT-RUSSELL, (formerly known as Thomas Gilbert) of
Pluscarden, Neasden, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, 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 relates to improvements in holders for fixing and adjusting the
dise or screen forming the subject of the invention described in the Specification
of my former, Patent No. 53 of 1884.
Hitherto some difficulty has been experienced in applying the said disc or screen
to fire-arms so that it can be readily placed, in position for use and folled up or

page_text: otherwise moved so as not to form an obstruction when out of use. Now the
object of this invention is the construction of improved holders whereby the above-
named objections are obviated.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an elevation and a plan of a portion of a rifle
of the Martini-Henry type shewing my improved holder for applying the screen
or disc thereto, the said screen being shewn in its raised position for use when
firing:
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively sections on the lines 3-3 and 4-4, Figure 2:
Figure 5. is a plan of the holder shewing the screen turned down out of use:
Figures 6 and 7 are respectively an elevation and a plan of a portion of a
Mannlicher rifle shewing the arrangement of holder I employ for applying the
screen to weapons of this type:
Figure 8 is a section on the line 88, Figure 7:
Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8, Figure 7:
Figure 9 is an elevation shewing the holder with its screen as applied to a rifle
of the Winchester type:
Figure 10 is a section on the line 10-10, Figure 9:
Figure 11 is an elevation shewing the arrangement of holder I employ in the
application of my screen to a double barrelled sporting rifle or gun :
Figure 12 is a section on the line 12-12, Figure 11; and,
Figure 13 is a section on the line 13-13, Figure 12:
Figure 14 is a similar view to Figure 11 but shewing the holder hinged so that
it can be turned down out of use:
Figure 15 is a section on the line 15-15, Figure 14; and,
Figures 16 and 17 are elevations at right angles of the holder shewn in
Figures 14 and 15:
Figures 18 and 19 are elevations at right angles of a modified form of the
holder shewn in Figures 14 to 17.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar or corresponding parts throughout
the drawings.
a is the screen which I make of suitable flexible material such as leather or
india-rubber.
The improved holder is constructed of an arm 6 divided or forked
receive the screen a which is held in the arm by a screw d which also
clamping the screen in any position to which it may be adjusted.
as at c to
serves for
the arm b
This base
In rifles of the types illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 and Figures 6 to 8
is provided with a pivot piu e carried in bearings f, fon a base plate g.
plate for a rifle of the Martini-Henry type is of a shape such that it can be
applied to the upper surface of the barrel, as clearly shewn in Figure 3, but for a
rifle of the Mannlicher type it is formed of a shape to allow of its being applied to
the side of the breech as shewn in Figures 6, 7 and 8.
By this arrangement the arm b and, with it, the screen a can be turned down out
of use over the barrel as indicated by the dotted lines in Figures 1 and 6 and in
full lines Figure 5, the screen being first turned upon the screw d into the position
shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 3. his a spring and i, i are flats shewn
upon the pivot pin e in Figure 4 and upon the arm b in Figure 8, against which
flats one end of the spring bears to hold the arm bin its upward and downward
positions, the other end of the spring being attached to the base plate g.
In rifles which have a flat-sided breech as illustrated in the Winchester type in
Figure 9 dispense with the base plate g and pivot the arm upon a pin e secured
to the side of the breech, the arm being of the shape shewn so that the screen
when turned down out of use lies on the top of the rifle barrel as in the preceding
arrangements. The arm 6 for this type of rifles is extended below the pin e as
at, a spring bearing against the edge of the said part b' which is provided
with flats i, i against which the said spring bears when the arm bis in its raised
and lowered positions whereby it is maintained in such positions.

page_text: In the double-barrelled gun shewn in Figures 11 and 12, the arm 6 is inclined
outwards and upwards and is made either straight as shewn by the dotted lines in
Figure 12 or curved as shewn by the full lines in the said figure whereby it can
be fixed in a hole in the solid part of the breech so as to carry the screen a in the
position for use. The screen is fixed in the arm b by the screw d. In order that
the arm 6 shall fit the hole / tightly, it is advantageously divided at its lower end,
the two parts being slightly forced apart so as to act as a spring. The arm is also
prevented from turning when inserted in the hole by being provided with a
tooth m which enters a corresponding notch.
In this arrangement the arm b is withdrawn from the hole when the screen is
not required for use.
In the arrangement shewn in Figures 14 and 15, the armn 6 is formed in two
parts hinged together, the lower part 62 being provided with a screw-thread_su
that it can be fixed in the hole which is correspondingly screw-threaded.
The
hinge is advantageously formed by making the upper part of the arm b with a
fork adapted to embrace the head of the part 62 and, in order that the arm b and
with it the screen a shall be held rigidly when turned up into position for use, I
advantageously provide a pin 1 having a rounded end which projects slightly
beyond one face of the head of the part 62 and enters a hole 12 in one side of the
fork. The upper part of the arm b is provided with a saw-cut b³ so as to render
the fork somewhat elastic, so that when the screen is turned down, as shewn in
Figure 14, the sides of the fork will be caused to spring apart by reason of the
hole disengaging from the pin l. When the screen is again turned up into
position for use, the hole will again engage with the pin under the spring-
action of the fork and hold the arm band with it the screen a rigid.
In some cases I dispense with the hinge in this form of holder, as shewn in
Figures 18 aud 19, the arm 6 being unscrewed and withdrawn from the hole 1
when not required for use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A holder for a sight screen comprising an arm to which the screen IS
pivoted to allow of it being adjusted, the said arm being pivoted or hinged to a
base plate attached to the rifle, or directly to the rifle substantially as, and for the
purposes, described.
2. In a holder of the kind described in the preceding claiming clause providing
the arm carrying the sight screen with a division or fork to receive the screen and
with a screw for clamping the same, substantially as described.
3. The improved screen holders for rifles or shot guns hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, 6 to 8ª, 9 and 10, 11 to 13, 14 to 17 and 18
and 19 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of October 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.