Improvements in or connected with Small Arms for Assisting to Hold the same in Firing Position.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 6th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 2nd July, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Small Arms for Assisting to
Hold the same in Firing Position.
I, EUGENIO CAESAR ABELLA, of 39, Victoria Street, Westminster, Colonel in the
Uruguayan Army, and Consul General for Uruguay, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows;
―
My invention has reference to improved means whereby a gun stock whilst held
to a person's shoulder can be supported at a point between the shoulder and the
muzzle independently of the person's hands.
According thereto the stock of the gun has hinged or jointed thereto at a suitable
point between its butt and muzzle, an extensible support or stand (hereinafter
called a stand) that can be readily turned down and adjusted in length to support
the gun from the ground in the desired firing position and can, when not required
for use, be readily turned up so as to occupy a position below and parallel or ap-
proximately parallel to the gun stock which is provided with a suitable holding
device adapted to retain the stand in the turned up or inoperative position.
To
In one arrangement there is secured to the underside of the gun stock at a
suitable point between the breech and muzzle, a fitting provided with downwardly
projecting lugs between which is pivotted so as to turn about a horizontal axis,
a tee-shaped piece the free or projecting portion of which is screw threaded.
the gun-stock there is also secured, at a point near the muzzle, the two arms of
a spring clip, which may be pivotted to the gun stock so that they can when
desired, be turned into a position parallel thereto. The stand comprises lengths,
preferably three, of tubing of suitable material, for example aluminium, fitted
telescopically one within the other, the innermost one being screw threaded at
its outer end so that it can be readily screwed to the pivotted tee-shaped part on
the gun stock and the bottom of the outer one being provided with an outwardly
extending flange to afford a suitable base for it when resting on the ground. The
lower and intermediate lengths of tubing may be slit at their upper ends and
be surrounded by clamping rings provided with thumb screws so that the several
lengths of tubing can be fixed in any desired relative positions to suit require-
ment. The arrangement is such that when the telescopic stand is collapsed, it
can be turned up under the gun-stock and its free end pushed between the arms
of the spring clip which will then hold it in its inoperative position but will
admit of it being readily turned down again into position for use.
stock may be formed with a slit to accommodate the flanged lower end of the
stand and allow of the stand coming close to the gun stock.
The gun
The stand instead of being composed of concentrically arranged tubes, may
be composed of bars arranged to slide one against the other.
To facilitate the vertical adjustment of the parts of the telescopic stand, they
may be graduated along their length. Also one of the lengths, preferably the
upper one, may be made as a screw to work in the next length, or in an adjusting
nut carried thereby.

page_text: As will be obvious the pivotal connection between the gun stock and stand
and the spring clip can be variously modified. The former may be so constructed
as to allow of the gun being turned about a vertical axis as well as about a
horizontal axis when supported by the stand. In an arrangement for this purpose,
the pivotal connection may comprise a tee-shaped piece such as hereinbefore
referred to, pivotted to turn about a horizontal axis in a frame or holder which
is pivotted to a fitting on the gun stock so as to be capable of turning about a
vertical axis.
or the Appисать,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in or connected with Small Arms for Assisting to
Hold the same in Firing Position..
I, EUGENIO CAESAR ABELLA, of 39, Victoria Street, Westminster, Colonel in the
Uruguayan Army, and Consul General for Uruguay, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: —
My invention has reference to improved means whereby a gun stock whilst held
to a person's shoulder can be supported at a point between the shoulder and the
muzzle independently of the person's hands as for example in the manner described
in the Specifications of other Applications for Letters Patent filed by me Nos.
21969 of 1896 and 4921 of 1897.
According thereto the stock of the gun has hinged or jointed thereto at a suitable
point between its butt and muzzle, an extensible support or stand (hereinafter
called a stand) that can be readily turned down and adjusted in length to support
the gun from the ground in the desired firing position, and can, when not required
for use, be readily turned up so as to occupy a position below and parallel or ap-
proximately parallel to the gun stock which is provided with a suitable holding
device adapted to retain the stand in the turned up or inoperative position.
Referring to the accompanying illustrative drawings,
Fig. 1 shows in side elevation, a gun provided with a stand according to this
invention, the gun being shown held to the shoulder of the user, and the stand
being shown in position to assist in holding the gun in a firing attitude.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation and Fig. 3 a cross section showing to a larger scale
than Fig 1, one construction of device for attaching the stand to the gun stock.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation and Fig. 5 a cross section showing a holding device
adapted to retain the stand in the turned up or inoperative position shown in
dotted lines in Fig. 1.
According to the arrangement shown in these figures, there is secured to the
underside of the gun stock at a suitable point between the breech and muzzle,
a fork shaped fitting d provided with downwardly projecting lugs between
which is pivoted so as to turn about a horizontal axis 2, a tee-shaped piece e the
free or projecting portion c¹ of which is screw threaded. To the gun-stock a
there is also secured, (Figs. 4 and 5) at a point near the muzzle, the two arms
of a spring clip f, which may be pivoted to the gun stock a so that they can when
.desired, be turned into a position parallel thereto. The stand comprises lengths,
preferably three, viz. c, c¹, c², of tubing of suitable light material fitted telescopi-

page_text: cally one within the other, the innermost one c² which may be of copper coated
with nickel being provided with an internal screw thread at its outer end so
that it can be readily screwed to the part e¹ of the pivoted tee-shaped- part e on
the gun stock a (Fig. 2) and the bottom of the outer one c (which may be of
aluminium) being provided with an outwardly extending flange to afford a
suitable base for it when resting on the ground. The lower and intermediate
lengths of tubing (the latter of which may be of copper coated with nickel) may
be each slit at its upper end e as shown to a larger scale in vertical section and
plan in Figs. 6 and 7 respectively, and be surrounded by clamping rings c
provided with thumb screws c so that the several lengths of tubing can be fixed
in any desired relative positions to suit requirement. As will be seen the arrange-
ment is such that when the telescopic stand is collapsed, it can be turned up
under the gun-stock as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and its free end pushed
between the arms of the spring clip f which will then hold it in its inoperative
position as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 but will admit of it being readily turned down
again into position for use, or of the stand being unscrewed and carried separately
in a sheath or otherwise. The gun stock may be formed with a slit at a¹ (Fig. 4)
to accommodate the flanged lower end of the stand and allow of the stand coming
close to the gun stock.
The stand instead of being composed of concentrically arranged tubes, may
obviously be composed of bars arranged to slide one against the other and held
together by suitable guides.
To facilitate the vertical adjustment of the parts of the telescopic stand, they
may be graduated along their length as indicated at c7 (Fig. 1). Also one of
the lengths, preferably the upper one 2, may be made as a screw to work in the
next length, or in an adjusting nut carried thereby, as described in my said former
specification.
As will be obvious the pivotal connection between the gun stock and stand,
and also the spring clip can be variously modified. The former may be so con-
structed as to allow of the gun being turned about a vertical axis as well as about
a horizontal axis when supported by the stand. Figs. 8 and 9 show respectively
in side elevation and cross section, an arrangement for this purpose in which the
pivotal connection comprises a tee-shaped piece e such as shewn in Figs. 2 and 3,
pivoted to turn about a horizontal axis d in a frame or holder g which is pivoted
to the fork shaped fitting d on the gun stock a so as to be capable of turning
about a vertical axis.
The pivoted stand instead of being supported upon the ground, may in some
cases be supported by its enlarged lower end in a socket piece h secured to the
waist belt of the user of the gun, as shown in Fig. 10. In this case the stand
will not need to be extended in length except perhaps to a small extent. This
mode of using the stand or support is specially suitable for cavalry.
For such use, I sometimes make the support with two lengths of tube only.
Sometimes I make the lower end of the support with a point. A person on horse-
back may rest the lower end of the support in a lance bucket or equivalent carried
by or formed with the saddle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. Providing a gun with a support or stand that is hinged or jointed to the gun
stock at a suitable point between its butt and muzzle and with a holding device,
the arrangement being such that the support or stand can be readily turned down
to support the gun in the desired position for use and can, when not required for
use, be readily turned up so as to occupy an inoperative position below and
parallel or approximately parallel to the gunstock in which position it can be
retained by the holding device, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. The combination with a gun stock of an extensible support or stand, means
for jointing the stand to the gun stock, and a holding device, these parts being
constructed and arranged substantially as herein before described with reference
to and shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive or modified as described with reference
to Figs. 8 and 9 of the accompanying illustrative drawings for the purpose
specified.
3. The combination with a gun stock of an extensible support or stand and
a joint substantially such as described whereby the support or stand is at its upper
end connected to the gun in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 6th day of April 1898.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.