Improvements in Rifle Back-sight Covers or Sheaths.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan.. 1895-Accepted, 9th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rifle Back-sight Covers or Sheaths.
We, ALFRED GRAY PARKER, of 69 Icknield Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Rifle Implement Maker, and HENRY JOHN BROWNE, of Constitution Hill,
Birmingham aforesaid, Dentist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
Our invention has relation to sheaths or case protectors for the back sights of
Martini-Henry, magazine and other rifles, and has for one of its objects, a sheath
so constructed that the same is prevented from coming off the sight when in the
rifle cover, and another of its objects is a sheath or cover which admits of a full
view of leaf when the said cover is in position on the sight.
The sheath or cover consists essentially of a longitudinal box, gapped at its
back and having at its front, a hinged or other lid with the foot or near side
end flanged or turned down to come over the foot of the sight and so thereby to
prevent the sheath from being drawn from off it when in the rifle cover.
Thus, in carrying out our invention, the body of the sheath is made of a long,
shallow, and open topped box form, rounded and closed at the head end and open at
the foot end, and with a long and broad clearance gap formed within the bottom,
and with the sides of this box casing having longitudinal channels formed or made
within them for receiving the heads of the adjustment screws or other outstanding
side parts of the sight.
The clearance gap within the bottom is of a breadth sufficient to take over the
hinged foot attachment of the sight, whilst the box part of the sheath is of a
length and breadth sufficient to take the leaf of the sight, or that part upon which a
slide or slides is or are fitted.
The back ends of the side channels, which extend outwardly from the sides of
the box casing, are closed, whilst their other ends are open in common with the
body part.
The wall at the back or head end of the said body part is raised above the top
edges of the other part, which edges are slightly flauged or rabated, over which
rabated edges and the raised back wall as aforesaid, the boundary edges of a
covering lid, hinged to one side of the casing, comes.
The head end of the lid is sunken to receive the head of a sight, whilst the other
or tail end has an inclined or straight lip or box skirting which covers in the foot
end of the sight.
To introduce the sheath upon the sight, turn the latter downwards to the plane
of the rifle, then slip on the said sheath, when the whole becomes enclosed and
protected. To see the leaf of the sight, throw back the lid, and then to cover up
the sight again, close the lid, which is held by a snap or catch.
We wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the exact shape of
the sheath and the forms of the parts as described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of our invention.
Dated this 27th day of April 1894.

page_text: Improvements in Rifle Back-sight Covers or Sheaths.
We, ALFRED GRAY PARKER, of 69 Icknield Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Rifle Implement Maker, and HENRY JOHN BROWNE, of Constitution Hill,
Birmingham aforesaid, Dentist, 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 :-
Our invention has relation to sheaths or case protectors for the back sights of
Martini-Henry, magazine and other rifles, and has for one of its objects, a sheath
so constructed that the same is prevented from coming off the sight when in the
rifle cover, and another of its objects is a sheath or cover which admits of a full
view of the leaf, when the said cover is in position on the sight.
The sheath or cover consists essentially of a longitudinal box, gapped at its
bottom and having at its top a hinged or other lid, with the foot or near side
end flanged or turned down to come over the foot of the sight and so thereby to
prevent the sheath from being drawn from off it when in the rifle cover.
Thus in carrying out our invention, the body of the sheath is made of a long,
shallow, and open topped box form, rounded and closed at the head end and open at
the foot end, and with a long and broad clearance gap formed within the bottom,
and with the sides of this box casing having longitudinal channels formed or made
within them for receiving the heads of the adjustment screws or other outstanding
side parts of the sight.
The clearance gap within the bottom is of a breadth sufficient to take over the
hinged foot attachment of the sight, whilst the box part of the sheath is of a length
and breadth sufficient to take the leaf of the sight, or that part upon which a slide
or slides is or are fitted.
The back ends of the side channels, which extend outwardly from the sides of the
box casing, are closed, whilst their other ends are open in common with the body
part.
The wall at the back or head end of the said body part is raised above the top
edges of the other part, which edges are slightly flanged or rabated, over which
rabated edges and the raised back wall as aforesaid, the boundary edges of a
covering lid, hinged to one side of the casing, come.
The head end of the lid is sunken to receive the head of a sight, whilst the
other or tail end has an inclined or straight lip or box skirting which covers in the
foot end of the sight.
To introduce the sheath upon the sight turn the latter downwards to the plane
of the rifle, then slip on the said sheath, when the whole becomes enclosed and
protected. To see the leaf of the sight, throw back the lid, and then to cover up
the sight again, close the lid, which is held by a snap or catch.
We wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the exact shape of
the sheath and the forms of the parts as described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of our invention.
The inside of the lid may be provided with printed range tables or other shooting
information or with spaces for the insertion of the elevation of the particular rifle
to which the cover is attached.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a perspective view of a rifle
back-sight cover constructed according to our invention, and in an open position and
partly drawn from off the sight.
Figure 2 represents a like view as Figure 1, but with the lid closed and the sight
entirely covered up.
Figure 3 represents upon an enlarged scale an edge view of a sight, with the
cover (whose bottom is shown in section) in position and with the lid open, showing

page_text: the printed table in the inside thereof for indicating the difference on the
150th scale Vernier between all ranges and columns for the insertion of the
elevation of the particular rifle to which the cover is attached.
Figure 4 is a plan of the cover in position upon a sight, but with the lid, which
is shown open, in section.
'
Figure 5 shows a plan of an open sight cover, separately with the lid turned
back and in section, whilst Figure 6 is a plan of the sight placed in position for
receiving the cover.
Figure 7 is a cross section of Figure 4 upon the dotted lines X-X, whilst
Figure 8 is a section of Figure 5 upon the dotted line A.
Figure 9 is an underside plan of the casing.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
The cover, which is preferably made from sheet metal, consists of a box body
part or shell a, longitudinally gapped or formed with a clearance a¹, to admit of
the cover or sheath taking upon the leaf c, jointed at c³, and having a sight c
The opposite sides of the body part or shell are formed into half-round channels
or grooves a², wherein the overhanging ends of the sight take when the case is slid
over the leaf. The sight head c, lies in the closed end a³, of the body, whilst the
other end a is open.
Hinged at b, to one side of the body part, is a lid or cover d, with an inside
sinking d', at its upper end to receive the standing-up head of the sight, whilst the
opposite sides of the lid have shallow flanges d³, d³, the one d³, of which is slightly
curved inwards to snap over and fasten upon the lip a, upon the near side of the
body, and the foot of the cover has a lip-shaped end d, which, when the lid is
closed, overhangs or covers up the open end of the shell body part and the open
ends of the side channels or guides. e is a strengthening rib.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. A back-sight cover for rifles, consisting of a shell body part, open at its
foot end, and provided with a lid or a hinged lid, substantially as described.
Secondly. A back sight cover for rifles, consisting of a shell body part, open at
its foot end, gapped upon its bottom, and provided with a hinged closing lid,
substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this 26th day of January 1895
ALFRED GRAY PARKER,
HENRY JOHN BROWNE,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.