Improvements in Sighting and Laying Rifles, Guns, Machine Guns, and other Ordnance.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1889-Accepted, 19th Oct.,
1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sighting and Laying Rifles, Guns, Machine Guns,
and other Ordnance.
We, HENRY SAMUEL SPILLER WATKIN of the Wilderness Woolwich in the County
of Kent, Major Royal Artillery, and ARTHUR WELLESLEY WHITE of Pierremont,
Farnborough, in the county of Hampshire, Major Royal Artillery do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to allow of rifles and other ordnance being laid on
any object without the necessity of looking along the sights in the ordinary manner.
The method and means by which this is accomplished may be conveniently set
forth under two heads, the combination of which constitutes the main peculiarity of
this invention, namely
-
(A). Apparatus for giving any required elevation or depression to the rifle or other
piece of ordnance.
(B). The means of ascertaining what this elevation or depression should be to hit
any given object.
With regard to (A) any convenient instrument may be employed which will
indicate when the rifle or other piece of ordnance is inclined at a given angle, but
we prefer an instrument in which the unscrewing of a drum will cause a spirit bubble
to be inclined to its normal position by the amount registered on the drum. The
drum however instead of being graduated, as usual, in degrees and minutes would
bave marked upon it the ranges corresponding to the angles of elevation required for
the particular rifle or piece of ordnance employed; thus an angle of 1 degree would
perhaps be marked 500 yards another of 1 degree 10 minutes be marked 600 yards
another of 1 degree 20 minutes be marked 700 yards and so on. This instrument
would be fixed in a convenient position on the rifle or other piece of ordnance, so
that when the drum is unscrewed to, say, 800, and the piece raised until the bubble
was in the centre of its run, the bullet would range on a level plain 800 yards, and so
on for other ranges.
With regard to (B) any clinometer which will read the elevation of an object may
be employed for determining the proper elevation to be given to the rifle or other
piece of ordnance in accordance with the method about to be described, but we prefer
what is termed a mirror clinometer described in Patent No. 217 of 1884, with this
difference that the figuring instead of being in degrees will as before described for the
instrument (A) on the rifle or other piece of ordnance be graduated in hundreds of
yards or other linear units corresponding to the angles of elevation required by the
rifle or piece of ordnance employed. It is moreover advisable to mark the gradua-
tions corresponding to angles of elevation in one colour say black, and those
corresponding to angles of depression in another colour, say red. Now should the
object to be fired at be on level ground, the mirror clinometer on being directed upon
it will read 'zero' and then if the drum of the instrument (A) on the piece be
unscrewed to the mark corresponding to the range of the object, say 800 yards, the
piece if fired, when it is sufficiently elevated to bring the bubble to the centre of its
run, will have its proper elevation to hit the object at 800 yards distance. But should
the object be on rising ground or on a hill, the mirror clinometer on being directed
upon will read a certain number, say 700 (black), corresponding to the angle of
elevation to the object expressed in hundreds of yards; then should the range be
800 yards as before it will be necessary to bring the drum of the instrument (A), on
the rifle or other piece employed to 800 plus 700 that is 1500 yards and to fire when
it is sufficiently elevated to bring the spirit bubble into the centre of its run.
the object be depressed below the horizon, the reading of the mirror clinometer being
Should

page_text: say 600 (red) the drum of the instrument on the piece would have to be unscrewed
to 800 less 600 that is 200 yards, and the piece to be fired as before when the spirit
bubble reached the centre of its run.
Dated this Twenty-fifth day of October 1888
HENRY SAMUEL SPILLER WATKIN.
ARTHUR WELLESLEY WHITE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sighting and Laying Rifles, Guns, Machine Guns
and other Ordnance.
We, HENRY SAMUEL SPILLER WATKIN Major Royal Artillery, of the Wilderness
Woolwich in the county of Kent, and ARTHUR WELLESLEY WHITE Lieut.-Colone
Royal Artillery, of Pierremont, Farnborough, in the county of Hampshire 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:-
-
The object of this invention is to allow of Rifles, and other ordnance being laid on
any object without the necessity of looking through the sights in the ordinary manner.
The method and means by which this is accomplished may be conveniently set forth
under two heads, the combination of which constitutes the main peculiarity of this
invention viz.
(A). Apparatus for giving any required elevation to the rifle or other piece of
ordnance.
(B). The means of ascertaining what this elevation should be to hit any given
object.
With regard to (A) any convenient instrument may be employed which will
indicate when the rifle or other piece of ordnance is inclined at a given angle. But
we prefer for Machine guns, and for Ordnance a clinometer in which the unscrewing
of a drum causes a spirit bubble to be inclined to its normal position, the amount of
inclination being registered on the drum.
One means by which this may be accomplished is shown in Fig. 1.
A is the drum, on which a suitable scale is engraved, D E. is a spirit level, fixed
to a plate B C, one end of which is pivoted at F, the other end being pressed against
the under surface of the druin, by means of a spiral spring. The whole is enclosed
in a frame work, the under surface of which is so arranged, that when placed on a
level surface, and the drum brought to zero, the bubble of the spirit level will be in
the centre of its run.
For Rifles the arrangement shown in Fig. 2. would be the most suitable. In this a
plate A B is fixed to the rifle F. G. C is a slider capable of movement along the
plate A B.
A projecting point on this slider presses against the under surface of the
plate D.E, to which a spirit level is attached. This plate is pivoted at A, and presses
on the slider, both by its own weight and the action of a spring (shown in dotted
lines). The movement of the slider causes the plate D E and its attached level to
assume different angles to the plate A B. The position of the slides on A B, and the
curve of the under surface of D E determines the angle. The plate A B is engraved
with a suitable scale.
In both the arrangements shown in Figs. 1. and 2. the scales are not preferably
marked in degrees of angle, but with a scale of yards corresponding to the angle of
elevation, or depression required for the particular rifle or piece of ordnance
employed; thus an angle of 1° would perhaps be marked 500 yds. (or other unit)

page_text: ordnance, and so arranged that when the drum or slider was brought to say 800, and
the rifle or piece of ordnance raised until the bubble was in the centre of its run, the
bullet would on a level plain range 800 yards, and so on for other ranges.
With regard to (B) any clinometer which will read the elevation of an object with
reference to the points of observation may be employed for determining the proper
elevation to be given to the rifle or other piece of ordnance, but we prefer what is
termed a "Mirror" clinometer described in Patent No. 217 1884, or the modification
shown in Fig. 3. In this CD is a fixed scale, A a curved mirror, fixed to a light
aluminium or other metal plumb-bob A B. swinging freely in pivots at A, and having
adjusting screws at B to slightly alter (if necessary) the level, E is a sight hole (or
telescope) by means of which the object can be seen directly through the opening F,
at the same time is seen the magnified image of a portion of the scale CD. The part
viewed depends on the inclination of the mirror. When the instrument is perfectly
adjusted, the inclination of an object observed through the opening F is seen imme-
diately opposite to it on the scale." As in the case of the instrument described under
heading (A) Figs. 1. & 2. the scalo is preferably not one of degrees, but of ranges in
yards or other unit, corresponding to the angle of elevation required by the rifle or
other piece of ordnance employed. It is moreover advisable to mark the graduations
corresponding to angles of elevation in one colour (black) and those corresponding to
angles of depression in another (red). Now should the object to be fired at be on
level ground, the mirror clinometer on being directed on it will read zero; the drum
of the clinometer (or slider in the case of the rifle) or the piece of ordnance will
then be unscrewed to the mark corresponding to the range of the object say 800,
and the piece will be fired when it is sufficiently elevated to bring the bubble to the
centre of its run. But should the object be on rising ground, or on a hill, the mirror
clinometer on being directed on to it, will read a certain number say 700 (black)
corresponding to the degree of elevation of the object expressed in hundreds of
yards. Should the range then be as before, it will be necessary to bring the drum
(or slider) of the ordnance clinometer to 800 plus 700, i.e. 1500, and the rifle or
piece of ordnance, will be fired when it is sufficiently elevated to bring the spirit
bubble into the centre of its run. 'Should the object be depressed below the horizon,
the reading of the mirror clinometer being say 600 (red) the drum or slider of the
clinometer will have to be unscrewed to 800 less 600 i.e. 200 yards, and the rifle or
piece of ordnance fired as before when the spirit bubble is in the centre of its run.
We would remark that the above described methods of carrying our invention into
effect are those we have found effective but we do not confine ourselves to the precise
details herein set forth, as such may be varied without departing from the peculiar
character of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1st. The means of ascertaining the inclination of the rifle, machine gun or other
piece of ordnance, in terms of a scale of yards, or other unit, substantially as herein
shown and described.
2nd. The means of ascertaining the elevation of an object in terms of a scale of
yards or other unit, substantially as herein described.
3rd. The combination of these for laying rifles, machine guns, or other piece of
ordnance, without looking over the sights substantially as herein described.
Dated Gifts 25th day of July loo03.
H. S. S. WATKIN, Major R.A.
A. W. WHITE, Lt.-Col. R.A.
H. S. S. WATKIN, Major R.A.
A. W. WHITE, Lt.-Col. R.A.