Improvements in or relating to the Sighting of Firearms or like Weapons.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Apr., 1897-Accepted, 22nd July, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Sighting of Firearms or like
Weapons.
I, CHARLES PORCHER WILSON KINDERSLEY of the Guards' Club, Pall Mall, in the
County of Middlesex, Captain Coldstreain Guards, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the sighting of fire arms or like weapons of various
descriptions, particularly rifles and other small arins which are likely to be used in
the dark.
The object of this invention is to illuminate the sights particularly of rifles and
other small arms which may be used in the dark, and 1 prefer to carry out the
invention in the following manner:-
I employ phosphorus or a preparation of phosphorus, for example luminous paint, and I
enclose this in or apply it to, glass or other transparent substance or inake some
equivalent arrangement so that the light absorbed during the day or from any
artificial source may be given off at night or in the dark. I prefer to keep the
sights as nearly as possible such as are at present in use, or if I alter them, to alter
them as little as possible.
Conveniently the light-giving agent may be arranged to present a bar of light to
the eye against which the point of the fore-sight or an equivalent indication or
interruption can be clearly seen, and in the case of the back-sight, preferably two
light portions would be provided, so spaced apart transversely to the barrel that the
whole of the luminous bar of the fore-sight would appear to lie between them, with
a slight interval between the ends of the luminous bar and the two luminous parts of
the back-sight.
The light-giving devices may be greatly varied without departing from the spirit
of the invention, and the shape and other particulars would be adapted to suit the
arın to which it is to be applied; it may be a permanent attachment or a removable
one-preferably the latter, and may be arranged with a spring or other clip or
fastening device to connect it with the gun barrel or the ordinary sight. In the case
of the back-sight it may be arranged to rise and fall with that sight.
Instead of a continuous bar it may be divided into two parts, one on each side of
the sight, and these may be arranged to slide in so that their relative positions may
be varied.
The luminous portions of the fore-sight may be globular if desired, the globe
being adjusted for sighting in the same relation to the luminous points of the
backsight, as the bar aforesaid.
The luminous sights may be used alone or in addition to or in combination with
the ordinary permanent sights.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Sighting of Firearms or like
Weapons.
I, CHARLES PORCHER WILSON KINDERSLEY, of the Guard's Club, Pall Mall, in the
County of Middlesex, Captain, Coldstream Guards, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to he
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to sighting devices advantageously applicable to fire-arms
or like weapons of various descriptions, particularly rifles and other small arms
which are likely to be required for use in the dark, its object being the illumination
of sights of various types.
Preferably the sights employed should be such as are at present in use; in any
event they should be altered as little as is possible. According to this invention a
translucent or other body coated with or containing self-luminous material is employed
for the sights, or for a back-ground against which the ordinary opaque sights will
appear very clearly. For example phosphorus or some other self-luminous material
such as luminous paint, can be enclosed in a casing with a translucent side, or can be
applied to one side of a sheet of glass or other translucent substance in such
manner that whilst protected against accidental injury it will absorb light from any
convenient natural or artificial source, to be given off at night or in dark
places.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a rifle barrel with folding back-sight and fixed fore-
sight, to which this invention is applied.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the barrel in rear of the back-sight, to
indicate approximately the appearance of the two sights, as viewed from the rear
in sighting, and to show in particular the appearance of the fore-sight as viewed
through the "gap" in the rear sight;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing separately the luminous device for use with
the back-sight according to this invention, and
Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the luminous device for use with the fore-
sight.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In the example illustrated A is a fixed fore-sight and B is a folding back-sight,
both of these sights being of a usual and well-known construction. A is a sinall
luminous device fixed upon the muzzle of the gun so that the fore-sight A will
appear in strong relief against it viewed in the darkness from the breech; this
device comprises a small quantity of self-luminous material in a sealed glass
tube A contained within a protective metal tube As, one side of which is removed as
at A in order that the luminous material may be visible through the opening. The
said opening is so formed and situated in the protective tube that when the device is
viewed from the breach the periphery of the glass tube appears at the highest
portion thereof as the upper edge of a luminous bar lying transversely to the axis of
the gun and of such depth perpendicular to that axis as to show up the fore-sight
from top to bottom and be level with the top thereof. The glass tube A2 completely
protects its luminous contents from atmospheric and other external influences, and is
itself cemented into place in the metal protective tube A3, which is secured to a spring
clip A' adapted to bold it securely in place on the muzzle of the rifle in front of the
fore-sight, which it is slotted as A to receive, in order that it may not be able to
twist laterally out of proper position on the barrel.

page_text: It is found to be important and conducive to accurate shooting that the luminous
device at the muzzle should appear as a horizontal bar of light or as two or more
luminous points disposed transversely to the axis of the weapon.
With reference now to the back-sight B, small hermetically-scaled cases B B' of
translucent material are held in spring clips B3, formed on a strip of metal B bent to
slide on and engage with the folding leaf of the sight; the form of this strip is
clearly seen in Fig. 3. The translucent devices B B are so disposed therein that
when the strip is slipped along the leaf as near to the hinge as it will go, and the
folding leaf of the sight is raised, they are presented towards the breech at a height
appropriate to the sighting for the maximum range likely to be required on night
service, and when the leaf is folded down they assume a position appropriate to a
certain shorter range, the next and shortest range being obtained by fixing the
bayonet to lower the trajectory in a manner well understood, without further
adjustment of the sights.
The two luminous cases B B' are preferably so placed apart transversely to the
barrel that the whole of the luminous portion of the device, belonging to the
fore-sight will appear to lie between thein, as in Fig. 2, with a slight interval
between the ends of that luminous portion and the two luminous parts B1 B2 of the
back-sight, and so that the tops of the three luminous portions of the back and fore
sights are brought to one level in aiming. By arranging the forward luminous bar
in relation to the two luminous parts of the back-sight in the manner exemplified,
so that all the luminous parts come to one level and narrow dark strips remain as
at C, Fig. 2, between the opposite surfaces of the luminous parts of the back-sight
and the luminous bar A viewed between them, accurate sighting is readily
achieved.
The light-giving devices may be greatly varied without departing from the
spirit of the invention, and the shape, size and other details thereof would be such as
to suit the arm to which they are applied; they may be permanent attachments or
removable ones, preferably the latter.
The fore-sight instead of being a continuous bar may be divided, and the parts
thereof may be arranged to slide in or out from each other across the gun
barrel as desired; the two luminous portions of the back-sight inay be similarly
adjustable.
The luminous devices may he used alone as sights instead of being employed in
addition to the ordinary perinanent sights.
Although this invention is hereinbefore particularly described in its application
to small arms, it may be used with equal advantage with rocket and torpedo tubes
or without a weapon, for any purpose for which a night sight or an alignment is
required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
L. As a fore-sight or as a background therefor a luminous bar or series of luminous
bodies tranverse to the line of sight.
2. As a sight or background therefor, a closed translucent easing containing self-
Juminous material.
3. A back-sight with two luminous portions disposed transversely to the axis of
the weapon substantially as described.
4. The combination with a rear sight of a luminous fore-sight or backing for
the fore-sight, so disposed that when viewed through the rear sight "gap" in sighting
it shall not appear to entirely fill the same.
5. The combination with a luminous rear sight of a luminous fore-sight or
backing for the fore-sight, so disposed that when viewed through the rear sight gap
in sighting it shall not appear to entirely fill the same.
6. In a sight a clip such as B supporting self-luminous devices such as B B

page_text: substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in Figure 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete
illuminating device for the sight substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 4
of the accompanying drawings.
CHARLES P. W. KINDERSLEY.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.