PITC to the Proper Angle of Elevation for any Desired Range.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 11th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
PITC
to the Proper Angle of Elevation for any Desired Range.
We, GEORGE SHEPHEARD, Army Pensioner, and HENRY FRANCIS HOLMAN, Manu-
facturer, both of Ivybridge in the County of Devon, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to guns of any size, or rifles, and it has for its object a novel
method of constructing and arranging apparatus to be fixed to the carriage of such
gun or to the stock or butt of a rifle, so that the proper angle of elevation for any
desired range may be easily and quickly adjusted either by night or day without seeing
the object aimed at.
Supposing that the improved apparatus is to be applied to the carriage of a gun of
any kind, such carriage being supported upon four wheels so that it remains approxi-
mately parallel with the ground upon which it stands, we fix to the side of the carriage
a brass or other plate or frame at the centre of which the apparatus is arranged.
This consists of an outer metal or other annular fixed circle divided and subdivided
as far as may be necessary into degrees and fractions of degrees. Inside this outer
circle is fitted a second concentric circle carrying a small spirit level, and fitting into
a groove or guide upon the outer circle so that it can be turned round by means of
a small handle suitably arranged. This inner moveable circle also carries an index or
pointer pointing to the divisions upon the outer circle.
Supposing that one degree represents the proper elevation of the gun from a distance
or range of one hundred yards, then if the carriage is upon level ground, the required
elevation for a range of any number of hundred yards will correspond with a similar
number of degrees upon the circle.
If the ground be hilly and it is required to fire up hill, the necessary number of
degrees of elevation for the required range must be added to the angle of inclination
of the hill; if for example the inclination is fifteen degrees, sixteen degrees will be
the indicated point upon the circle for a range of one hundred yards. If the

page_text: inclination is forty-five degrees, then forty-six degrees will be the indicated point for
one hundred yards range, and so on according to the character of the ground.
A very small lamp may be used for the purpose of seeing the index at night.
If it be required to fire down instead of up hill, the apparatus should be reversed
and placed upon the other side of the carriage, or two may be used. The range finder
will then work easily and correctly for any distance, either by night or day.
The improved apparatus can be used in a similar way by fixing it upon the butt of
a rifle, the indications upon the circle being made to correspond with those upon the
back sight of the rifle, but at night the latter should be placed upon a four wheeled
support or gun carriage so that it remains parallel with the ground, whether level or
inclined, upon which it stands. In such cases the plate or frame first described which
carries the fixed and moveable circles may be omitted.
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page_text: to the Proper Angle of Elevation for any Desired Range.
We, GEORGE SHEPHEARD, Army Pensioner, and HENRY FRANCIS HOLMAN, Manu-
facturer, both of Ivybridge, in the County of Devon, 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 and accompanying
drawing (that is to say):-
This invention relates to guns of any size, or rifles, and it has for its object a nove
method of constructing and arranging apparatus to be fixed to the carriage of such
gun or to the stock or butt of a rifle, so that the proper angle of elevation for any
desired range may be easily and quickly adjusted either by night or day without seeing
the object aimed at.
Supposing that the improved apparatus is to be applied to the carriage of a gun of
any kind, such carriage being supported upon four wheels so that it remains approxi-
mately parallel with the ground upon which it stands, we fix to the side of the
carriage a brass or other plate or frame at the centre of which the apparatus is
arranged. This consists of an outer metal or other annular fixed circle divided and
subdivided as far as may be necessary into degrees and fractions of degrees. Inside
this outer circle is fitted a second concentric circle carrying a small spirit level, and
fitting into a groove or guide upon the outer circle so that it can be turned round by
means of a small handle suitably arranged. This inner moveable circle also carries an
index or pointer pointing to the divisions upon the outer circle. This apparatus as
described, indicates the angle of inclination (if any) of the ground upon which the
gun carriage stands. A second similar range finder should be fixed to the gun itself, and
the degrees of elevation required should be shown upon the latter, plus or minus the
angle shewn by the first apparatus (according as the gun is pointing up hill or down
hill).
Supposing that one degree represents the proper elevation of the gun from a
distance or range of one hundred yards, then if the carriage is upon level ground,
the required elevation for a range of any number of hundred yards will correspond
with a similar number of degrees upon the circle.
If the ground be hilly and it is required to fire up hill, the necessary number of
degrees of elevation for the required range must be added to the angle of inclination
of the hill given by the range finder upon the carriage; if for example the inclination
is fifteen degrees, sixteen degrees will be the indicated point upon the circle for a
range of one hundred yards. If the inclination is forty five degrees, then forty six
degrees will be the indicated point for one hundred yards range, and so on according
to the character of the ground.
A very small lamp may be used for the purpose of seeing the index at night.

page_text: If it be required to fire down instead of up hill, the apparatus should be reversed
and placed upon the other side of the carriage, or two may be used.
The range
finder will then work easily and correctly for any distance, either by night or day.
The improved apparatus can be used in a similar way by fixing it upon the butt of
a rifle, the indications upon the circle being made to correspond with those upon the
back sight of the rifle, but at night the latter should be placed. upon a four wheeled
support or gun carriage so that it remains parallel with the ground, whether level or
inclined upon which it stands. In such cases the plate or frame first described which
carries the fixed and moveable circles may be omitted.
In the accompanying drawing which is in illustration of our invention, figure 1 is
a front view, and figure 2 a section of the apparatus.
Figure 3 shews a somewhat different arrangement of the divisions and pointer.
a is the outer divided circle, (which may be fixed to a separate frame attached to a
gun carriage) which is fixed to the side of a four wheeled carriage or to the stock of
a rifle. is the second inner circle capable of revolving freely but steadily in the
outer circle a. This inner circle carries a small spirit level c fitted and adjusted into
it, a sufficient part of the inner circle being cut away to allow the level to be easily
seen. d is the index or pointer fixed to the inner circle and e is a handle or stud by
which the latter can be turned round.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise size or shape of the frame or other parts
of the device, which may be varied and modified more or less according to the
conditions and circumstances in which the apparatus is to be used, but
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
wo claim is :-
In the improved range finder for guns or other firearms the combination of the
divided circle, the moveable circle carrying the pointer, and the spirit level, one or
more of such range finders being arranged and used, substantially as and for the
purpose described and shewn in the drawing.
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