Improved Shield or Protector for the Fore Sights of Small Arms."
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 18th Dec., 1897.
"Improved Shield or Protector for the Fore Sights of Small Arms."
We, JOHN ELSDEN MARTIN, Gun Maker, and DAVID REID, Telegraph Engineer,
both of 20 Exchange Square, in the City of Glasgow, do hereby declare the nature of
this Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to provide a shield or protector of improved
construction for covering the fore sight of Lee-Metford or similar rifles or small
arms and adapted to be fitted in position and removed without scratching or
removing blacking or other coating applied by the marksman to the face or other
part of the sight.
The improved fore sight protector is composed of two short lengths of tubing
placed concentrically one within the other and adapted to pass over the muzzle of the
rifle. The outer tube is slotted throughout its length or part of its length and has
formed on one edge of the slot a box-like cover approximating to the contour of the
fore sight but having an open side; whilst the inner tube has a like slot and upon
the opposite edge of the slot a portion of the tube is struck up or a plate is formed
or attached which is shaped to form a door or cover to close the open side of the box
on the outer tube.
The lengths of tubing are free to turn to a limited extent one on the other, and in
one position the plate or door on one tube is brought close up to the box part on the
other tube to form a close chamber which serves to enclose and protect the fore
sight; whilst in another position the plate or door is moved off from the box and
leaves an open passage which permits of the protector being slipped over the muzzle
and over the fore sight without touching the latter excepting along the edge by
which the protector is guided. When the protector is pushed home in which
position an uncut portion of one of the tubes bears on the muzzle end of the sight,
the door plate and box part are drawn together to close up the box so that the sight
is protected. When the protector is to be removed the door and box parts are again
as is
separated. The parts may be retained in either position by a spring or
preferred by slitting one of the tubes and pressing up the other so as to produce the
requisite frictional resistance to movement.
1001

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"Improved Shield or Protector for the Fore Sights of Small Arms."
We, JOHN ELSDEN MARTIN, Gun Maker, and DAVID REID, Telegraph Engineer,
both of 20 Exchange Square, in the City of Glasgow, 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 :-
This Invention has for its object to provide a shield or protector for improved
construction for covering the fore sight of Lee-Metford or similar rifles or small arms
and adapted to be fitted in position and removed without scratching or removing
blacking or other coating applied by the marksman to the face or other part of the
sight.
The Invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, fig. 1 being an end
elevation of the improved protector for the fore sights of small arms shewing the
protector open ready to be passed over the muzzle of a rifle and fig. 2 a longitudinal
elevation of the same, while figs. 3 and 4 are views corresponding respectively to
figs. 1 and 2 but shewing the protector closed as when covering the fore sight.
The improved fore sight protector is composed of two short lengths of tubing A, B,
placed concentrically one within the other and adapted to pass over the muzzle of
the rifle. The outer tube A is slotted at C throughout its length or part of its
length and has formed on one edge of the slot a box-like cover D approximating to
the contour of the fore sight but having an open side E; whilst the inner tube B
has a like slot F and upon the opposite edge of the slot a portion of the tube is
struck up or a plate is formed or attached which is shaped to form a door or cover G
to close the open side E of the box on the outer tube A.
The lengths of tubing A, B, are free to turn to a limited extent one on the other,
by means of a tongue H or screw pin on the inner tube B working in a slot I in the
outer tube A, and in one position the plate or door G on the tube B is brought
close up to the box part D on the tube A to form a close chamber as shewn at figs. 3
and 4, which serves to enclose and protect the fore sight; whilst in another position
the plate or door G is moved off from the box D and leaves an open passage J as
shewn at figs. 1 and 2 which permits of the protector being slipped over the
muzzle and over the fore sight without touching the latter excepting along the edge
by which the protector is guided. When the protector is pushed home in which
position an uncut portion, such as shewn at K, of one of the tubes bears on the
muzzle end of the sight, the door plate G and box part D are drawn together to
close up the box so that the sight is protected. When the protector is to be
removed the door G and box parts D are again separated. The parts may be retained
in either position by a spring or as is preferred by slitting one the tubes as at L and
pressing up the other so as to produce the requisite frictional resistance to movement.
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
The improved shield or protector for the fore sights of small arms constructed
substantially as described.