US320200A

US320200A - Walter winagsj

Info

Publication number: US320200A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-06-16
Anticipated expiration: 1902-06-16

Description

, (N0 -Model.)

W. WIN-ANS. v I ELECTRIC SIGHT FOR I'IRE ARMS.

No. 320,200. v1%011011000 Jun 10, 1885.-

To all whom it may concern: 3

- Ni-T WALTER wrna'n spo n nnionrou, coUNTY'oEjsUssEX, EriGL'AND.

eeec'rmc slei-ifr FOR FIREARMS.

sPncIFrcAa-IoN remeih part of Letters Patent No-L32Q200, ear guu'ne Application filed April 1, 1825. (No maul.) I

Be it known that. I, "/VALTER. WINANS, of 2: Clarendon Terrace, Brightom'inthe county of; Sussex, England,.have invented certain mew. and. improved means forfacilitating the sight; ing of fire arms in the dusk or at night, of which the following is a specification. I

:The object of tlhe present invention is to fa .cilitate the sighting {if fire-arms in. the dusk or at night. To thiseiid I adapt to the weapon an electrical front s'iglit'and preferably asmallg electric lamp in which a carbon filament is rendered incandescent by the current from an electric generator or apparatus of any-suitable kind adapted to the weapon in any convenient manner. I prefer to employ a primary battery of small size for rendering the fore sight, of Whatever character it may be, luminous by electricity, and toadapt it to the stock of the rifle, fitting it within a chamber prepared to receive it.

In the accompanying drawings Ihave shown my invention as applied to a Martini rifle by way of example.

Figure 1 is a side view of the rifle complete with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2is a.similar view, partly in section, showing the battery inside the stock. Fig. 3is arear end view of the rifle. Figs. 4and5 are frontviews on an enlarged scale of a double and single barreled rifle, respectively, with an electric front sight affixed thereto. Fig. 6 represents the sight as seen by the firer. Fig. 7 is a section through the nietal ease inclosing the' electric case I is of a form to fit around lhebarrel, and

is provided with a small clamping-screw, 7, by which it can be secured in its proper posi tion. The aperture is protected by a piece of glass, and a rellector is arranged within the case b, opposiie thereto, thus makingaminiatnre electrical bulls-eye or dark lantern of the lamp. The lamp is mounted on a spring or springs after the manner commonly practiced with respect toineandesdent lamps, and V t -is packed round with cotton .wool, horsehair, ,or. other elastic substance toprevent breakage by the concussion of the rifle on; discharge. This electrical front sight is preferably mounted upon the rifle or gun in the manner illustrated in Figs. 4 and but it might be mount, edx'in 'a horizontal hollow arinlearried by a bracket extending from one side of the barrel; but inany case the-opening in the case through which the electric light is seen should be turned-toward the .rear sight or butt of the weapon, and should-be arranged to be seen'65 just above the fixed front sight of the rifle when taking aim, in which case the leaf of the rear sight should .be slightly raised or otherwise accordingly adjusted. If the incandescent lamp clasps onto the barrel orbarrels of the rifle behind thefixed from sight, the *aperture in the metal case is best fixed at the exaet height of the topof the fixed front sight, thereby enabling the same aim to be taken as", when using the fixed sight.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, c is the battery by which the electric front sight is rendered luminous, as required, and it is eonve niently'adapted to the stock, as shown, and covered in or protected by the heel=plate f. e e are the terminals of the battery,and insulated conductors leading, respectively, to and from the electric lamp are attached thereto. gis a switch, of any suitable construction, for making and breaking the electrical circuit. The conductors are preferably laid in a groove in the stock beneath the barrel, and where they emerge from the wood are protected by a metal tube or tubes, h h. I have found a chloride-ofsilver battery to answer my purpose admira- '90 bly; but it is obvious that other batteries of small size may be used and may be adapted to the weapon or be connected with the electric sight in other ways than that hereinabove described and illustrated. A silver battery of 5 two cells or rectangular form, each two and one-hulf inches high by two and onol'ourth inches wide and one half inch thick, has been found sul'iicient for my purpose; but the shapeof the cells may be altered to suit the stock, IQO retaining, however; about the same capacityviz., some live and one-half cubic inches. In some cases the metal work of the rille may be used to form part of the conductor for the re inary bat-tery,and if a regiment of soldiers were to have their rifles fitted with electric front sights these accumulators would be charged and served out each evening. The switch 9 is fixed at a point suitable for operation by the firer in the act of aiming; but it might be c ,nnccted with the hammer or striker, so that when the rifle is at full-cock the front sight glows, and when the trigger is pulled thelight goes out. The battery or accumulator should only be ofsnch power as to make the lamp glow sufiiciently to enable the firer to seeit plainly, as,if too bright, it would preventhis seeing the object aimed at. The battery or other source ofelcetricity might be carried about the person of the shooter and be connected with the rifle by means of wires, which could be readily attached or detached.

I would remark that I do not limit myself to the use of a miniature incandescent lamp with a carbon filament as the electric front sight, as in some casesaplatinum or other wire might be rendered luminous or incandescent by electricity, or electric sparks might be caused to play between two points, in which case an induction-coil may be used in combination with the battery,orasmall electro-magnetand make-and-break device may be mounted on the weapon for the same purpose.

Having now particularly described my said invention, I declare that what I claim is 1. The combination, with the barrel or barrels of a fire-arm, of an electric front sight and a battery or equivalent source of electricity adapted to supply a current of electr cit to the said sight for the purpose of more clearly indicating the position of the trout sight and thereby facilitating the sighting ol' the weapon in the dusk or at night, Sulmlzmtlfilly set forth.

2. The combination, with the barrel or barrels ofa fire-arm, of an incandescent electric lamp elastically supported within adetachable protecting hood or case having a small aperture facing the firer, and a battery connected with the said lamp bysuitablyarranged conductors, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the barrel or barrels of a fire-arm, of a battery adapted to the stock of the weapon, a front sight capable of being rendered luminous by electricity, and conductors for conveying the current to said front sight when taking aim, as and for the purpose set forth.

\VALTER l/VINANS.

Witnesses:

- H. MONTAGUE WILLIAMS,

Solicitor, Brighton, Sussex, England. A. STANLEY BISHOP,

Solicitor, Brighton, England.