US541559A

US541559A - Sight for firearms

Info

Publication number: US541559A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 1912-06-25

Description

` (No Model.)

W. LYMAN.

SIGHT F011 FIRBARMS.

NO. 541,559.l Patenfe'd June 25,' 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LYMAN, OF-MIDDLEFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

SPECIFICATION formng part of Letters Patent No. 541,559, dvat'ed June 25, 1895. Application fiiednnmy 8,1895. seriainmsstzvs; (roman.)

To aZZ witam, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LYMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middlefield, in the county of Middlesex and State of Oonnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sights for Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to anl improved sight for firearms, the object being to provide a rear Sight of extremely simple construction, which shall be capable of rapid adjustment, and ada'pted to fit the gun snugly and compactly, without projecting parts liable to engage twigs and brancheswhile being carried through thickets or underbrush.

The invention consists in the novel oscillating side lever sight pivoted to the arm, in the clamping means, and the arrangement, combination and construction of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved sight fittedV to a firearin. Fig. 2 is a lplan view, and Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation, of the same. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an end view of the clamping-nut viewed from the inner end. Fig. 6 isahorizontal section through the sight on the line X X, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a Vertical lengthwise section on the line a'z, Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a plan view of a spring-washer. Fig. 9 is a similar view of the combined indicator-arm and spring. Fig. 10 is a view of the clamping-lever. Fig. 11 shows a modification of the clamping mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a portion of the breech of a firearm, of the form known to the trade as the Marlin model of 1893, to which class of arms my. improved sight is particularly applicable.

B designates the sight lever, which is fitted against and pivoted to the flattened surface, a', on the left hand side of the breech as far forward as possible, and it should be made as long as it can conveniently be, without interfering with the operation of thehammer. For the model referred to and in most others, the form of the lever will be substantially as shown in the drawings, comprising an arm or lever proper, b', a depending clamping spur or branch 222 having a Vertical slot 173, and a sight base B4 projectinglaterally from the lever and overhanging the barrel to form a support upon which the sight C,is mounted. The forward end b of the lever is pivoted to the breech by the screw D, and a screw or Stud E is screwed into the breech through the' slot 133 in the branch 192 upon which stud is mounted the mechanism for clamping the Sight in itsv 'to permit the bodily rearward movement of the lever to conform to such configuration of the slot, the movement of the lever lengthwise being about equal to the versed sine of the arc through which the lever would swing were the slot curved instead of straight. The lever is recessed to partly receive the head of' the screw D, but such recess may be a simple circular-counterbore, as shown, provided that it is made sufficiently large topermit the lengthwise movement of the lever aforesaid. The part of the screw fitting the hole b6 is cylindrical and forms a shoulder 117 to gage the depth to which the screw may be screwed into the wall of lthe breech, a cupped spring washer being fitted on the screw under the head thereof to prevent lateral play of the lever on its pivot, the lever throughout its length fitting snugly against the fiat surface of the firearm, p The screw or stud E is also screwed into the flattened surface a' near the rear end thereof, and it hasa middle cylindrical portion e' fitting the slot b3 in the lever, and somewhat larger than the threaded inner end of the screw, thus forming a shoulder 82 which may be screwed tightly against the flat side of the firearm. Said cylindrical portion in length exceeds the thickness of the lever and projects through the slot 113, sufficiently to form a bearing for a spring g which consists of a fiat spring bar having one end coiled around to form an eye g' fitting the part e' of the screw, said eye portion being made somewhat spiral, or having its end Q2 defiected from the plane of the straight part or arm 93 of the bar whereby it is adapted to form an elastie -washer between the lever and the means for clamping the lever against its seat as hereinafter deseribed. A straight groove his fol'med in the lever at the side of and parallel with the slot Z)3 and a screw h' is serewed through the end of the arm g8 of the spring, projecting into said groove, as shown in Fig. 6, whereby as the level' is oscillated upon its pivot in operation the arm Q3 is maintained in a position parallel with the slot os, the eye g' correspondingly swivelinguponits bearinge'. Thusarranged, said arm is adapted to carry a pointer 712 litting upon it as shown in Fig. 6 and heid in place by the aforesaid scl'ew h', clamped between the head of the serew and the arm. The lever is graduated by a series of lines I in the path of said pointer to indicate the various elevations or gage of the sight O in sighting. The hole h3 in the pointerthrough which the screw passes is somewhat elongated vertieally to permit a slight adjustment of the poiuter or its arm in setting the iever in the zero position, or point blank, and a screw bg is set in the part D4, bearing upon the bl'eech, for adjusting the lever to such position.

The outer portion of the siud E is serew threaded to receive an annular nut which is received within the eye k' of a clamping level' or handle K, the nut being provided with a fiange z? on its outer end to hold the said handle in place. A series of notches g are milled on the periphery of the nut, and a set screw 73 is screwed through the rim of the eye of the clampinghandle, havingits pointed end adapted to enter the notcbes 1'3 of the nut. Thus in operation the clamping llalldle may be Set in any required position, or radial line from the stud E, and the nut clamped tirmly down upon it, by means of a screw-driver fitting the slot i* in its tlauge, after which the set serew 702 may be screwed down into one of the notches ia, thus insurin'g the proper position of the clamping handle When clamped down, which is preferably that shown in the iigures, a result that could not readily be accomplished were the nut and handle made integral. To insure the utlnost friction, the nut is made of less length than the eye of the handle, and does not impinge upon the spring g, the face of the eye of the handle only beingbrought in contact with the spring and subjected to frietional pressure. The spring g not only provides an anti rattling joint 'between the parts, but enables the clamping action of thenut to be graduated, as for instance, if the clamping handle be slightlyloosed from the position in whicll it clamps the sight level' rigidly in place, it will still hold the sight level' in position while at the same time permitting ready adjustment thereof by sufficient force exerted upon a small knob,Z provided as a thuinb piece for convenient manipulation of the Sight level' by the thulnb, and very handy in use whether the clamping handle is wholly or partially loosed. If desired the nut i' may be screwed into the eye 7a' as shown in Fig. 11 and secured by set screw, the thread of the nut serving the function of the fiange i.

Any suitable form of sight may be used in connection with the oscillating lever. For purposes of illustration I have shown a simple t'ubular sight C secured on a plate c' which is titted in a groove m on the overhanging laterally projeeting part or sight base U* of the lever, and held by a clamping serewn. The cross sectional configuration of the slot is -preferably that shown in Fig. 7, the sides thereof being inclined as shown, and parallel, that is, one forming an acute angle and the other an obtnse angle with the surface of the sight base, the side having the obtuse angle being adjacent the clamping screw, whereby said screw, having its head overlapping the plate c', will force the plate downward and laterally, by means of said inclined sides of the plate and slot, and the plate will be held in place on one side by the dovetailed form of the snrfaces in contact, and on the other by the overiapping head of the screw, thus securely holding the sigllt in place. To linlit the endwise movement of the plate, a port-ion of its edge may be cut away and the screw eorrespondingly set over into such space, as shown in Fig. 2.

The operation of this sigh'm is extremcly simple, and it may be readily and rapidly adjnsted in any position. When at pointblank, it tits the gun very snngly and has no projecting parts to catch twigs and brauches while being carried throngll the underbrnsh. It is capable of a large range of adjustment, and if desired, an auxiliary foltling Sight, as t, in Fig. 1, (shown folded back) may bel attached to the side of the lever, to be used in connection with a head or other simple form of sight attached to the side of the gun anywhere between the breech and muzzle, in the usual manner, here requiring neither to be shown or described.

The sight may readily be applied to firearms by simply dl'illing and threading two holes for the reception of the screws D and 1, and extreme accuracy is not required in laying out the said holes, owing to the lengthwise play of the level' on the serewl).

It is highly advantageous to use this sight on ritles like the Marlin model of 1893 (shown inthe drawings) which have such a long bolt action as to ,make it inconvenieut to put on a tang sight.

I claim as my invention- 1. A verticaiiy oscillating sight level` pivoted upon the side of the firearm and provided with a lateraliy pl'ojecting sight base overhanging the gun breech and having a groove transverse to the barrel and rhomboidal in cross-sectional area, in combination with a plate fitting the groove and adapted to be secured thel'ein by a elamping screw in the base bearing upon the plate ou the side opposite that which is dovetailed into the base, a sight mounted on the plate and clamp- IPO ing means for Securing the lever in Sighting position, Substantially as Specified.

2. The combination of a lever pivoted to the Side of the firearm and provided with a v'laterally projecting Sight base overhanging the gun breech, a Sight mounted thereon, a

Stud Secured in the firearm and projeoting through a Slot in the lever, and a clamping nut on Said Stud for clamping the lever in different sighting positions.

3. The combination of a vertically oscillating Sight lever pivotally mounted at the side of the firearm, suitably slotted for movement upon a clamping Stud and having'a laterally projecting Sight base overhanging the breech a Sight mounted on Said base, athreaded Stud mounted on the firearm and projecting through Said Slotted part of the lever, and a clamping nut received upon the outer end of the Stud, and adapted to clamp and hold the lever in various sighting positionS,aS and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of a'vertically oscillating Sight lever pivotally mounted at the Side of the firearm having a depending slotted Spur, and provided with a laterally projectiug Sight base overhanging the breech, a Sight mounted on saidv base, a threaded Stud mounted at the side of the firearm and projecting through the slotted Spur of the lever, a clamping nut mounted upon the projecting part of Said Stud, and a clamping lever or handle rotatively adjustable on Said nut, Substantially as and for the purpose Specitied.

5. The combination of a vertically oscillating Sight pivotally mounted at the Side of the firearm having a depending Slotted Spur and provided with a laterally proj ectin g Sight base overhanging the breech, a Sight mounted on Said base, a threaded Stud mounted at the Side of the firearm and projecting through the Slotted Spur of the lever, a clamping nut mounted upon the projecting part of Said Stud, a clamping lever or handle rotatively adjustable on said nut and an indicator mounted on a part fixed to the firearm, the lever being Suitably graduated with reference to said indicator, substantially as and for the purpose Specited.

6. The combination of a vertically oscillating Sight pivotally mounted at the Side of the firearm, comprising a radial arm, a laterally projecting Sight base overhanging the breeoh, and a spur Slotted transversely to the radius of the Said radial arm, a Sight mounted on Said base, a threaded Stud mounted at the Side of the firearm and projecting through the slot of the lever, a clamping nut mounted upon the projecting part of Said Stud, a clamping lever or haudle rotatively adjustable on Said nut, and an indicator or pointer mounted upon the Said Stud, the lever being Suitably gradnated with reference to Said pointer, sub- Stantially as and for the purpose Specified.

7. The combination of a vertically oscillating Sight pivotally mounted at the Side of the Vfirearm, comprising a radial arm, a laterally projecting Sight base overhanging the breech, and a Spur Slotted transversely to the radius of the said radial arm, the Slot thereof being substantially Straight, and the lever being adapted to radial movement on its pivot o or` respondingr to the deflection of the oscillation) of the lever from movement in the arc of a circle, due to Said slot being Straight and uncurved, a threaded Stud mounted on the firearm and fitting Said slot in the lever, a clamping nut received upon Said Stud outside of the lever, and adapted to clamp or Secure the lever in place, an indicator arm ptvotally mounted on Said Stud, and guided on the lever to remain Substantially parallel with the slot thereof, as the lever iS oscillated uponits pivot, the lever being Suitably grad uated with reference to the indicator to denote the range of firing, Substantially as and for the purpose Specified.

v8. The combination of a vertically oscillating Sight pivotally mounted at the side of'the firearm oomprising a radial arm, a laterally projeoting Sight base overhangingthe breech, and a Spur Slotted transversely to the radius of the Said radi'al arm, the Slot thereof being Substantially straight, and the lever being adapted to radial movement on its pivot o orresponding to the defiection of the oscillation of the lever from movement in the arc of a oirole, due to Said Slot being Straight and uncurved, `a threaded Stud mounted on thefirearm and fitting Said Slot in the lever, a clamping nut received upon Said Stud outside of the lever, and adapted to clamp or Secure the lever in place, an indicator arm pivotally vmounted ou Said Stud between the lever and clamping nut, the eye thereof comprising a convolution of a coil and being elastic and adapted to Serve as a Spring to press the le-' ver frictionally against the side of the firearm, and the outer end of the indicator arm being held and guided on the lever to remain Substantially parallel with theslot thereof, as the lever is oscillated upon its pivot, the lever being Suitably graduated with reference to the indicator to denote the range of firing, Substantially as and for the purpose Specified.

WILLIAM LYMAN.

Witnesses:

GoRDoN S. GooDRIoH,

' LOUISE A. DURRENBERGER.

IOO