US658287A - Sight for ordnance. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Sept. I8, |900.

L. K. scoTT.. SIGHT FDR ORDNANCE. (Application led Dec. 29, 1897.)

5 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

lIlII IIIIIIII llllll lllll Patented Sept. I8, |900.

L. K. SCOTT.

SIGHT FORv RDNANCE.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 1897.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No' Model.)

No. 658,287. Patented sept. la, |900.

L. K. scoT'T.

SIGHT FOR DRDNANCE.

(Application led Dec. 29, 1897.) l (No Model.) v 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

No. 558,287. Patented Sept. I8, |900.

L. K. SCOTT.

SIGHT Fon onnNANcl-i.

(Application led Dec. 29, 1897.)

(No Model.)

Wzinesses L. K. SCOTT.

SIGHT FOB OBDNANCE.

(Applicatog filed Dec. 29, 1897.)

Patented sept. la', |900.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

UNITED STATESv PATENT CFFICE.

LoTHIAN KERR scoT'r, or FARNnonoUGH,'ItNet-.Atil1-` SIGHT FOR ORDNAENCE'.

SPECIFIGATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 658,287, datedseptember 18, 1900.

' Application filed December 29, 1897. Serial No. 664,263. \No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, LOTHIAN KERR SCOTT, lieutenant-colonel, lat-e Royal Engineers, a subject` of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Forest Lodge, Farnborough, in the county of Han ts, England, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in 'and Re- Y lating to the Sighting ot' Ordnance, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. '159, dated January 3, 1894,) of which. the vfollowing is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in sights for ordnance.

The object of my saidinvention iste construct a sight which is of such a nature and is so combined with the gun that all that need be done when laying the gun is to bring the 'line of sight upon. the object aimed at, no matter at what range the object may be, which sight when turned with the gun eiects automatically theadjustment required for range, provided that an initial adjustment, accordingl to the posi-tion of the gun, is. properly made. The said sightserves also as a rangeindicator.

employment of such a sight would render night tiring at nio-ving objects-illuminated by the electric light not only eas'y but eective,

for in its use there is no time lost in rangeiinding and inadjusting the sightfor elevation by hand, for no such operation is needed,

and, moreover, it would tend to result in the quickening of accurate lire from a group of guns-and when necessary would supply each gun with the means of its own independent self-defense.

- Iii-'order that my invention. may be clearly understood, l will now proceed todescribe the vt-aken on the line 1 1, Fig. l.

It is a very important feature of 'the sight4 that by its special construction it' '2, A is part ofthe carriage. f B is' one trunnion of the gun, resting in a same, with reference, by Way of example,to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein I Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of one form of sighting apparatus constrilcted according to my invention and of as much of a gun-mounting as is necessary for.

the purposes of explanation; and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same at right angles to Fig. l. Fig. 2a is a section through the telescope,

Fig. 2b is a section onl line 2 2, Figl 1, omitting the wheels P Q', the segments P? Q2, and the plate D2. Fig. 3. is a side elevation of a ymodiiiedconstruction of the sighting apparatus. Fig. 4 is a detail-sectional view showing more clearly the-rangecurvev employed in this modification. Fig. 4, is a section taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 4. Fig. 4b isa-detail side elevation of the scale shown in Fig. 4. Fig. '5 is a trans- Verse section on the line l l ot' Fig. 4:. Fig. 6

,is a part-sectional view showing a modifica-A tion of the sighting apparatus. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing the traveler made adjustable and hereinafter explained. Fig.

8 is a sideelevation of a modified construction of theautomatic sight-elevating gear shown in Fig. 3'.

Like letters of reference indicate'similar parts throughout the drawings.

Referring llibre particularly to Figs. 1 and bearing on the carriage.

C isthe cap of the bearing. D is a frame secured to the trunnion.

' D' D are bracketswhich extend from the fraxne D'.

E is a tube graduated externally, closed at. the en d by suitable caps and held in jaws formed in thebrackets D lin :aposition parallel to the axis of the gun. l can 'be turned in the brackets'about its own axis.

E isa worin-wheel iixed upon the tube E. and F is a worm journaled in one of the brach'- ets D.' and geared with the worm-'wheel E F'is amilled'head whereby the worth F' `can be' rotated` to t'urn the'tube E in the jaws of. the-brackets,

G is a hollow sliding rack provided with y teeth G', :which pass through a slot E2 in the The said tube IOO tube E. lt is closed at one end'by the plug G2 and is movable endwise in the tube and provided with projections G3, which extend through a slot ES side by side and have a roller G4, hereinafter termed a travelerj jonrnaled between them fora purpose hereinafter speciiied. The roller may, if desired, be dispensed with and a projection from the hollow rack employed instead.

il is arod iixed centrally in the hollow..

slight endwise movement in the bracket during recoil, so that the-spring may lessen the eiicect of the'shock upon the sighting ap` paratns. The spring l encircles vthe rodv H, which serves to prevent itfrom buckling eX- cessively. Moreover, a spring I is placed around the rear end of the tube between the rear cap thereof and the rear bracket to assist in neutralizing the shock of recoil.

E" il are slotted cheeks which extend down* from the tube E and are connected by a crosspiece for a purpose hereinafter' speciied.

lJ is a telescope having an internal pointer and an internal adjustable -scale for lateral defiection, asis well understood. It is hinged at J to the tube E and is fitted with a crosslevel J2 and a longitudinal adjustable level J3, which can be operated in a vertical plane by the interaction of the spring J1v and adj listing- Screw J5.

K is a canrplate, hereinafter referred toas a range-curve. It is firmly held in lugs-J6 on the telescope J by the screws J, so that it cani be replaced by other range-curves of different curvature, as maybe desired.

A pin J7 projects from each side of the ob ject-glass end of the telescope and is guided :in the slots of the cheeks E4. rlJhe telescope can be adjusted n01u-automfatically between the cheeks- E about its hinge J', if desired, by means of the adjusting-screw J1", the ob- -jectglass end of the telescope being thus raised or lowered and the angle through which v,it'passes being read by means of a scale Jn' on one of the cheeks El and a Vernier :.112 on the telescope. The' screw J 1.0 is removed when the sight is used automatically, or in the apparatus shown in Fig. It the guide E5 may be graduated and Vernier' on the frame k3 raised or lowered on the scale thus formed by means of a screw socket or nut .ss and a screw s, fixed vto the frame 7c3 and engaging with said socket or nut to eect the same purpose. In this vmanner the telescope can be used as an ordinary sighting-telescope, as is well understood by artillerists.

JA isa spring attached to the telescope and arranged to bear upon the cross-piece E5 to press the telescope upward to keep the edge of the range-curve K between the projections Gra and' in close contact with the traveler G 7o or such contact can-be insured-byl over balancing the telescope'when using the construction-shown in Figs. and 4. 'The anglecontained between the axis of` lthe .telescope J and that of the tube E corresponds with what istechnically called in gunnery the sight angle' of eleVation-'that is to say, the i angle made by the line of sightwith -the aiiis ofthe gun-sand its amount is governed byv the movement of 'the'roller'alonl, the range- 8o curve, which curve iscalculated for the height of the horizontal axis of the gun above sea-level and is preferably ixed, as aforesaid, to the upper side ofthe telescope.'v The roller or traveler Gr4 is moved along the tube 85 E when'theelevating-gear ofthe gun is operated by gea-r hereinafter described, which is operated by the movement of the gun-tron nion relatively to thev gun-carriage and which is adapted to multiplythat movement in order 9o to'render the adjustment and indications of the-Vdevice less minute than would otherwise 'be' the case.

'The arrangement of the gearing whereby thesights are laid automatically in the move-. ment of the .gu-n will now be described.

'L is a slotted-arc fixed to the gun-mounting.

- M is a segmental rack adjustable i'n the slotted arc L.

"N is a block which-is normally kept, by *rec means'oi"4 a spring".` N, in 'contact with a cam 0, pivoted inthe arc and adapted to bear on the block- N to depress the lat-ter and cause the spring N tobear with suicient pressure on thev rack M to clamp it. in any position. t.o` :o5 which adjusted Vin the arc. Any suitable clamping. device may be usedin lieu of the cam O. The lever-arm of the cam' is elastic, so as to spring'inro place behind a stud AL at. one extreme of its movement. f irc;

Where the gnn-platforl-n .is permanently level, the rack M need lnot be made adjustable, but can be permanent ly fixed to the c arriage.

`Pand Q are non-rotatable' spindles sup- 115 ported in the upper. part of thelframe Dand in the frontv plate D2, frm-in'g part thereof. Upon the spindle P are journaled the wheel P and segment`P2, which arein one pieceor .i l are otherwise firmly secu red together.

the spindle Q are journaled thewheel Q andV the segment Q2, which also are fixed together.

The wheel P gears into the rack M, the seg-` ment P2 gears into the wheel Q', and the seg ment Q2 gears into the 'rack G. r;-

R is a nut screwed ontothe vspindle Q and lprovided with a-handle R', whereby it can be operated to move the spindle end wise to jamv the wheel Q' and segment Q2-against' the in-y ner face ofthe plate D2 to prevent themfrom 13o rotating when it is desired to lock the train of gearing.

0n moving the gun by means of the clevat'- ing-screw the movement of the train of gear- -ing P' P2 Q' Q2 with the trunnion will cause the Wheel P to be rotated by reason of its movement over the stationary rack M, whereori movement will be communicated from the 5 wheel P', throughthe multiplying-gear P2 Q' Q2, to the sliding rack G', which will move the traveler Gr4 along'the range-curve K to permit the telescope J to be. adj usted b'y the spring J8 at-snch angles to the tube Ev that the line point at which the fire of the gun in its corresponding position happens to be directed.` In other words, the traveler and the rangecurve coact to determine the sight-angle for each range, so that when the telescope is directed upon a target in the manner hereinbefore specied the requisite elevation will be given t0 the gunto enable it to hit that tar- 2get. A convenient indication of the range is aorded at any moment by the positionof the l traveling with regard to the graduated tube E and the graduated range-curve. Thus under the conditions specified the apparatus is t vremain level at that place.

l Aing across the line of fire.

fis"

' the longitudinal level must., be leveledby. `el@rating odepressing. the gun by? the ele-.I

.a range-finder, as .well as a sight.

With apparatus constructed and arranged in the manner hereinbefore specified irregularities in the level of the racers of the platform -can be readily corrected in a manner Vwhich will now beexplained. Transverse inequalities are lcorrected by means of the crosslevel J2'on the telescope, which is leveled by rotating the tube E, and thereby insuring the verticality of the sight. Longitudinal inequalities are corrected as follows: The gun is h'rst traversed to a position where the racers have been ascertained to be level' This is retransversely and longitudinally. vcorded by attaching a level permanently to the gun-carriage in such a manner that its bubble'will be central so long a's the racers The range-curve is calculated or is shaped by actual practice in accordance with the datum height of the gun. Consequently the axis of thelgun .will have When the carriage is properly adjusted the correct elevation to hit any one of the ofthe cam O, whereupon the gun should.

be pointed injthe direct-ion Vand in advance -of the target, assuming the latter to be mov- When the gun is thus pjointedlevel both the levels it' they have-been put out of le've'lfby the uneven -Dessof the racers. The cross-level must be leveled-by turning the tubeE, as before, but

of sight at any inst-ant is directed upon the'A vating-gear. By this means any quadrantal y elevation lost or gained by the axis of the gun in its transit along the racers, as shown by the disturbance of the bubble of the longitudinal level, will lhave been compensated for. After these adjustments tocause the sight` to act automatically reclamp the segmental toothed rack of the gun and unclamp the train' P P2 Q Q2. "lhen the cross-wires of the telescope are'bronght onto the target by the elevating-,gear of the gun, whereby. the proper elevation will have been given to the axis of the gun to enable it to hit the mark in spite of'any previous loss or gain of quadrantal elevation which' `may have resulted from irregularities of the racers, as aforesaid.

It' the gun is employed against a floating target, the telescope should belaid on` the wa`- ter-line of the target by the elevating-gear of the gun, or'if the tide be below the datumlevel to which the range-curve is calculated the line of sight should be laid on apoint above the water-line. Now level the cross` level J2 by turning the tube E and level the longitudinal level by its own screw. The leveling of the longitudinal level at thisl stage supplies the datum level orlevel of reference foi-.checking and correcting, if necessary, thequadr'ant angle of the gun for the succeeding shot, for the sameor any other positionvof the gun-carriage on the racers, and it obviates the necessity for retraversing to the original datum position on the racersv on each occasion. vI can compensate for the rise and fall of tide in one of three ways-that is to say, by mechanically -increasing the sight angle of elevation given, automatically to the telescope by the movement of the rolleralong IOO the range-curve, raising or lowering for this.. J. purpose the cross-wires of the telescope up l or down a vertical scale therein, or by supplying different range-curves made inter.-

changeable'upon the telescope, for instance,

in a series on a rotatable collar, or by using -only one range-curve, which has been calcu-. lated for high-water level, and by directing thetelescope above instead of on the waterline of the target for a lower tideto such an extent as is taught by the experience of practice.

My improved sight caneither beused to act' automatically, as described above, or-by turning the elevatinglscre'w of the gun -and so moving the roller to zero lonthe rangecurve, then clamping the'trainof gearing in the position it then assumes and u'nclamping the segmental toothed rack from the car-v riage it can beused in conjunction with a. graduated a'rc or spiral, like lthe" ordinary and well-known Scott telescopic sight, and can IIS izo

be given by hand tfhe 'requisite sight `or clinometer elevation for ranges communicated Insteadof the stationary rack-and the gear.

hereinbefore referred lbflf may employ a penably carried by tube E'an'd becomingopf erative to lmove the ltraveler at a suitable vated or depressed.

rate along the range-curve -as thc gun is elel will now refer to have shown the apparatus somewhat modified. In this case the telescope J' isarranged above the rack G and is pivoted at its forward end to the frame e, which is equivalent to the hollow tube E referredA to in Figs. 1

and 2, and contains the sliding rack G. The range-curve is situated below the telescope J an'dlis constructed in a different manner to the range-curve K, as will be hereinafter des'cribed. The slotted arc L instead ot' being arranged above the trunnion is situated below it, and instead of being 'attached to the Vmounting is attached to a collar l, elnbracing the trunnion B, such collar being provided 1 with an arm Z', the end of which projects between two elevating-screws S S' ,for the purpose hereinafter stated.

'The telescope 'J is provided with a vertical scale Jrs, up and down which the pointers or cros`s-wires can be moved by turning the milled head J1 for the purpose of compensating for the rise orv fall of tide,l as previously referred to.

ranges and burst before striking such talrgets. These principles havealready been contemplated in the foregoingdescription,V

although they have not been specially'mentioned, and may be statedv as follows: First, the platformA on which the gun rests must be absolutely level; second, the height of A the axis of thetrunnionvofthe gun above the horizontal plane must be constant, and, third, the explosive employed with thegun must be of uniform and constant strength.

As a matterof fact the platforms for heavy guns as a rule are not absolutely level, and if made so at the time of their construction they rapidly, get out of level from continued firing, `and where the guns are for coast defense the `rise ,and fall'of tide will prevent the height ofl the axis of the gun above the horizontal plane remaining constan t, and the explosives employed usually deteriorate by keeping. Therefore an automatic sight to be of any value for:

sighting a gun which has not a level platform must Aembodyin itself mechanical principleswhich can eliminate automatically as far as possible theerrors in shooting caused by the inaccuracy in laying dueto want of level in the platform, and such automatic sight must also vhave the mechanical power of connectving,: tutomatically the variation yin the ,shoot- Figs. 3 to '5, wherein I' them, special reference being had to Figs; 3

fthe, right and Ashort of Vthe target.

ing, du'e to variations in the height ofthe axis of the guns trunnions above the level of the sea, owing to the rise and fall of the tide, and valso have Imechanical means for correct# Aing the varying strength of the explosive.v

To make -an automatic sight (withor'withj out telescope) for a gun on a perfectly-level platform isa .far easier matter thanto make one for gunl on an un'level platform.- The' fact of' the gun-platform' being absolutely level would lremove a considerable complica.

tion in the construction of an automatic sight but there still remains the difficulty of providing themechanical means for correcting the sighting for 'rise' and fall of the tide and -other errors which must be common to allsuch sights when used'for tiring tosea from land positions.

y In my present construction of sight I lhave preferred to provide mechanical means for` correcting all errors in 4shoot-ing dueto unlevel platforms and to .varying heights ofthe axis of the trunnions above the sealevel,'ow-4 ing to rise and fall 'of the tide, which gives the sighta complicated appearance; butgif the causes o'f error in the shooting do notexist it stands to ,reason that the mechanicalv complications for their removal will be also correspondingly reducedl and that the required sight will assu mev a more simple form. In order tolexplain the value andthe Working of my invention, I Will enu'merateihe errors in shooting caused by irregularity in the level ofthe platform and by a varying height ofthe axis of 'the trnnnions abovel the sea in the case of coast-batteries and how to remedy Errors (7l-ue to "'regularz'tcs 'in the level'of the pZcfform.-The platform maybe trans-v loo versely or longitudinally inclined, or'both.'

Where the platform is inclined to the right,

the sights'will be inclined. to the,V right, 'and the gun when laid by the sight'will carry to therefore an error inthe direction and in the range. To remedy these defects, the sight must be made eapableof angular movement so as to assume va truly-vertical position.

This is accomplished in Fig. 3 by construct'- ing the tube e, to which the telescope is .piv-

otedat J', Withend trunnions e', Working in bearings d', one of said trunnions being fur- .-nished with a toothed are e2, with .which a Worm e3 engages, the said worm having a milled head e4 for enabling it to be operated.

Byt'urnng the said milled head thev sight can be brought into the desired Vertical posit-ion, whichvwill be indicated by the crosslevel J 2.

/Vhen thel platform is inclined longitudinally-1l. e., dips to the front or rear-the gun rwhen traversed will assume diiferent quadlrantal elevations vautomatically and quite independently of the elevatingfscrew of the gun, which at the same time-Works the sight- There is IIO ,11.5 abontan axis parallel to the axis of the gun, y

- rected before the automatic laying of the gun by means of the range-curve can be begun. This isleected by providing the supplementary elevating-screw S beneath the ordinary elevating-screw S of the gun, which enables the automatic sighting apparat us and the gun to be elevated or depressed together without in any Way altering the angle between the sightingvapparatus and the axis of the gun, or, in other words.with0utsetting in motion the trav` eler Ghon which the range-curve rests. This is arrived at by fixing the segmental rack M to the collar I, which is arranged around the trunnion Bsof the' gun, fitting it well, but loosely. This collar has an arm F, which eX- tends as far as the ordinary elevating-screw S ofrthe gun and below it. This arm 7', with the elevating-screw, rests upon and is supported by the supplementary elevatingscrew S', which when turned raises or lowers thel arm I and the guntogether, thereby correcting any -lalterations in the quadrantal elevation of the gun due to dip in the platform without disturbing the automatic sighting apparatus.` This arrangement of the segmental rack M and thcollar with its arm l located below the ordinary elevating-gear, is very advantageous, because in the event of the trunnions jumping on -shock of discharge theraek Maud the gear-wheels connected therewith jump together, and consequenjtly are not likely to get out of gear with each other. 1 The said elevating devices S S'- are each composed of a nut s, receiving screwed spindles s s2, which are oppositely threaded,the screw s' of the upper elevating device being hinged at s3 to the gun and the screw s2 thereof being hinged to the arm I at s. 'lhe screw s' of the' lower elevating device is also hinged to the arm at si, and .the screw s'l thereof is hinged to the carriage at 35.

The aforesaid so-called automatic alterations which should not take place in the quadrantal elevation of the gun by traversing a pivoted gun across an unlevel platform are automatically indicated either by a telltale leveljs, attached to the sight itself, or by a cross-level Z2 and longitudinal level Z3, set at right angles to each otherin a hingedframe,

suitable means beingprovided for adjusting the said levels. The levels are attached to the arm l' of the collar to which the rack M is fixed, the longitudinal level being parallel to the axis of the gun. depression has been given to the gun, from which the rest of the range-curve for that position has to be calculated, as it were, from zero, these telltale levels are fixed in position with their bubbles in the center of the tubes, theone for thesight itself being preferably located on a curve-platej2, pivoted at J' to the same center as that ot the rangecurve, and the other being preferably adjustably attached to the movable arm l', as al- When the maxim um ready stated. The curve-plated'2 of the telltale IevelLj3 is actuated by a roller j", working on the same spindle as that of the traveler G4 and parallel to it. Such curve should be of a form that the bubble will remain in the center of the level during the movement of the gun from its maximum depression to its highest angle ot' elevation, and the level must be parallel to the axis of the stun.

lf the bubbles of the longitudinal levels do vnot remai n in their center during the traverse IFor instance, the curve constructed for a gun two hundred feet above the sea at high tide will not be accurate for two hundred and ten feet above the sea at mean tide, because when thegun receives elevation by the elevatingscrew the telescope is automaticallydirected b v the traveler on the point which should be struck by thesh-ot at any given elevation of the gun. When the target is seen by the telescope at high tide and therange-curve of the telescope is iliade for high tide, it will be struck by the shot;'but il' the target be seen at mean tide ten feet lower with the same elevation given to the gunthe target'witl not be struck, because the target. in order to be seen by the telescope must be farther oli. The true way to correct this error with accuracy and automatically is to change or alt-erthe curve to suit the rise and fall of tide. 'lo admitof this,-I make the range curveadjustable to suit any height above thehorizontal plane. For this purpose I construct the range-curve of a series of movable parallel blocks or teeth k, ea'ch furnished with a screw-stem lc.' at one end to enable them to be adjusted by screwnuts'k2, working in the frame ksabove the curve. By these means I can set -the said teeth into any desired .position to form a curvelOO llO

at their free ends suitable to the altering height abovethe horizontal plane at any time ottide. V'Ihe free ends of these teeth are bridged over by a 'flatspring lo" or other suitable means, .such spring being sufficiently thick vto prevent any indentation between the teeth from the weight ofthe telescope and curve above-that is to say, it is sufficiently strong to act as a counterpoise and reduce, as required, the pressure on the traveler underneath, .so as to enable the spring I,

which acts on the traveler G4, to have suliicient power to keep the teeth of the rack (on keep the two in continual contact and avoid its return journey) against the teeth of the pinion Q2 of the multiplying-geat-and thus nuts lcz'hy a'snitable tool.

t he traveler G4.

f loss of time.l The aforesaid teeth are ad jnsted in the example illustrated` revolving the I may, however, employ any other suitable ineans for' adjust.- ing the said teeth.

Instead of constructing the curve ot' a series ot' vteeth alterable at will, as aboVestat-ed, several interchangeable ready-made curves ot different curvature could be employed for attachment to the curve-frame.

When the platform is transversely inclined and the sight correspondingly inclined, the traveler, actuated by the elevating-screw,

-will arrive at the range on the curve ot' thetelescope before l-hegun has actually received the eleva-tion to hit it; but if `the sight be tu rned into a vertical position to correct there will still remain a slight error in range, which can be rectied by correcting the angle he` tween the axis otv the telescope and that ot' the gun by turning the milled headJ14of the telescope, and th us altering the position ofthe pointers on the vertical scale in the telescope. (See Fig. 4a.)

Owing to having to adapt this automatic system of sighting todiierent gun-mountings and for other reasons it might be necessary lo modify the general mechanical ar rangement of'its different parts and at the same time to Imaintain in their entirety or otherwise, according to the platform, the theoretical principles` considered vnecessary for the correct working of an automatic sight for coast-batteries and for quick-firing guns.

Such being the case, I will describe the modi! ot' advantage io adopt.

It inigh t. bc necessary to have a longer rangecnrve. The possiblelength of the range-curve is regulated by the maximum movement of At the trunnion of the gun the vertical movement ofthe axis of the gun in elevation is the least and at the breeclnof the gun it is the greatest. It is evident, therefore, that if I apply to the multiplying-gear in its present posit-ion a movement corresponding to a ten-degree arc at thebreech iications that might become necessary or be instead ot' a ten-degree are close to the axis ot' the lrunnion of the gun I shall get a correspondingly-increased movement of the traveler, and consequently a very much .longer curve would becoineavailable and would of course give much larger graduations foreach An arrangement of thisl k'ind is shown in Fig.

8,in which thesightisatiached to thetrunnien of the gun and operated ina similar manner to the arrangement shown in Fig. 3. In thisl figure, however, the segment,range-curve, and traveler are replaced by thel cam Q2, which constitutes the' range-curve and upon which the telescope-bracket rests. hinged at J', as previously described, and when the automatic sight-elevating screw is operated the cam is caused to move about the pivot Q, as the gun is elevated or depressed,

4and so give the necessary adjustment for range.

Second rrtoflijcoztion.l I fthe plalform is perfecllg/ let-el, here is no need of a leveling-screw for the sight nor 0j' ct supplementary elevatingscre-w,'rangecurvejmoeler,multiplying-gear,

and for Short ranges a telescopic will not be requirccl.-'-In thisY modification a tangent-sight or back.sigl1t is only necessary to be raised and lowered, sothat the line ot sightwill point on the target as soon as the gun has got the elevation required to hit it.

The telescope is Referring to Fig. 6,the adjustment for ranger is given byl the direct action-ot an automatic sighting gear- Wheel `upon the ordinary tanl gent-sight of the gun through the intermediary of an inclinedy plane or screw const-itutingthe range-curve. A* is the breech end of the gun. The elevating-screw is divided into two parts-viz.,a vlower part SQ forming the ordinary elevating-screw and operated by the ordinary elevating gear-wheel s3, and an upper -part by means of which the gun can be elevated or depressed andvat the same time the necessary adjustment ot the sight for range be given. 'Ihs screw s2 is pivot'ed to the gun at nza-nd is operated by the screw-sleeve and hand-wheel s.- The upper end of thev screw s' is provided with an annular groove S5, and a smooth part at the lower end of the sleeve s tits over the upper end of the screw s' and is retained, so as to be capable of rotating thereon, by means of screws s6, which pass through the sai'dfsleeve and project into the groove S5. K is an inclined plane or screw fixed to the upper surface of the hand-wheelcarried by the sleeve .s and constituting the rangecnrve. el is a tangent-sight of ordinary constructioncar- ICO ried in a sleeve fixed to the gun and capable of moving vertically through said sleeve, and

c7* is a roller pivoted to the end of said tangent-sightand normally kept in contact with the range-curve K by gravity. .S7 isaspring situated between the screws s' and s2 to take up any possible backlash. clinometer-level lot' ordinary constructibn suitably attached to the gun. Upon turning the elevating screw-wheel s3 the gun will be elevated or depressed without'giving any adjustinent to the tangen-teight for range; but upon turning` the elevating gear-wheel carred bythe sleeve s the gun will be elevated or depressed and at the saine time thc neces- RX is a graduated sary adj ustment ior ,range given (through the medium of the range-curve K) to the tangentsight.

In order to provide means for altering at .will the an'gle between the axis ot` gun and the axis of telescope independently of those provided by the elevating-screw of the gun, the traveler may have a sliding'movement given -to it in the direction of the curve to the right and le'tt of the zero,*as shown in Fig. 7, Where (Si4l is the traveler, provided with dovetail edges working in corresponding vgrooves formed in the bracket or bar G. rlhe said traveler is furnished With-means, such as the arm g-and the pinch-screw g', whereby it can be readily adjusted in the required position and locked.

Instead of constructing the traveler so that it will be capable of independent adjustment, as above'stated, I may arrange the curve so as to be capable of longitudinal adjustmen in the cam-frame.

What I clainiis- 1. A sighting apparatus for ordnance com# prising tube att-ached'to'the gun parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, a telescope and range-curve hinged to'one end of said vated or depressed so 'as to automatically eect the proper adjustment of the angle between the telescope and tube iu accordance with the range at which the target is situated, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

2. In sighting apparatus for ordnance the combination with a tube carried in bearings A upon the gun and parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, of a telescope hinged to said tube, a levelhinged to said telescope and adjustable in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, an adjustable segmental rack carried by the gun-mounting and gear# ing between said rack and said telescope, whereby the position of the lat-tenis varied with the adjustment of the gun in elevation,

substantially as described and for the purpose specified. p

3. In'sghting apparatus for ordnance the combination with a' tube parallel to the longitndinal axis .of the gun and rotatable about its longitudinal axis in bearings upon the gun of a telescope hinged to said tube, a level hinged to said telescope and adjustable in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, an adjustableA segmental rack carried bythe gnnmounting, gearing between said rack and said telescope, whereby .the position of the latter is varied with the adjustment of'the gun in'. elevation, a cross-level, and mechanism-for moving the tube angularly about its llongitudinal axissubstantially as described and for the purpose specified. u 'Y 4;. In a sighting apparatus for ordnance the combination with a tube attached lto the gun parallelto the longitudinalaxis thereof, of a telescope and range-cu rve hinged to said tube, a toothed rack movable in said tube, a traveler carried --by said rack, an adjustable toothed rack carried bythe gun-mounting, mechanism -gearingthe rack in the said tube with the rack on the gun-mounting, means for clamping said mechanism, and means for taking up backlash in the gearing,.sub stantially as described and' for the purpose specified.

, 5. In asighting apparatusforordnance-the I combination with a tube attached to the gun parallel to the' longitudinal axis thereof, of a telescope and range-curve hinged to said tube, a toothed rack movable in said tube, a

traveler carried by' said rack, an adjustable toothed rack carried by the gun-mounting, mechanism gearing the rack in the vsaid tube with the 'rack on the gun-mounting, means for clamping said mechanism, means for taking up backlash in the gearing, and means for minimizing the effect of recoil on the apparatus when the 'gun is fired, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

6. In a sighting apparatus for ordnance the Vcombination with a tube carried in bearings upon the gun and parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, ofa telescope and range-cu rve hinged to said tube, a toothed rack movable in said tube, a traveler attached `to said rack for operating said range-curve and telescope, an adjustable toothedV rack carried by the gun-mounting, mechanism gearing the rack carried by the tube with the rack carried by the gun-mounting, and a spring one eudof which hears againstV the rack carried by the tube and the other end of which bears against one of Ithe closed ends of .the said tube so as to take `up backlash in the said gearing,` substantially` as described. for the purpose specified. v A

7. In a sighting apparatus forord nance the combination with a tube carried in bearings u'pon th'e gun and parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, of atelescope and range-curve hinged to said tube, mechanism gearing said range-curve and telescope to the gunmounting, and means applied to said tube for lessening the shock of recoil when the gun is red, substantially as described.

8. In a sighting apparatus for ordnance the combination with atube carried in bearings upon the gun and parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, .if a telescope and range-curve hinged to said tube',"`a toothed rack movable in saidtube, a traveler attached to said rack for operating said rangefcurlve and telescope, an adj ustahle toothed rack carriedfhy the gun-mounting', mechanism gearing the rack carried by the tube with the rack carried by the gun-mounting, and a spring interposed between a collar at one extremity nrc..- lnent for vrange 'is Agiven and the guni's ele-l purpose specified'.

of said'tu'be-and its bearing at that end to and of means whereby said frame and its l minimize the shockof recoil when thegnn is levels canl be adjustedeitl'ier vertically or fired, substantially Vas described. horizontally for the purpose specified.

. 9. In sightingapparatus for ordnance the 14. In sighting apparatus the combination V5 combination-.with a telescope and 'rangewith the pivot to which the telescope is conu 6o curve hinged to the gun, of mechanism gearnected, ofva curved plate adapted :to be acted ing vsaid telescope and range-curve`to the upon by the roller-j4 and of alongitudinallygunfcarriage, so that by meansof a single arranged adjustable level carried by such opera-tion oi'the elevating device the-adjust-7 plate substantially as described and foi-the 4vated orld'epressed, and'means whereby the l15.` In sighting apparatus va ranger-curve V telescope may be used as' an ordinary sightcomprising'aserics oiparallelly-disposedmcy lng-"telescope without. the' adjustment for' able blocks or teeth mounted in 'aiframe and Iiange'beingeiected by the elevating-gear of capable of independent adjustment for the l5'-I thegun, substantially as described.4 purpose specified. I A 1 @7o 10. I n., si'ghting apparatus for ordnance the 16. In sighting apparatus, larange #curvea combination with meansfwhereby the angle comprisingaseries of parallelly-disposed xnov-"-v between theline of sight-and the longitudinal -able blocks or teeth mounted in a frame forml axis'of thegun isantom'atically altered so asv A'ing pai-tof thel telescope-support, of screwf zo'. to' give the necessary adjustment Afor range' stems on each o f the said movable blocks'cr 7 5 when th'egun isnelevated or. depressed, ofteeth, .and ofnnts carried byl said stems and lmeans-whereby the gun andtelescope can bev adapted to be. revolved substantially as detogether elevated or depressed without alterscribed; l ying the sa'id'angle, substantially as described '1.7. In sighting apparatus the combination z5 and for 'the purposespecied. with the series of parallelly-disposed movable 8o ..1 1. In'asighting apparatus for ordnanceblocks or teeth ofa resilient stripadapted to' the combination with thetube attached to the cov er.the free `ends ofthe said blocks or teeth gun and'l parallel` Ito the longitudinal axis .andxed at one of its ends substantially as thereof, of a telescope and ,rangecurve"r described and forrthe purpose specitied..

30" hinged to said tube, a traveler for operating'. 18; In sighting apparatus for ordnance the 85vv said range-curve andtelescope, means'fcr combination with. a tubev attached to the gunv "operating said travelerwhen the gun is ele- 'parallel vto the longitudinal axis thereof, a'v vated or depressed so as to automatically eftelescope and range-curve hinged to said fect'tleadjustment of the angle between the tube,a rack movable in sai-d tube, a traveler 35 telescope and tubefin 'accordance with the attached to said rack,and means forshifting go range at which' the. target i's situated, and .the positionr ofthe said. traveler o'n the movmeans whereby the telescope and tube can be able rack, substantially as described and for 1 moved `together with said gun (when the lat-I thev purpose specified. teriselevated or depressed) without altering y 19. In sighting apparatusfor ordnance the 4o the angle between them substantially as decombination with atnbe attached to the gun 95 scribedand for the purposespeciiied. parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, a 12. In a sighting. apparatus the combinatelescope and L"ran.;e-cu1 've hinged to said tion of a collar embracing one ofthe gunf` tube a rack having a dovetail groove therein 'trgnnions and provided withasegmental rack. and vmov/able in said tube, a traveler having 445 M, of vaniarm carried by such collar and of a dovetail capable ofsliding in said groove loe two independent elevating-4 screws one of inthe movablerack, and a vlug and clamping which is' connected to the said arm andthe screw on said traveler, substantially as degun, andthe other vof which is connected' to scribed and for the purpose specified.l Y the said arm anda .fixed lpoint below it, 'for In testimony whereof I have hereunto set l501 the purpose specified. j my'hand this 13th day of December, 1897.. m5

13. Infsighiingjappara uslthe combination fw 1 r with the armv ofthe collar. embracing vone LOTHIAN BEER m0 ET' of the gumtru'nnions, of two spirit-levelslo. Witnesses; cated thereon and' 'set at rightfmgles toeach H, .BL GREEN,

iig 'sadllevels ERED C. HARRre'.,

Images