LEACHING PROTECTOR

Abstract: During outdoor shooting against a projectile-arresting material, with lead-containing ammunition, a for environmental reasons unwanted and uncontrolled spreading of lead to the surroundings occurs, mainly through lead being leached by water from projectile remnants arrested in this material. Through substantially limiting and completely controlling this water contact by means of this invention, the leached lead may be disposed of under complete control. This is achieved by device where shooting is made through an elastic layer (1), providing a watertight cover which closes after the passage of the projectile, the latter subsequently being arrested in a projectile-arresting material (3), kept in an enclosed space created by a watertight layer (2), with the projectile-arresting material acting as distance to said layer (1). Precipitation water penetrating the minimal projectile penetration holes or damages in the elastic layer (cover), is drained via the arresting material, along the inclined insides of the watertight layer, down to a lowermost point where the water is collected by a drainage line (5). The drainage water is discharged through e.g. a pipe to a closed reservoir or to a filter.

Description: LEACHING PROTECTOR The present invention relates to an outdoor protec¬ tion device, preventing the leaching of lead from lead projectile particles contained in a projectile-arresting material, and allowing repeated shooting with a main¬ tained function. Background of the invention During practice and competition shooting with powder-propelled projectiles at shooting ranges, the shots are aimed at target areas in the shape of ring- marked square targets or figure-like targets of various sizes and shapes. Behind the targets there is generally a projectile arresting arrangement. The outdoor type arresting arrangement generally consists of ground masses or gravel being dozed into an elongated bank, or as an alternative, the arrester is a natural slope. The extension of the arrester is deter¬ mined by the target area, and beyond that, by the regu- lated safety distances for the type of fire arms used and the manner of shooting. To avoid ricochets from the arresting material in e.g. arresting banks, these are supplemented by projectile-arresting material on the section being shot at. Such a material is carefully selected for the type of shooting and will arrest the projectiles inside the layer. One of the problems with this type of projectile arrester is that the material is unprotected against precipitation, leading to large amounts of unwanted lead and lead compounds being leached by water and spread in an uncontrolled manner into the surrounding environment. There are environmental demands for limiting these lead emissions, and imperative legislation concerning measures for cleansing of lead from shooting banks is to be expected. A further problem is the freezing of the projectile- arresting material under extreme cold conditions, caused by large amounts of bound water. This limits the use for safety reasons. Summary of the invention The object of the leaching protector according to the present invention is to reduce considerably the amount of leached lead and lead compounds from the projectile-arresting material, and at the same time to prevent uncontrolled spreading of the drainage water to the surrounding environment. This object is achieved by a device, which in short implies that shooting is performed against a projectile arrester which on the top surface has an elastic layer which, after the passage of the projectile, exhibits a very small entry hole, and that the projectile is subse¬ quently arrested in the projectile-arresting material beneath it. This material in turn is contained in an enclosed space, having a bottom and sides consisting of a watertight layer, with the projectile-arresting material as a distance material, and with said top surface layer as a water-repelling cover. The enclosed space is drained by a drainage system. This means that surface water which has penetrated the elastic top layer via the minute projectile entry holes, or in other ways, is taken care of by drainage through the projectile-arresting material beneath it and conducted along the water-tight side and bottom layers down to the lowermost point of the enclosed space, where the drainage water is collected. From there, said water is drained by e.g. a closed pipe conduit to an enclosed reservoir or to a filtration plant. The volume of lead-contaminated drainage water to be collected according to the present invention is of negli¬ gible size compared to the volumes which are today leached to the environment, and the disposal of this small amount of drainage water will cause only minimal problems. The projectile-arresting material, which is kept protected from precipitation, may be optimised regarding its projectile-arresting capacity. Furthermore, the invention has the advantage of the elastic top layer also providing protection from winds, and it may provide rico- chet protection. The protected location of the projec¬ tile-arresting material also means less freezing risk during extreme cold conditions. The present invention provides the advantage of being able to use existing, already lead-contaminated projectile-arresting materials, as this means that further leaching to the environment is prevented when such materials, according to the principles of the inven¬ tion, are placed in an enclosed space. The invention allows the projectile-arresting mate- rial to be utilised during a substantially longer period of time before a lead removal, which will now only be necessary when the arresting material has become so contaminated by projectile remainders that it has ceased to function as a projectile arrester. The present invention, before the use of previously utilised projectile-arresting material, only needs a rinsing out of larger projectile remainders for the sake of safety, and this can be made selectively, without concern to lead cleansing, as the roughly sorted material is intended for replacing into the enclosed space. The degree of contamination of the projectile- arresting material may be monitored continuously by means of sampling, or by sampling the drainage water. The invention may comprise a device behind one single target, a group of targets, or it may be arranged as a total protection of the entire shooting safety area. The construction is designed in accordance with these areas of use and in accordance with the selected arrest¬ ing material, as well as with the degree of utilisation. Thus, the object of this invention is to enclose the projectile-arresting material, and thereby the lead, into an enclosed space, preventing precipitation water from uncontrollably leaching the lead from the projectiles having been stopped and collected in the device. This object is achieved by a device according to patent claim 1. Description of a preferred embodiment The invention will be described in more detail below, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a leaching protector according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a partial sectional view of the upper part of the leaching protector according to the inven¬ tion; and Fig. 3 shows a partial sectional view of the lower part of the leaching protector according to the inven¬ tion. Referring now to the figures, a preferred embodiment of the leaching protector according to the invention exhibits, behind targets 12, relative to the ground plane, an inclined construction comprising: A covering layer 1, made of rubber, fastened to a backing layer 2 with upturned sides, made of fiberglass-reinforced polyester resin, by means of fastening devices 4 comprising flat steel bars and screw connections, the flat steel bars sealing the covering layer against the backing layer through suitable tightening of the screw connections. The covering layer 1 rests upon the projectile-arresting material 3, and it is joined together with vulcan¬ ised overlapping joints. The terminating ends of the covering layer 1 are, in all directions, fastened to the backing layer 2 by means of said fastening devices 4. At the lowermost end, the covering layer 1 is fastened to a collection gutter formed by the backing layer 2, likewise by means of a fastening device . A backing layer 2 made of fiberglass-reinforced polyester resin, arranged onto an inclined surface of e.g. ground material which has been laid as a bank 13, with an inclination selected a.o. in accor¬ dance with the inner friction of the arresting mate¬ rial 3. The backing layer 2 is shaped by forming side walls and upper and lower longitudinal walls into a box-shaped structure, adapted to the selected arresting material and the locational demands applied to the device. Glued-on supports of fiber¬ glass-reinforced polyester may be necessary as a support for the backing layer 2 at the upper and lower walls in case the arresting material layer is thick. A projectile-arresting material 3, filled into the watertight box formed by the backing layer 2 and having a layer thickness and composition adapted to the type of ammunition used, and to the shooting conditions. Fastening devices 4, made of corrosion resis¬ tant flat steel profiles, pulled together by screw connections, with layers 1 and 2 between them, into a watertight attachment. A drain pipe 5 of perforated resin, placed at the bottom of the collection gutter formed by the fiberglass reinforced polyester at the lowermost end of the backing layer 2, and connected to a wall outlet 7. An outlet connector 6 having a suitable dimen¬ sion for connection to a discharge pipe 9, fitting in a watertight connection to said wall outlet 7. A plastic resin wall outlet 7, glued to the side wall of the backing layer 2 at the collection gutter. An anti-slide protector 8 may be necessary, depending on the inclination angle and the selected arresting material, in which case such devices are placed at a suitable angle on the backing layer 2 in the form of glued-in wooden ribs 8, appropriately spaced so as to prevent the selected arresting mate¬ rial 3 from sliding downwards. A discharge pipe 9, conveying the collected drainage water to the reservoir 10. A collection reservoir 10 for the drainage water. A lid 11, sealing tightly and being removable for emptying of the tank. The device is drained from leach water via the sealed resin pipe 9, to be collected in the closed plas¬ tic resin reservoir 10 with its lid 11 for emptying and inspection. The scope of the invention is not limited by the embodiment described above, but only by the appended patent claims. For example, the backing layer 2 for the enclosed space containing the arresting material 3 may also be made from the same rubber material as the cover¬ ing layer 1, the box shape in this case being achieved through the excavation of the bank 13. In such a case, the covering layer 1 and the backing layer 2 may prefera¬ bly be constructed as one single continuous layer, joined together by vulcanised overlapping joints.

Claims: Patent Claims: 1. Leaching protector for lead at outdoor shooting ranges, comprising, behind the target, a relative to the ground level inclined, elastic, water-repelling layer (1) which is penetrable for the projectiles, and a watertight layer (2) located at a distance behind said first layer (1), c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the space created between the layers (1, 2) is enclosed and sealed from the environment and contains a projectile-arresting material (3), being isolated by said layers (1, 2) from the surrounding environment, and in that the created enclosed space is dewatered via a drainage arrangement (5, 6, 7) . 2. Leaching protector according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the elastic, water-repelling layer (1) which is penetrable for the projectiles, is either joined to said watertight layer (2) by a chemical joint, or by a mechanical joint (4), i.e. between steel profiles screwed together about the two layers, or by both layers (1, 2) being made as one single, connected layer, from the same material (1), being elastic, water-repelling and penetra- ble for the projectiles; that the watertight layer (2) forms a watertight bottom and sides and is shaped into a collection gutter for the drainage water; that a drainage device (5) is provided in the lower- most part of the watertight layer (2); and that at least one outlet connector (6) is provided, in connection with a wall outlet (7) being arranged in a waterproof manner in the watertight layer (2) . 3. Leaching protector according to claims 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the leaching protector is placed onto a supporting base (13) and is carried by the appropriately shaped supporting base; that the enclosed projectile-arresting material (3) is prevented from sliding, through friction against the watertight layer (2) and/or by a supporting arrangement with fender ribs (8) and/or by shaping the watertight layer (2) after the supporting base (13); and that the elastic, water-repelling layer (1) which is penetrable for the projectiles, is designed either as one continuous layer or by overlapping sections provided with water-diverting ribs.

Inventors: MOBERG GERTH, MOBERG, GERTH
Applicants: MOBERG GERTH, MOBERG, GERTH
Application year: 1996
Main classification: F41J1
IPC codes: F41J13