Abstract:
A bullet target configured to improve the skills of a shooter includes, in one embodiment, a head plate which is attached to an arm by a resilient or semi-resilient attachment member to allow the head plate to visually deflect when hit by a bullet and to substantially return to its original position. In another embodiment, the improved target utilizes an attachment mechanism which allows the head to rotate relative to the arm within a stop to minimize transfer of vibrations between the head plate and the arm. In a third embodiment, a plurality of head plates are used in alignment and selectively exposed to the shooter to improve decision making ability.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/873,020, filed Jun. 21, 2004, which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/178,057, filed Jun. 21, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,418, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/299,925, filed Jun. 21, 2001. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a improved bullet targets. More specifically, the present invention relates to targets which improve the visual stimulation and/or function of the target to improve shooter abilities and to decrease broken targets.  
         [0004]     2. State of the Art  
         [0005]     In order to maintain proficiency in the use of firearms, it is common for law enforcement officers and sportsmen to engage in target practice. While many perceive target practice as simply a method for improving accuracy, it is important for law enforcement officers and the like to conduct target practice in scenarios which imitate real life situations. While accuracy is important for law enforcement officers, appropriate use of deadly force is even more important. While hitting a perpetrator in the arm or leg may cause some additional risk to the officer, firing at an innocent bystander or firing at a perpetrator who is not a risk raises greater concerns. Each year considerable controversy is raised by law enforcement officers who shoot unarmed individuals or otherwise use deadly force when not appropriate.  
         [0006]     In order to properly train police officers, it is important that they develop both hand-eye coordination and that they receive sensor stimulation which is associated with actual conditions. Thus, it is important for law enforcement officers to be able to see when a target has been hit. It is also important that the target remain upright sufficiently to simulate the reactions of a typical target. Thus, for example, a target which falls when hit by a single shot may not provide appropriate stimulus to the officer, when a typical perpetrator would take several rounds before being sufficiently incapacitated that he would no longer pose a threat.  
         [0007]     It is also important to train officers by requiring them to repeatedly be in situations in which they are forced to decide whether the target poses a threat within a fraction of a second. In real life situations, hesitating to fire can cost the officer his life. Firing too quickly can result in the death of an innocent party.  
         [0008]     While there are high-tech shooting ranges which are configured to place an officer in a variety of situations, such shooting ranges are too expensive for many law enforcement agencies. Additionally, many existing shooting ranges cannot be readily adapted to use the technological advances. Thus, there is a need for simple bullet targets which provide improved situation stimulus and improved wear.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     It is the object of the present invention to provide improvements in bullet targets.  
         [0010]     In accordance with the above and other objects of the invention, an improved bullet target is provided, including a head plate which is configured to be impacted by a bullet, an arm for holding the head plate in a line of fire and an attachment mechanism for connecting the head plate to the arm.  
         [0011]     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the attachment mechanism is formed by a rubber block or some other resilient or semi-resilient material. The rubber block attaches the head plate to the arm in such a manner that the head will deflect each time it is hit but will substantially return to its initial position (generally vertical) shortly after the impact. Thus, the head gives the visual appearance of being impacted as it is hit with each bullet, consistent with the reaction of a person who has been struck by a bullet. The head plate, however, does not fall down after being struck by the preliminary round as is currently done in the prior art. Rather it returns to the original position or a position close thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this is more similar to many real life situations in which a perpetrator rushing a police officer will be momentarily stopped or knocked backward when hit by a round, and then will resume rushing the officer.  
         [0012]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the improved target includes a head plate which is attached to the arm by a stop. The stop is configured to allow the head plate to rotate between a first presented position and a second retracted position. As the head plate is hit by a bullet, the bullet rotates from the first presented position to the second retracted position. However, because no hinge is directly formed on the head plate, the head is able to withstand a larger number of rounds, and welds on the arms or stops last considerably longer.  
         [0013]     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the hinge formed between the arm or base and the head plate is formed from flat pieces of steel. Such a hinge is not only more durable than conventional hinges, it can be made relatively inexpensively from scraps of steel left over when making bullet traps, targets and the like.  
         [0014]     In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a pair of targets are disposed behind a chest plate. The targets are then selectively raised so that a user is selectively presented with targets having a color and/or shape representing an enemy and one representing an innocent party. The heads plates may be presented so that a single head is raised requiring the shooter to determine whether it is a target or not and then proceed with firing, if indicated, or the head plates may be advanced in unison so that the shooter first shoots the first target and then shoots the rear target, if appropriate.  
         [0015]     In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the targets can be presented to the shooter in alignment. Thus, the shooter may have to knock down the first target and then decide whether to fire at the second target, thereby forcing the shooter to closely monitor the status of the initial target. As will be appreciated, such a shooting scenario is analogous to shooting at a perpetrator, but ceasing the shooting as soon as the perpetrator falls to prevent shooting by-standers. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a fragmented perspective view of an improved target made in accordance with the principles of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of another embodiment made in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a chest plate and a pair of bullet targets made in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]     Reference will now be made to the drawings in which the various elements of the present invention will be given numeral designations and in which the invention will be discussed so as to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention. It is to be understood that the following description is only exemplary of the principles of the present invention, and should not be viewed as narrowing the pending claims.  
         [0021]     Turning now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a perspective view of an improved target, generally, indicated at  10 , made in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The target includes a head plate  14  and an arm  18 , which is used to hold the head plate in a line of fire.  
         [0022]     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that current targets typically include a head plate which is attached to the arm by a hinge. Often this is formed by welding a pipe to the head plate and passing a bar through the pipe of the head plate so that a shot hitting the head plate causes the head plate to pivot downwardly with respect to the arm.  
         [0023]     In accordance with the present invention, the head plate  14  is attached to the arm  18  by a resilient attachment member  22 . Typically, the resilient attachment member  22  is formed from rubber, a spring or some other resilient or semi-resilient material.  
         [0024]     The attachment member  22  is attached to the head plate  14  and to the arm  18  by screws  24 , bolts, or some other fastener. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that it is preferable that such fasteners be configured to decrease the likelihood of ricochets.  
         [0025]     In the present invention, the attachment member  22  provides both visual indication of impact on the head plate  14  while returning the head plate to a generally upright or facing position. In training law enforcement officials and military personnel to more accurately shoot, it is important that there be some visual indication when the target has been hit, as well as auditory information confirming the hit. In the prior art configuration, this was accomplished by the head plate making a noise upon impact of the bullet and pivoting downwardly following impact. This, however, allows for only a single shot to hit the target. In most common shooting situations, however, the initial shot is insufficient to bring down the enemy. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the resilient or semi-resilient attachment mechanism deflects with each shot to provide a visual indication that the head plate of the target has been hit. However, the resilient attachment mechanism returns the head plate to a generally upright position allowing the shooter to repeatedly hit the target and thereby insure that a threat is no longer present.  
         [0026]     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown an alternate embodiment of an improved target, generally indicated at  50 , made in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The target  50  includes an arm  54  and a head plate  58 . The head plate  58  is held to the arm  54  by one or more stops  62 . The stops  62  are typically formed from flat pieces of steel which have been cut. Because the pieces are flat, scrap steel left over from making bullet traps, head plates and the like can be used to form the hinge with relatively minor handling.  
         [0027]     The stops have channels  66  formed therein and which are configured to allow a tab  58   a  of the head plate  58  to rotate between a generally vertical and a generally horizontal position. Unlike the previous embodiment, the head plate  58  is configured to fall into a generally horizontal position.  
         [0028]     In additional to the above, the head plate  58  could fall 180 degrees if desired by simply modifying the configuration of the channels  66 . Additionally, the configuration of the channel can be used to regulate how forceful of a hit or hits the head plate  58  must take before it will drop. The, for example, ledge  62   a  which defines part of the channel  66  could be raised on lowered to respectively increase or decrease the force necessary to tip the target.  
         [0029]     In the prior art target, the head plate is pivotably attached to the arm. This is typically accomplished by welding a cylinder to the head plate and then extending a rod therethrough to act as a hinge. During repeat fire situations, the weld which holds the hinge in place breaks due to the vibration of repeated rounds hitting the head. This eventually causes the head plate to fall off. The head plate is then either thrown away, or recycled by welding another cylinder onto the head plate.  
         [0030]     By having the head plate  58  pivot with respect to the stops  62  without being directly attached thereto, a substantial amount of the vibration is dissipated before the head plate impacts the back part of the channel  66  of the stop. This, in turn, reduces the amount of vibration which is conveyed to any weld  70  between the stops and the arm (or other base). Even if a weld  70  is present and breaks however, the head plate  58  may still be used so long as some retention interaction, such as a slotted groove engagement (sown by the dashed lines  74 , exists between the head plate and the arm  54 . It is appreciated from  FIG. 2  that such a slotted groove engagement, as indicated by  FIG. 2  and by dashed lines  74 , may comprise holes formed in the arm  54  which receive a portion of the stops  62  and notches formed in the portions of the stops  62  which are received by the arm  54  and which engage the arm  54 .  
         [0031]     Yet another advantage of the configuration shown in  FIG. 2  is that the configuration allows for ready replacement of targets. Because the head plate is not fixedly attached to the stops  62 , the tabs  58   a  and channels  66  can have sufficiently loose tolerances that a head plate could be changed by simply sliding it to one side and then the other. This would allow an arm  54 /stop  62  configuration to be quickly modified to provide a different target. Thus, for example, a head plate which is generally round could be used. The head plate could then be replaced with an tall, elongate head plate within a matter of a few seconds. By allowing quick changes, fewer arms or base units need to be purchased to use with a full array of head plates.  
         [0032]     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a perspective view of an improved target, generally indicated at  100 , made in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The improved target  100  includes a first arm  104  and a second arm  108 . The first and second arms  104  and  108  are positioned behind a chest plate  112 , such as those which are commonly used for pop-up targets.  
         [0033]     Attached on top of the first arm  104  is a target  116  having a first configuration. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the first target  116  is generally circular. The first target  116  is typically colored a first color, such as blue. In a preferred embodiment, the functional elements of the target can be configured similar to the target shown in  FIG. 2  or to the target shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0034]     Disposed on the top of the second arm  108  is a second target  120 . The second target  120  is also preferably formed in a manner similar to that shown in  FIG. 2 , although other target configurations can be used. The second target  120  may have a second configuration which distinguishes it from the first configuration of the first target  116 . Thus, for example, the second target may be hexagonal and painted a different color than the first target, i.e. red. Each of the arms  104  and  108  are mounted on top of a riser  124  and  128 . The risers  124  and  128  selectively raise the targets  116  and  120  above the chest plate  112 . The risers  124  and  128  allow the person controlling the range to selectively raise and lower either of the targets and thereby change the target which is presented to the shooter. The difference in the configuration of the first target  116  and the second target  120  forces the shooter to distinguish between a perpetrator and an innocent bystander. Thus, the shooter is not only tested on his ability to shoot accurately, but also to make split second decisions on whether or not to shoot.  
         [0035]     While the risers  124  and  128  can be used to activate either of the targets, they can also actuate both targets  116  and  120  simultaneously. The person shooting is presented with the first target  116  which may indicate a perpetrator. When the target  116  has been hit sufficiently, the target will fall, revealing the second target  120 . The second target  120  can be configured to represent an innocent bystander. In such a scenario, the shooter must immediately cease firing after the fall of the first target  116  to avoid hitting the innocent bystander represented by the second target  120 .  
         [0036]     In the alternative, the second target  120  could also be configured to represent a perpetrator. Thus, when the first target  116  falls, the shooter must quickly determine if the second target  120  represents a threat or not. By selectively changing the scenario, i.e. alternating targets representing an innocent bystander and a target representing a threat, the shooter can be conditioned to properly consider the target and to react accordingly.  
         [0037]     Thus, there are disclosed several embodiments of improved targets which can be used to improve the shooting accuracy and decision making capacity of a shooter. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous modifications which can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.