Patent GB-190208177-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or connected with Moving Targets
Inventor: RISLEY PHILEMON
Filed: 1902-04-08
Granted: 1903-04-08
Abstract: 8177. Risley, P. April 8. Targets.-A figure forming the target is mounted upon a carriage, which is driven over a circuitous railway by an electromotor, a spring motor, or other means. The track is provided with a turntable, by which the course of the target may be raised, and with means for varying the speed of the carriage. Fig. 1 shows a plan of the railway. The carriage 39 has two wheels running on the rails 5, and is guided by a third central trailing-wheel running in the grooved rail 54. The turntable 10 is mounted on a spindle, which is connected by two sets of bevel-wheels and a shaft 17, Fig. 3, to the spindle 12 of the hand-wheel 13. When it is desired to alter the course of the target, the marker depresses the end 23 of the weighted hand-lever 22, and withdraws a stop 21 from one of three perforations in the hand-wheel 13, which perforations correspond to the three positions of the turntable. At the same time, electric contact is made between the lever 22 and the standard 34, and the circuit is made round the electromagnet 32, which draws down the armature on a weighted lever 28, and withdraws the stop 30 from the recesses in the turntable, so that the table may be rotated. Fig. 7 shows a side elevation of a carriage driven by a coiled spring 55 acting through a train of wheels upon the axle of the driving-wheels 42. The spring motor may be replaced by an electromotor which drives the axle by means of toothed and worm gearing. The wheels 42 may slide on their axle, which runs in a bogie 44 pivoted in a bracket 46. The bogie is kept in position by a spring 49 attached to an arm 48 extending forwards from the lower part of the bogie. The rear of the carriage is supported by the central wheel 53, which is mounted between two spiral springs on an axle 51. To alter the speed of the carriage, electromagnets 87 are placed at several points near the track 5. When a current is sent round one of the magnets, the armature lever 79 lifts a rod 84 in the guide 85, so that as the carriage advances, the. lower arm of a bent lever 77, shown by dotted lines, strikes the upper end of the rod 84, and throws over a lever 69 which is mounted on the spindle 70 of the lever 77. A wheel 68 is thus removed from the wheel 76, and is thrown into gear with the wheel 71, as shown, and the altered gearing increases the resistance of the fly 67 and reduces the speed of the carriage. A similar rod 83, with a downwardly-projecting hooked end, may be engaged with the upper arm of the lever 77, so as to throw the arm 69 back and to increase the speed of the carriage. When an electromotor is used to drive the carriage, the speed may be varied by a rheostat in the electric circuit. The current is conveyed to and from the motor through brushes rubbing upon the rails 5. The sections of the track upon the turntable are connected to the main lines and the branches by contacts 10<a>, Fig. 3. The track may be undulating, and canvas 2, Fig. 1, giving scenic effects, is fitted at various parts of the track. Certain features of this invention are described in Specification No. 21,651, A.D. 1902.