Patent GB-190801227-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Target-practice Apparatus.
Inventor: MITCHELL FRANK
Filed: 1908-01-18
Granted: 1909-01-14
Abstract: 1227. Mitchell, F. Jan. 18. Rifle practice, teaching.-Relates particularly to target-practice apparatus of the type in which the accuracy of the aim is recorded on a sub-target, or in which means are employed for preventing the firing of the gun if the inaccuracy of the aim exceeds a predetermined amount. According to the present invention, such apparatus is adapted for use with a moving or disappearing target, or with a multiple target, the member upon which the rifle is mounted (referred to as the radial member) being altered in position corresponding to the various positions of the objective target. In the construction shown in Fig. 1, a shaft A carries an arm B provided with a pulley B<2> over which passes a weighted cord C, the cord also passing over a pulley C<1> and a drum F mounted in a transverse frame A<1> forming part of the shaft. The cord C carries the objective target D. The radial member E is pivoted to the shaft A, as shown, and is provided with a segmental rack E<1> engaging a pinion F<2>. By means of a handle F<3>, the target D is raised or lowered, and the radial member is also moved to correspond. The hand-wheel, A<4> is provided for rotating the shaft A and with it the target D. The rifle is shown in Fig. 1, by way of example, mounted on leaves with spiral target-indicating apparatus, similar to that described in Specification No. 14,636, A.D. 1904. The drum F and the arm B may be mounted on separate spindles rotated mechanically or electrically, or the drum F may be spring- driven and controlled by an escapement and pendulum. When a disappearing target is employed, the cord 0 is replace by a belt C<2> Fig, 2, in front of which is a screen D<1>. One arm of a bell-crank lever carries the target D<2>, and the other arm carries, or acts as, an armature of an electro-magnet D'. When the objective target is required to move slowly either horizontally or vertically over a given area, it is mounted upon an horizontal screwed rod, which is in turn mounted upon two vertical screwed rods, suitable ratchet- and-pawl mechanism being provided to operate any of the rods as required and in either direc. tion. The radial member is carried on a holder to which a similar motion is imparted by a similar arrangement of mechanism. An arrangement for use with multiple targets is shown in Fig. 4. The fixed target plate L has eight bulls, and a plate M has eight corresponding holes. The radial member N is mounted at one end on a spherical joint N<1>, and has at the other end a spring-pressed piston N' and button N<3>, which engages one of the eight holes according to which target is to be aimed at. The rifle in this illustration is provided, by way of example, with a firing.limit device of the type set out in Specification No. 18,638, A.D. 1907. The invention may also be applied to that form of target-practice apparatus in which the radial member takes the form of a balanced rod, which is displaced from its normal position by inaccurate aiming. The indicating-device employed in this arrangement is similar to that described in Specification No. 15,500, A.D. 1908. The moving target may be replaced by one of a series illuminated as required, or the movement of the radial rod itself may be utilized, for example by using an illuminating-beam or a shadow caused to move with, or governed by, the movement of the radial member.