Patent GB-553468-A (GB)
Abstract: 553,468. Teaching shooting. SMEATON, 1. D., and SOCHACZEWSKI, S. Oct. 16, 1941, No. 13331. [Classes 9 (i) and 119] A dummy semi-automatic rifle has targetmarking means of the pricker type, a main spring energised by a cocking- slide, and a triggeroperated escapement device for releasing the energy of the spring in steps, to operate the pricker once each time the trigger is pulled, all mounted within the stock of the rifle. The rifle is shown in Fig. 21 connected by a yoke 92, ink 93, and loose hookjoint 95 to the back of a suspended frame 85 which carries the target 80, the yoke being disconnectable from the rifle, and the target support being collapsable. The target-pricking device is a needle 55, Fig. 5, on the upturned front end of a rod 56 the rear end of which is pressed by a spring 60 against the front end of a slidable rearwardly-tongued plate 68, Fig. 13. The front part of the rod 56 passes through a front abutment 57 for the spring 60, the abutment being carried between two arms 58<SP>1</SP> which are pivoted at 59 and pressed rearwardly by a spring 62. When the rod is jerked forwards by a blow on its rear end, to mark the target 80, the pressure of the spring 60 on the abutment 57 rocks the arms 58<SP>1</SP> upwardly, thereby lifting the pricker 55 into the line of sight of the rifle, as shown in chain lines in Fig. 5. The reaction of the springs 56, 62 afterwards retracts the rod and lowers the pricker. The mainspring 5, Fig. 13, is mounted on a rod 6 and is compressed from the front end into the cocked position shown, by a cross-bar 101 on a rearwardly extending cocking-slide (not shown). Between the cross-bar and the spring is located the downturned end of a ratchet bar 32, the teeth of which are successively engaged by one or other of two pawls 30, 31 pivoted at 34, 35, respectively. The cross-bar 10<SP>1</SP> also moves rearwardly two bars 45 (one only shown) which have saw-teeth 47 on their rear parts and a wave formation 48 on their front parts. The wave peaks are so spaced as to engage rollers 40, 41 on the pawls 30, 31 and lift the pawls alternately. The trigger 33 operates a U-shaped frame 50 ,the sides of which have at their front ends pawl-like projections 50<SP>1</SP> which engage the racks 47. The mainspring having been cocked by the hand cocking-slide, the parts are initially in the position shown in Fig. 13, the ratchet-bar 32 being engaged by pawl 30. When the trigger is pulled, the projections 50<SP>1</SP> engage the front teeth of the racks 47 and push the racks forwards. The crests 48 in rear of the pawl-rollers 40 move under the ro rs and lift the pawl 30, thereby releasing the bar 32 which is jerked forwards by the spring 5 until arrested by the pawl 31 the rollers of which have dropped into troughs on the bars 45. The rear tongue of the sliding plate 68 is engaged by a front tooth on the bar 32, and the plate is also jerked forwards and imparts the target-marking impulse to the rod 56. Upturned fingers at the rear end of a fixed plate 76<SP>1</SP> disengage the plate 68 from the bar 32 and allow the plate to be moved back again by the spring 60 into engagement with the next tooth of the bar. Means are provided to prevent the operation of the mechaniism until a dummy clip of cartridges 19, Fig. 12, has been passed through the magazine slot 21. The front sight 3 is on a spring plate for vertical zeroing and the rear sight 4 is laterally adjustable, so that the line of sight may be set to coincide with the targetmarking made by the needle 55. This initial setting is made with the aid of a paper sheet supported on a frame 116, Fig. 5, temporarily attached by a screw 118<SP>1</SP> to the front end of the rifle. Specifications 9778/07, 9779/07, 9780/07, 2489/08, 110,494, and 282,573, [all in Class 119], are referred to.