Patent Publication Number: US-4317572-A

Title: Firing butt including a housing for a target

Description:
The invention relates to a target firing butt comprising a frame-like housing to accommodate a target. 
     Such butts are well-known, and one of the disadvantages is that they are usually installed in an enclosed trench and have to be made ready by markers at the butts prior to target practice. These procedures are not only rather complicated, but the requirements for marker personnel are labour and cost-intensive. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide and improved firing butt which will overcome some of the existing problems. In a preferred form of the invention the butt is designed to be permanently installed and operated by remote control. 
     As the target is enclosed in a framelike housing, the butt lends itself to permanent installation. The aperture in the housing can be closed by remote control. The protective metal frame, designed to catch projectiles and facing the direction of fire in front of the housing, reduces the risk of the housing being damaged by projectiles. 
     The protective frame preferably includes an overlying plate or layer of elastomeric material such as rubber. Any projectiles hitting the metal plate of the frame will therefore be already decelerated by the rubber layer to such an extent that splintering or deflection of the projectile is reduced or eliminated. It is of advantage to space the metal plate from the elastomeric material so that any projectiles splintering on impact with the steel plate will be trapped in the intervening hollow space. The deceleration of projectiles or the trapping of any projectile splinters can be improved by providing sand between the metal plate and the elastomeric material. 
     It is of especial advantage to provide a space between the protective frame and the housing since the separation impedes the transmission of vibrations caused by projectiles striking the protective frame. Thus the equipment accommodated in the housing is effectively protected against serious vibration, thereby reducing the risk of damage and malfunction. 
    
    
     The invention may be performed in various ways and several embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a firing butt according to the invention, with roller shutter closed, 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the butt illustrated in FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the butt with the shutter opened, 
     FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the butt as illustrated in FIG. 3, 
     FIG. 5 is a detailed sectional side elevation of the butt as illustrated in FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale, and 
     FIG. 6 is a detailed sectional side elevation of a modified butt design. 
    
    
     The firing butt or target mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 comprises a frame-like housing 1 whose box-type base 2 is anchored to a foundation 3. The housing contains and supports a target 4. A front aperture 5 and a rear aperture 6 in the housing 1 are closed by a roller shutter 7. 
     The housing 1 is covered by a steel-plate frame 9, facing the direction of fire to catch a bullet or other projectile as shown at 13. Located in front of the foundation 3 and facing the direction of fire is a steel plate 10 against which earth 11 is heaped to catch the projectiles 13. At the rear of the butt is a mound of earth 12 also to catch any projectiles 13 which may penetrate the butt. 
     As illustrated particularly in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, a free space is provided between the steel-plate frame 9 and the frame-like housing 1, the frame 9 being anchored to the foundation 3 through a pair of supports 14. As shown in FIG. 5, the steel-plate frame 9 comprises a steel plate 15 having a rubber plate 16 together with a plate 16a attached thereto on the opposite side to the housing 1, the rubber plate 16 being designed and constructed to reclose after penetration by a projectile 13. A hollow space 17 is provided between the steel plate 16a. Initially, the rubber plate 16 and the plate 16a serve to decelerate a projectile 13 and trap any projectile splinters after impact on the steel plate 15. 
     The roller shutter 7 consists of a front part 18 and a rear part 20: the front part 18 is associated with the front aperture 5, being wound onto a front winding mandrel 19 mounted in the housing base 2; the rear part 20 is associated with the rear aperture 6, being wound onto a rear winding mandrel 21 mounted also in the housing base 2. Located in the top horizontal frame element or head 22 of the frame-like housing 1 is a winding mandrel 23 for the simultaneous take-up of the front and rear parts 18, 20 of the roller shutter 7. The winding mandrel 23 is driven by a drive motor 24, the front and rear parts 18, 20 of the roller shutter being guided onto it by guide rolls 25 and 26. 
     The target 4 is securely held in a frame 27 within the housing 1. The butt is also equipped with an automatic scoring system, but no detailed illustrations of that are necessary. 
     FIG. 6 shows a slightly modified butt design. The steel-plate frame 28 is provided with a steel plate 29 having a rubber plate 30 on the side towards the direction of fire. A layer of sand 31 is provided between the steel plate 29 and the rubber plate 30. The rubber plate 30 and the layer of sand 31 serve to decelerate any projectiles 13 and trap any splinters. 
     Sited in the box-type housing base 32 of the frame-like housing 33 are a front winding mandrel 34 and a rear winding mandrel 35 for the roller shutter 36. The roller shutter 36 is wound from the front winding mandrel 34 on to the rear winding mandrel 35, passing across the front aperture 37, the top guide rolls 38, 39 and the rear aperture 40 in its path. A drive mechanism details of which are not necessary, serves to operate by remote control the winding mandrels 34, 35. 
     Also accommodated in the frame-like housing 33 is a target 41, which is in the form of a flexible target band 42, that can be wound up or drawn off a spool. The target band 42 is supplied from a bottom magazine roll 43 via a bottom guide roll 44 and a top guide roll 45 and taken up by a top winding mandrel 46. A drive mechanism not illustrated in detail is arranged to operate by remote control the winding mandrel 46 for the target band 42. 
     Also accommodated in the housing 33 is an automatic scoring system, not illustrated in detail. 
     As illustrated in these examples, all butt functions can be remote-controlled from the firing position, and the results are automatically transmitted to the firing position. Thus the butt can operate without the need for marker personnel at the butt.