Abstract:
A trap for receiving and holding bullets and fragments thereof. A funnel shaped receiver is mounted atop a frame and has a narrow exit connected to a collector tube arranged at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the receiver. The collector tube empties into a circular chamber of an offset housing dissipating the kinetic energy of the bullet.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of traps for catching and holding bullets. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     A variety of devices have been provided for catching and holding bullets during target practice. Such traps are designed to receive and de-energize the bullet and to guide the bullet to a storage container for subsequent removal. One approach, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,946 utilizes a plurality of panels to sequentially absorb the energy from the bullet. Another approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,734 incorporating a water chamber in the trap to de-energize the bullet. Yet a further approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,008 wherein the trap utilizes a chamber having a curved path through which the bullet is directed to dissipate the bullet kinetic energy. The chamber is designed to direct the bullet in a path around a generally horizontal axis. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,739, a similar type of chamber is utilized only the bullet is directed around a generally vertically extending axis. 
     Bullets have a tendency to fragment upon impact. Likewise, the bullets and fragments thereof may ricochet off of the impacted surface and fly outwardly in a variety of directions. Safety concerns exist with the prior bullet traps due to the bullet fragmentation and possible ricocheting of both the bullet and fragment. Disclosed herein is a bullet trap designed to capture and hold not only the bullet but any fragments thereof. Further, the energy-dissipating chamber is located offset relative to the trap entrance to limit ricocheting of the bullet and fragments out of the chamber in a reverse direction through the trap entrance. In addition, the chamber is provided with a centrally located baffle or member to prevent the bullet and fragments entering the chamber to strike perpendicularly the walls of the chamber thereby minimizing any ricocheting affect. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One embodiment of the present invention is a trap for receiving and de-energizing a bullet comprising a funnel shaped receiver having a wide entrance and a narrow exit for a bullet to pass therethrough. The receiver has sidewalls converging from the entrance to the exit to guide the bullet toward the exit and further has a center axis extending from the entrance to the exit between the sidewalls. An energy dissipating housing has a circular interior surface with an opening connected to the exit to receive and direct the bullet into a circular path decreasing the kinetic energy of the bullet. A collector tube is connected to the receiver and the housing and extends between the exit and the opening to direct the bullet from the receiver to the housing. The collector tube includes a longitudinal axis arranged at an included acute angle relative to the center axis with the opening on the longitudinal axis off set from the center axis and the exit to limit movement of the bullet and any fragments thereof from the housing through the receiver. A container receives the bullet from the housing. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved bullet trap. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a bullet trap for catching and holding bullets and fragments thereof. 
     Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a bullet trap having means for limiting escape of the bullet and fragments from the trap. 
     Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of the bullet trap incorporating the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the trap of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line  3 — 3  of FIG.  1  and viewed in the direction of the arrows. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line  4 — 4  of FIG.  2  and viewed in the direction of the arrows. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. 
     Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a bullet trap  10  including a main frame  11  with a funnel shaped bullet receiver  12  fixedly mounted thereatop. Frame  11  includes a plurality of upright columns  12  fixedly attached to horizontally extending beams  13  with a plurality of wheels  14  rotatably mounted to the bottom thereof to facilitate movement of the trap. 
     Receiver  12  includes a top wall  15 , bottom wall  16 , and a pair of side walls  17  and  18  converging from the wide entrance  19  to the narrow exit  20  thereby guiding the bullet entering the receiver through entrance  19  toward exit  20 . A center axis  21  extends from entrance  19  to exit  20  and is located equidistant from sidewalls  17  and  18  and equidistant from top wall  15  and bottom wall  16 . In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the included angle  22  between top wall  15  and center axis  21  is approximately 17 degrees plus or minus 5 degrees. Likewise, the included angle  23  between bottom wall  16  and axis  21  is the same as angle  22 . Further, the included angle  24  between sidewall  18  and axis  21  is the same angle as angle  22  with the included angle  25  between sidewall  17  and axis  21  also being the same angle as angle  22 . Axis  21  extends horizontally and thus the rear column  26  of frame  11  extends higher than the forward column  27  with the two columns fixedly attached to bottom wall  16 . 
     An energy dissipating housing  30  (FIG. 3) is connected via a collector tube  31  to exit  20  of receiver  12 . Housing  30  has a circular interior surface  32 . End  34  of collector tube  31  opens into entrance  33  of housing  30  with the interior surface  35  of tube  31  being arranged tangentially relative to the circular interior surface  32 . The opposite ends  34  and  36  of collector tube  31  are affixed respectively to housing  30  and receiver  12  at the respective locations of opening  33  and exit  20 . The longitudinal axis  37  extending centrally through tube  31  is arranged and intersects axis  21  forming an included angle  38  of approximately 34 degrees thereby offsetting housing  30  relative to receiver  12  and the longitudinal axis  21 . Collector tube  31  extends horizontally locating housing  30  on the side of axis  21  closest to sidewall  17  and farthest from sidewall  18 . 
     Housing  30  includes a vertical axis  40  extending centrally through the housing and equidistant from the circular interior surface  32 . Thus, a bullet entering receiver  12  through entrance  19  will be directed by walls  15 - 18  toward exit  20  and into collector tube  31  passing through opening  33  thereby contacting interior surface  32  and being guided in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3 around axis  40 . Eventually, the kinetic energy of the bullet and fragments thereof will decrease as the bullet and fragments continue the clockwise motion within the housing until the bullet and fragments drop through the open bottom of housing  30  falling into container  41  removably attached to the bottom of housing  30 . 
     An elongated member  42  (FIG. 4) is fixedly attached and suspended from a plate  43  mounted to the top end of housing  30 . Member  42  is located equidistant from interior surface  32  and extends along vertical axis  40 . A passage extends through the hollow interior of member  42  from the bottom end  46  of the member to the top end of the member whereat member  42  is connected by conduit  44  to a reduced air pressure pump  45 . Pump  45  is operable to withdraw, dust and other particles from within housing  30  through member  42 . The bottom end  46  of member  42  is located above the bottom end of housing  30  with standard fastening devices utilized to removably mount container  41  to housing  30 . Interior surface  32  is located radially outward from vertical axis  40  and is in line with and arranged tangentially to surface  35  of collector tube  31  which extends from exit  20 . 
     By offsetting housing  30  from axis  21 , and then guiding the bullet and fragments along the length of collector tube  31  into a circular path about vertical axis  40 , the bullet and fragments thereof are limited from moving in a reverse direction back through collector tube  31  and then out through entrance  19  of receiver  12 . Collector tube  31  provides a horizontal path for the bullet and fragments to move into housing  30 . By locating elongated member  42  in the center of housing along axis  40 , the bullet and fragments are limited from directly crossing axis  40  thereby reducing the possibility the bullet and fragments will ricochet and escape housing  30  through tube  31 . Collector tube  31  is skewed by angle  38  relative to axis  21  thereby limiting the movement of the bullet from the chamber of housing  30  back to receiver  12 . The receiver, collector tube and chamber of housing  30  define an air passage through which the bullet and fragments move to container  41 . 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.