Year: 1885

page_text: I, PETER MAC GIBBON, of 1 Gartocher Terrace, Shettleston, Lanarkshire,
Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object the making of the stationary and movable frames
of balanced targets and their fittings of wood in a special new or improved manner;
and each target will be erected in a pit on the target ground and be worked
otherwise on the same principles as the Wimbledon target and with equal safety;
but they will be so simplified in construction and so much lighter and easier
worked, that they may come into general use on the target grounds, and prevent
the frequent accidents that occur with the common targets above ground.
The nature and novelty of the invention consist in making the stationary
outside frame of the target of two strong broad side frames of wood, mortised and
tenoned into a broad sill, the top ends of the side frames being secured by a cross
bar in the centre, or one on either side, leaving room for the two balanced frames
to pass and work freely between them at a little distance apart, that is, with
clearance between the rising and falling frames themselves. This stationary frame
would be sunk down into the pit, with the top a little below the ground and would
be secured there up against the back of the pit, leaving room for the marker to
move in front of the frame. Sunken slide guides would be formed right up the
inner faces of the side frames of the width of the lower sliding frames, which are
very strongly "framed" together, with diagonal stay rails frame bars, as these
lower frames have to carry, steady, and guide the target and its frame upon the
top of the back slide frame, and the marking or signal frame on the top of the
front slide frame, all so as to balance each other, and at such a distance apart as
to leave room between the slide frames to allow the cords, wires, or chains, and the
pulleys by which they are hung an·1 balanced, to work freely. The pulleys would
be mounted on strong iron brackets to the upper inside corner of each side of the
stationary frame or cross bar above; and the wire, cord, or chain passed down over
each pulley, would have its one end secured to the lowest back corner of the front
frame, and the other end to the front corner of the back frame carrying the target
frame above it. This target frame would be made as usual strong from front to

page_text: back (in the shooting direction) of thin edge bar iron and screwed by broad flanged
parts at the lower side corners to the top of its back carrying wood frame; but
instead of having the front edge of this target iron frame bevelled towards both
sides, so that any bullet striking it may glance off to either side, I bevel it all
towards the inside of the frame, so that the shot striking it will be diverted
inwards, thus lessening the chance of accidents through stray bullets being thrown
outwards from the target range. The ordinary light wood frame having the canvas
target stretched over it, is mounted by twisted wire (or otherwise) to the front of
the sharp edged iron frame, as is usual in other balanced raising and lowering
targets. As in said targets the top of the front lower moving frame has mounted
on it the square or rectangular four-chambered frame, carrying the four swivelling
black boards in their chambers, having the white numbers 2 and 3 in the upper
squares and 4 and 5 in the under squares, denoting the value of, or points to be
counted for, each shot, as for an "outer," a "magpie," an "inner," or a "bull's-eye"
(all respectively), one or other of which numbers the marker in the pit turns out
to indicate the value of each shot as it is fired, and pushes up the frame to show to
the shooters on the ground the value of the last shot. The frames being hung and
balanced as stated, the pushing up of the front frame brings down the back frame
low enough into the pit for the marker to put on the black or white patch over the
hole previously pierced in the target to obliterate it, and also show the position of
the last shot, when he pulls down the front frame to raise the back frame and the
target to view above the ground. The lower strong bound frames carrying the
target and the indicating figure frame never rise to the top of their guide frames
or top of the pit to be endangered by the shot. To enable the sliding frames to
be mounted closer together and yet get large pulleys for wire cord when that is
preferred to ropes or chains, either the pulleys may be mounted at an angle
between the moving frames, or grooves may be cut for the cords in the back face
of the guides of the fixed side frames, and having the pulleys working in recesses
in the upper part of these side frames. For large first class targets, antifriction
pulleys may be fitted in the grooved guides to relieve the friction due to the up and
down motion of the moving frames in these guides.

page_text: of Balanced Targets.
I PETER MAC GIBBON, of 1 Gartocher Terrace, Shettleston, Lanarkshire, Com-
mercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in, and by the following statement in writing, reference being bad
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object the making of the stationary and movable
frames of balanced targets and their fittings of wood in a special new or improved
manner; and each target will be erected in a pit on the target ground and be
worked otherwise on the same principle as at Wimbledon and with equal safety;
but the balanced targets will be so simplified in construction, and so much lighter
and easier worked, that they may come into general use on the target grounds,
and prevent the frequent accidents that occur with the common targets above
ground.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are front
and edge elevations, respectively, and Figure 3, a plan, all of a balanced target,
constructed and fitted in accordance with the improvements of my invention, the
target being shown up above ground in position for being fired at, and the
dummy" in its lowest position.
"
-
Figure 4, is a sectional end elevation corresponding to Figure 2, but with the
balanced target as placed in the marking pit at the shooting ranges, and showing the
dummy in its uppermost position to indicate the shooting register, the target being
in its lowest position. Figure 5, is an enlarged sectional plan taken on the irregular
line 1 1 in Figure 1, to show clearly the arrangement of working pulleys and
fittings in the main side frames. Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged end and side
sectional elevations respectively, to show the fittings by which the wire cords are
attached to the raising and lowering dummy and target frames. Figure 8, is a
sectional elevation to an enlarged scale, showing the securing spring and fittings
by which each of the dummy score register panels or boards is temporarily locked
in vertical position.
Referring to these Drawings:-the nature and novelty of my said invention
consist in making the main stationary outside or end frames of the target of two
strong broad side frames A, A¹, of wood, checked and keyed at A*, into a broad
sill A³, set on levelling bottom blocks A", the top ends of the side frames being
secured by a cross tube or bar A³, in the centre, or it might be one on either side,
leaving room for the two balanced sliding frames B, B¹, to pass and work freely
between the frames A, A, and A¹, A¹, respectively, in guide recesses, at a little
distance apart, that is, with sufficient clearance between the rising and falling
frames B, B', themselves for the free action of the pulleys carrying them. This
stationary frame A, A¹, would be sunk down into the pit Z, Z, with the top A³,

page_text: considerably below the ground Z, as shown in Figure 4, and would be secured
vertically there by stays or otherwise against the sides of the pit Z, leaving
room Z¹, for the marker to move in front of the frame A'. Sunken slide guides B²,
with adjustable facings b, b¹, would be formed right up the inner faces of the side
frames A, A¹, of the width of the lower sliding frames B, B¹, the one B being very
strongly "framed" together with diagonal stay rods or frame bars, as its lower
frame B has to carry, steady, and guide the target C, and its iron frame C' upon
the top of the back side frame A; and the other B¹ is strongly framed with
transverse stays B, bound together below by angle irons at B11, for carrying the
marking or signal frame with the marking dummy frames D on the top or upper
part of the front slide frame B¹, all so as to balance each other, and at such a
distance apart as to leave room between the slide frames B, B¹, to allow the cords,
wires, or chains a¹, and the pulleys a, by which they are hung and balanced, to
work freely. The pulleys a would be mounted on strong iron brackets a², to the
upper inside corners of each side of the stationary frames A, A¹, and under the
cross bar A³ above; and the wire, cord, or chain a¹, passed down over each
pulley a through grooved recesses A, cut for it in the frames A, A¹, would have its
one end a secured to the lowest back or edge corner of the front frame B', by
adjustable screws a³, and the other end a", in the same manner and as shown in
figs. 4, 6 & 7 to the front or edge corner of the back frame B, carrying the target
frame C¹, above it, on both sides of the frames B, B¹, so as to balance them, and as
particularly seen in the enlarged sectional views Figures 5, 6 and 7.
"
The target frame C¹ would be made as usual strong from front to back (in the
shooting direction) of thin edge bar iron and screwed by broad flanged parts at
the lower side corners C², to the top of its back carrying wood frame B. But
instead of having the front edge of this target iron frame C¹ bevelled towards both
sides, so that any bullet striking it may glance off to either side, I bevel it all
towards the inside of the frame, so that the shot striking it will be diverted
inwards, thus lessening the chance of accidents through stray bullets being thrown
outwards from the target range, as seen more particularly at C3, Figure 5. The
ordinary light wooden frame C having the canvas target C stretched over it, is
mounted by twisted wire at C, (or otherwise) to the front of the sharp edged iron
frame C¹, as is usual in other balanced raising and lowering targets. As in said
targets the top of the front lower moving frame B¹ has mounted on it the square
or rectangular four-chambered frames B1 carrying the four swivelling black
boards D, in their chambers, having the white numbers 2 and 3 in the upper
squares and 4 and 5 in the under squares, denoting the value of, or points to be
counted for, cach shot, as for an "outer," a "magpie," an "inner" or a "bulls-eye
(all respectively), one or other of which numbers the marker in the pit turns out
by turning the respective numbered panel round on its side horizontal pivots d,
and temporarily locks it in the vertical position by means of the spring catch d¹,
sunk in the frames B, taking into its counter part d³, secured in both edges of the
dummy panels D, provided also with a stop stud d to prevent the panel from
turning too far in either direction, all as more particularly seen in the enlarged
sectional view Figure 8, to indicate the value of each shot as it is fired, and the
marker pushes up the frame B' by the handle frame D¹, D³, secured at D¹ to the
lower cross rails B1, to show to the shooters on the ground the value of the last
shot. The moving frames B, B¹, being hung and balanced as stated, the pushing
up of the front frame B¹ brings down the back frame B, low enough into the pit
for the marker to put on the black or white patch over the hole previously pierced
in the target to obliterate it; and also at same time to affix the spotting disc to
the target to indicate where the last shot went through the canvas target C, which
will be seen by the shooter when the marker pulls down the front frame B¹, and
raises the back frame B and the target C to view above the ground. The lower
strong bound frames B, B¹, carrying the target C and the indicating figure frame D,
never rise to the top of their guide frames or top of the pit Z to be endangered by
the shot.

page_text: The upper transverse stay tube or bar A³, is fitted with adjustable screwed
nuts a, at one end, and passes through the upper end of the frames A, A¹, above
the pulley, and I can thus adjust the distance apart of these end frames A, A², to
allow of the free movement of the target and dummy frames B, B¹, without too
much lateral play. Grooves A* are cut for the steel or other cords a¹ in the inner
faces of the fixed side frames A, A'; and the pulleys a are mounted on the fixed
stud a3x, secured in a cast iron bracket or box a³, having its ends secured or
checked into the side frames A. A¹, the pulleys a being free to work on the fixed
stud a³x, and work in recesses in the upper part of these side frames A, A¹, all as
particularly seen in the enlarged sectional plan Figure 5. When preferred the
pulleys may be mounted at an angle between the moving frames B, B¹. For large
first class targets, antifriction pulleys may be fitted in the grooved guides to
relieve the friction due to the up and down motion of the moving frames in these
guides. But I have here shown the adjustable rods b and b¹ secured in the inner
sides of the frames A and A¹, with elliptical holes in the front check rod b¹, for
shifting and securing these to the proper tightness against the frames B, B¹, by the
bolts b in the front edge of the frames A, A¹, to allow the frames B, B¹, to work
freely without friction, or shaking play.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said.
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
First. The general construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts, of
the frames and fittings of balanced targets, substantially as herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In balanced targets, the construction and arrangement of frames and
fittings, for the balanced pulleys to work in recesses in the side frames, and for the
cords or ropes to pass through grooves in the side guides, and with adjustable rods
in front of the balanced frames for giving a free and steady action of these, all
substantially as herein described in reference to and as shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Third. In balanced targets, the making of the edge bar iron frame C, which
carries the target C, with its front edge bevelled inwards from the outer edges, to
cause any bullets which strike it to pass inwards, substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.