An Improvement in Penetrable Targets.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 12th July, 1899-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
I, TOM BELL BURNS, of Ashton House Cossham Road, St. George, in the City
and County of Bristol, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:
This invention is for facilitating the working of penetrable targets which are
hung at or near one of their corners, or to the leg which project from one of its
sides, the target is operated on by a lever attached to the spindle or axle of the
target which is connected with a treadle, which is operated on by the markers
foot, or the lever can be worked by hand, this same invention can be used for
raising a wing or part of a target which may be hung on a spindle as before
described, or a wing or part of a target which works vertically in either case
the wing or part of a target by its addition, would convert a smaller target into
a larger one, for instance a second class target six feet square by addition of the
wing or part of a target six feet by two feet would be converted into a first class
target eight feet wide by six feet high.
loted this 10th day of Santambon 1908
TOM BELL BURNS.
An Improvement in Penetrable Targets.
I, TOM BELL BURNS, of Ashton House, Cossham Road, Saint George, in the
City and County of Bristol, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
--
This invention, which relates to penetrable targets used in rifle practice, con-
sists in means for facilitating raising the same into position to be fired at. The
class of target to which the invention relates is that in which the target is held
by a leg or arm in a carrier, as is also the case with the dummy employed to signal
the shots, as is well understood.
According to this invention, the target is raised, either by means of a lever
connected by a rod to a treadle, or by the lever itself which is, with that object,
arranged as a handle, or by both actuated in conjunction. The lever may be
secured on the spindle of the target carrier, or on a separate spindle. In the
latter case toothed gearing is employed between the two spindles so as to secure
their co-operation. When raised, the target is locked in that position and when
unlocked therefrom it descends by its own weight, its descent being controlled by
a weighted lever.

page_text: With targets arranged for operation in accordance with this invention, trenches
of less depth are required than with targets of the revolving and sash types.
Further, the targets are actuated, more expeditiously than targets of the afore-
said or of the oscillating types.
Referring to the accompanying sheets of illustrative drawings, Fig. 1 is a front
view of a rifle-target frame fitted in accordance with one arrangement of target-
raising mechanism comprised in this invention. The arrangement is that in
which the raising lever is not secured to the spindle of the target carrier, but
to a separate spindle. The lever may, however, be secured directly on the spindle
of the target carrier, but the arrangement illustrated in the drawings is preferable
as being easier to work. Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig. 3 a left-hand end view.
The frame a is constructed chiefly of channel irons. Keyed or otherwise
rigidly secured upon the spindle b, which is carried in a bearing on the frame a,
is a lever e fitted with a spring detent c¹. Keyed on the spindle b and arranged, there-
fore, to turn with the lever c is a toothed quadrant d which gears with another
toothed quadrant e keyed on the spindle f of the carrier y which receives one
leg of the target. The lever c is connected by the rod h to a treadle i. The
target carrier g is secured upon the spindle f which turns and carries the target
carrier g and target (not shown in the drawings) with it when the lever c is moved.
In the drawings the mechanism is shown in the position which it occupies
when the target is lowered. One leg of the target is held in the carrier g, and
the target is lowered.
When it is required to raise the target, the detent c¹ of the lever c is with-
drawn from the recess provided in the semi-circular band and the target is
raised either by the operator placing his foot on the treadle i and pressing upon
it with sufficient force, or by his pulling on the lever c with sufficient power, or
by doing both. In either case the target carrier y is raised from the horizontal
to the vertical position and thus the target is brought to the requisite position
for being fired at. The dummy carrier secured on the spindle m moves when
the target carrier g moves, the movement being as usual, namely, such that when
the target is raised the dummy is lowered, and vice versa. When it is desired
lower the target the catch which locks the target in the raised position is operated
to release the target which then descends. Its rate of descent is controlled as
hereinabove set forth and according to a known arrangement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
Improvements in means for raising penetrable targets used in rifle practice,
consisting of a treadle such as i connected to a lever such as c secured either
directly to the spindle on which the target carrier is fixed or to a secondary
spindle carried in a bearing on the frame and arranged to actuate, by toothed
gearing or the like, the spindle of the target carrier, the parts being constructed,
arranged, and operated, substantially as hereinbefore described with refernce to
the accompanying drawings.