Improvements in Targets and Mantlets.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Targets and Mantlets.
We JOHN JOSEPH LANE, of Musgrove, Gresham Road, Staines in the
County of Middlesex, Major 2 V.B. D.C.O. Middlesex Regiment and SYDNEY
SMITH, of High Street, Staines aforesaid, Ironmonger do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in small arms targets and mantlets, com-
posed of cast iron, steel or other slabs of metal, and has for its principal object to
so construct the target or mantlet, that it may be readily renewed or repaired when
damaged or worn away;
It commonly occurs in practice that owing to a weak spot in the metal or to the
somewhat strange frequency with which a certain part of the target is struck, that
the efficiency of the target is impaired so much as to necessitate its being renewed,
repaired or patched up by a plate applied over the damaged place. This not only
involves expense, but disfigures the target, interrupts the practice and causes the
marker more or less trouble.
These objections are obviated by our invention which consists in building up the
target or mantlet of a number of sections or exactly similar metal plates of rect-
angular form attached by bolts or otherwise to a skeleton wood or iron frame,
so that they may be interchanged if desired, or a damaged plate readily replaced by
a new one.
Our invention also relates to service regulation targets which composed as above
may be used as 1st class, 2nd class or 3rd class targets and consist of a central
target (say 6 feet by 4 feet) and two side targets (each say 6 feet by 2 feet) hinged
thereto. The object of this part of our invention is to avoid the liability, which at
present exists with such targets, of the hinges being damaged by the bullets, when
one or both of the side targets are folded back behind the centre target, and to
this end it consists in hinging the side targets to the centre target by a double
hinge so that the side targets will fold so far back that no portion of the hinge
shall be presented to the line of fire, as is the case with such targets now in use.
Dated this 12th day of September 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Targets and Mantlets.
We, JOHN JOSEPH LANE, of Musgrove, Gresham Road, Staines, in the
County of Middlesex, Lt.-Colonel 2 V.B. D.C.O. Middlesex Regiment and
SYDNEY SMITH, of High Street, Staines aforesaid, Ironmonger, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to improvements in the construction of targets and mantlets
used for small arms shooting and has for its principal object to so construct the
target or mantlet that it may be readily repaired when damaged. Owing to a
weak spot in the metal or to a certain- part of the target being frequently struck it
cominonly happens in practice shooting that the target is so much injured as to
necessitate the damaged portion being repaired-or-patched. This not only involves
expense, but disfigures the target, interrupts the practice, and causes trouble to the
Pri 877

page_text: marker by reason of the inequality of the surface of the target. These objections
are obviated by our invention,,which consists in building up the target or mantlet
of a number of sections or plates scored in 6 inch squares in the regulation manner
of exactly similar dimensions and form attached by bolts or otherwise to a skeleton
wood or iron frame, so that the plates may be, readily interchanged or replaced by
new ones.
Our invention also relates to service regulation targets of the sectional con-
struction above referred to, which may be used either as 1st-class, 2nd class, or
3rd class targets at will, for which purpose two side targets (each say 6 feet by
2 feet) are hinged to the two sides of a central target (say 6 feet by 4 feet). The
object of this part of our invention is to avoid the liability, which at present exists
with such targets, of the hinges being struck and damaged by the bullets when one
or both of the side targets are folded back behind the centre target, and to this
end it consists in hinging the side targets to the centre target by a double hinge
so that the side targets will fold so far back that no portion of the hinge shall
bespresented to the line of fire, as is the case with such targets now in use.
Reference is to be had, to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this:
Specification, wherein we have illustrated the invention as applied to a target, the
construction being analogous when applied, to a mantlet.
Figure 1. is a front, Figure 2 a rear, and Figure 3 a side, elevation (partly broken
away) of a first-class target constructed according to our.invention.
It will be understood that a second-class target is formed by folding back one or
other of the wing portions A¹ or A2 and a third-class target by folding back both
of such wing portions leaving only the central portion. A to be fired at. Each. of
these portions A, A1, A2, is constructed, as shewn in Figure 2, of a skeleton frame
of wood, iron, or steel, or a combination of these, suitably stayed and strutted, the
parts of the frame being bolted together so as to admit of being readily taken to
pieces for transport. To cach of these frames square plates of wrought iron or
steel are secured by bolts whose heads are countersunk in plates a (as shewn in
Figure 3) all the plates being identical in size and shape and in the positions of
the bolt holes so that any plate can be turned round in its place or be interchanged
as regards. position. with any other plate in the target or be replaced by a new
plate, according to the nature and situation of the damage.it may sustain.
The construction of ;a mantlet being similar to that.of the target, as; regards the
frames and plates, no special description thereof is necessary..:
As shewn in Figure 2 the side wings A' A² are hinged to the central part A by
double knuckle hinges, the two knuckles c c of each hinge being connected by an
intermediate link d and being situated at a distance from the edge of the portion
of the target to which the hinge strap is fixed so that when the side wing is folded
back no portion of the hinge will project beyond the edge of the central part A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is-
1. The construction of a target or mantlet of a skeleton frame to which are
bolted plates of regular uniform shape, size, and position of bolt holes so as to admit
of readily turning interchanging or replacing any of the plates as may be required.
2. A target.constructed of interchangeable plates, as described, and composed of
ihree main sections hinged together by double knuckle hinges so that when folded
the hinges,shall not-project.beyond the central section as specified.
**COL Jun'e to Con la Sin
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
J. J. LANE,
S. SMITH,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.