Improvements in Movable Targets for Military Practice.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 29th Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Movable Targets for Military Practice.
I, FRANCIS CLARKE of Dane John Works, Canterbury, in the County of Kent,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to moving targets for rifle practice and particularly to targets
which are made to advance and retire for the purpose of practice at unknown and
varying ranges.
The targets are dummy figures, representing cavalry or infantry, mounted on a
truck hauled along a railway track which may be level or undulating, to represent
the natural accidents of the ground.
My Invention relates mainly to the means whereby the targets are caused to
automatically disappear by falling down upon the truck.
The figures are fixed in sockets each of which is independently pivoted on a
horizontal transverse axis, and is locked in position to hold the figure upright by
a trip lever adapted to be acted on in order to release the figure at the proper
moment by a block or tripping piece fixed in the path of the trip lever, there being
one for each trip lever at different parts of the track so as to effect the disappearance
of the targets at the proper times, places, and order.
The target is caused to fall by the action of a spring which is allowed to come
into action by the release of the trip lever the fall of the target being checked by
another spring which is so arranged with regard to the centre of motion as to
ensure the complete fall of the target and its retention in the lowered position.
If the truck be hauled by hand, the winch is so constructed as to enable sufficient
power to be conveniently applied to move the truck at the desired speed. For this
purpose two sets of multiplying gear are used each set being worked by two crank
handles at opposite sides of the winch. If the truck be hauled by power, an endless
rope or chain would be used, the member attached to the truck passing between
the rails of the track and the return member passing alongside at a sufficient
distance to be out of the way.
Dated this 2nd date of January 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Movable Targets for Military Practice.
I, FRANCIS CLARKE of Dane John Works, Canterbury, in the County of Kent,
Manufacturer, 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 :-
My Invention relates to moving targets for rifle practice and particularly to targets
which are made to advance and retire for the purpose of practice at unknown and
varying ranges. The targets are dummy figures (representing either cavalry or
infantry) mounted on a truck hauled along a railway track (preferably of 1-iron)
which may be level or undulating to represent the natural accidents of the ground.
My Invention relates mainly to the means whereby the targets are caused to
automatically disappear by falling down upon the truck, this disappearance taking
place on the arrival of the truck at predetermined positions during the advance of the
truck towards the marksman.

page_text: Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
specification wherein Figures 1 and 2 are front and side elevations, and Figure 3 a
plan of the moving targets. Figures 4 and 5 are a side elevation and plan showing
the moving target as used on an undulating track. Figures 6 to 10 are front
elevations of the targets on a smaller scale, showing the dummy figures as dis-
appearing progressively as they advance. Figures 11 and 12 are elevations of the
improved windlass.
The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
The dummy figures A may cut out of sheet metal and stiffened by a wood backing
and they are fixed in corresponding sockets B, each socket being independently
pivoted on a horizontal cross-rod (fixed in the main frame D of the truck which is
constructed of light iron or steel bars suitably braced, and is provided with a
fender L at the front to protect the moving parts from being struck by the bullets.
These sockets B are adapted to receive the lower end of the dummy figure A and
are provided with a pair of ears b which turn loose on the cross-rod C, the latter
being of round section. Each socket is locked in position to hold the dummy figure
upright by a latch lever E pivoted at f in a fixed part of the frame and having a
notched end adapted to engage with the lower edge of the socket B and a downwardly-
curved tail end e adapted to be acted on (for the purpose of tripping the lever and
releasing the socket and allowing the dummy figure to fall at the proper moment)
by a tripping piece G fixed in the path of the latch lever E, there being a tripping
piece for each latch lever E the several tripping pieces being situated at different
parts of the track so as to effect the disappearance of the targets at the proper times
and places. Each target is caused to fall by the action of a spring H which is
strained when the target is upright and is allowed to come into action by the release
of the latch lever E, the fall of the target being checked by another spring I which
is so arranged, with regard to the centres of motion as to ensure the complete fall of
the target and its retention in the lowered position. For this purpose the two spiral
springs are placed upon a rod K jointed at k to an ear projecting from the lower end
of the socket B and this rod slides freely through an eye in a cross bar D¹ forming
part of the frame and which is prevented from springing under the strain of the
springs, by pairs of arms d bolted to it and having eyes embracing the rod C.
When the target is upright, the spring His compressed between the head of the
rod K and the bar D₁ whilst the spring I is not under strain, but as the target, in
falling, nears its lowest position the spring I abuts against bar D¹ and becomes
compressed thus checking the fall of the target. As the ear k, to which rod K is
jointed, projects from the front face of the socket B it follows that when the target is
horizontal, the spring I acts in a line above the centre of motion B and so tends to
hold the target prostrated.
If the truck be hauled by hand power, the windlass shewn in figures 11 and 12 is
so constructed as to enable the power of a sufficient number of men to be conveniently
applied to move the truck at the desired speed. For this purpose, the barrel M
would be driven by two sets of multiplying gear, each set being worked by two
winch handles at opposite sides of the windlass. Each set of gear is itself in
duplicate and both sets of gear drive the same wheels m m² at opposite ends of the
barrel shaft, the one set, comprising the two handles N N¹ on short shafts mounted
in the opposite standard of the frame, gearing with the wheels m m¹ by the two
wheels n n¹ respectively, whilst the other set, comprising the two handles 0 0¹ also
on short shafts in gear indirectly with wheels m m¹ through the medium of wheels o o¹
and intermediate wheels p p¹ turning on studs. Thus four men can work the wind-
lass at once, the two men working the handles N and O standing face to face and
turning the handles in opposite directions and similarly for the handles N' O¹. If
the truck be hauled by mechanical power, an endless rope or chain would be used,
the member attached to the truck passing between the rails of the track and the
return member passing round guide pulleys and alongside of the track at a sufficient
distance therefrom to be out of the way.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In movable and automatically-disappearing targets carried by a truck running
on a railway, the combination of dummy figures independently pivoted on a horizontal
axis mounted on the truck so as to be capable of standing upright or of lying down
flat thereon, of latch levers also mounted on the truck and engaging with the said
dummy figures, or the sockets in which they are fixed, for the purpose of holding
them in the upright position and of tripping pieces fixed in the railway track and
adapted to act on, and release, the latch levers at proper times, substantially as
specified.
2. In movable automatically-disappearing targets comprising (cavalry and infantry)
figures independently pivoted on a truck and held upright by latch levers, as
specified, the combination, with said figures, of springs adapted to act on the figures
and throw them down when the latch levers are released, as specified.
3. In movable automatically-disappearing targets comprising figures independently
pivoted on a truck, as described, the combination, with the said figures, of springs
adapted to come into action on the fall of the figures and to perform the two-fold
function of first checking the fall and then holding the figure prostrate, substanti-
ally as specified.
4. In a windlass for hauling moving targets, the combination, with the barrel,
of two double sets of gear driving the barrel axle in the manner specified.
Dated this 12th day of February 1890.
Dated this 12th day of February 1890.
F. CLARKE,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.