Improved Apparatus for Working Canvas Targets.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th July, 1897
Complete Specification Loft 14th An 1808 Accented 20th May 1898
Improved Apparatus for Working Canvas Targets.
We, HENRY ERNEST HALDANE, of 8A, Sussex Street, Plymouth, late Captain 1st
North Staffordshire Regiment, and ERNEST FRANK ANTHONY, of 4, Princess Square,
Plymouth, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention, which relates to canvas targets for rifle shooting practice, con-
sists in improved apparatus for carrying such targets and for elevating them above
the usual mantlet and lowering behind the same.
The apparatus which constitutes this invention consists of a pair of cradles, pre-
ferably of wood, for carrying the targets, which cradles are coupled together by a
chain or rope passed over a pulley supported towards the top of a frame or staging
in which the cradles aforesaid work. The base of the said frame or staging is
intended to be buried in the ground to a sufficient depth to obtain stability under
wind pressure. The cradles are so arranged that when one is lowered and pro-
tected by the usual mantlet or parapet, the other is sufficiently elevated above the
mantlet or parapet as to display the necessary area of target, but without exposing
the bearer extending across the target towards the bottom thereof. The act of
raising one of the cradles causes the other to descend. The cradles, which are of
open framework, are of rectangular shape, and are furnished with eyes through
which are passed rods serving as guides and assisting to stiffen the frame or staging
in which the cradles work.
The side posts of the targets are extended down below the canvas to constitute
legs which are inserted in the cradles in which they are securely held.
Under this invention, the targets are raised and lowered with increased facility
and rapidity, and are readily shipped into the cradles and unshipped from the
same.
D: 16th don of Tul… 1907
Improved Apparatus for Working Canvas Targets.
We, HENRY ERNEST HALDANE, of 8A, Sussex Street, Plymouth, late Captain 1st
North Staffordshire Regiment, and ERNEST FRANK ANTHONY, of 4, Princess Square,
Plymouth, Gentleman, 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:
This invention, which relates to canvas targets for rifle shooting practice, con-
sists in improved apparatus for carrying such targets and for elevating them above
the usual mantlet and lowering behind the same."

page_text: The apparatus which constitutes this invention consists of a pair of cradles, pre-
ferably of wood, for carrying the targets, which cradles are coupled together by a
chain or rope passed over a pulley supported towards the top of a frame or staging
in which the aforesaid cradles work. The base of the said frame or staging is
intended to be buried in the ground to a sufficient depth to obtain stability under
wind pressure. The cradles are so arranged that when one is lowered and pro-
tected by the usual mantlet or parapet, the other is sufficiently elevated above the
mantlet or parapet as to display the necessary area of target, but without exposing
the bearer extending across the target towards the bottom thereof. The act of
raising one of the cradles causes the other to descend.
Referring to the accompanying drawing, the figure shown thereon represents, in
perspective view, our improved apparatus with targets placed therein.
The apparatus consists of a pair of cradles a, preferably of wood. The cradles a
are connected together by a rope 6 fastened to them at its ends and passed over a
pulley carried in bearings fixed to the top beam of the frame or staging d in
which the cradles a rise and descend. This frame or staging d consists of beams,
preferably of wood, secured together to form a rectangular structure with trans-
verse arms e at top and e¹ at bottom. The bottom arms e¹ are intended to be
buried in the ground to a sufficient depth to obtain stability of the structure under
wind pressure. The cradles a, which approximately counterbalance each other,
consist of open frames, preferably of wood. The longitudinals of the cradles carry
eyes which are screwed or otherwise fixed in the longitudinals. Through the
let into
are passed rods g, of iron or steel, which, at top, are
the arms
e of the frame or staging, and, at bottom, into the arms
thereof. The eyes f slide freely on the rods g which serve as guides to the cradles a
in ascending and descending, and assist to strengthen the frame in which the
cradles work. In each cradle is carried a target h stretched upon side posts h¹
which, in each case, extend down beyond the uppermost pair of longitudinals
constituting part of the cradle frame, and their bottom ends rest on transverse
bearers uniting the lower pair of longitudinals of the cradle.
eyes
As will be readily understood, the act of lowering one target with the object of
bringing it below the top of the usual mantlet or parapet, causes the other target
to rise and display the necessary area of target. The range of travel is such that
the lower longitudinals of the cradles are preferably never elevated above the top
of the mantlet or parapet.
The advantages possessed by the apparatus are that the targets are raised and
lowered with increased facility and rapidity and are readily shipped into the
cradles and removed from the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
Apparatus for working canvas targets for rifle practice; consisting of a pair of
target-carrying cradles, which approximately counterbalance, such as a and are
connected together by a chain or rope passed over a pulley carried by the upper
beam of a frame or staging in which the targets work and which carries guide rods
which pass through eyes fixed to the cradles; the arrangement being such that
when one target is elevated above the mantlet the other, to which it is connected,
is depressed behind the mantlet, substantially as héreinabove described with refer-
ence to the accompanying drawing.
This 19th day of April 1898