An Improvement in Penetrable Targets.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Penetrable Targets.
I, TOM BELL BURNS, of Ashton House, Cossham Road, St. George, in the City
and County of Bristol, Target Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention is for making it possible for a target to be used of greater
height when lowered into the trench than the depth of the trench itself and
yet be concealed from view at the firing point this is accomplished by a hinged
wing which is operated on by the marker who can lower it to a suitable angle
for repairing shot holes. For instance, a target 6 feet square with a wing 2 feet
wide hung to it, and the target hung at or near one of its corners or to the
leg which projects from one of its sides, when it is lowered into the trench say
6 feet 6 inches in depth the wing would project 18 inches above the ground until
the marker lowers the wing, when the whole would be hid from view.
Dated this 29th day of March 1899.
TOM BELL BURNS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Penetrable Targets.
I, ALBERT HARVEY, of Albert House, Leigh View, Old Ashley Hill, in the
City and County of Bristol, Executor of the will of the late Tom Bell Burns,
of Ashton House, Cossham Road, St. George, in the City and County of Bristol,
Target Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for object to make it possible for a target to be used of
greater height when lowered into the trench than the depth of the trench
itself and yet be concealed from view at the firing point. This is accomplished
by means of a hinged wing which is operated by the marker, who can lower it
to a suitable angle for repairing shot holes. For instance, a target 6 feet square
may have a wing 2 feet wide hung to it and be hung near one of its corners
by the leg which projects from one of its sides; if such a target were lowered
into a trench, say 6 feet 6 inches in depth, the wing would project 18 inches
above the ground until the marker lowered the wing, when the whole would be
hid from view and readily accessible to the marker.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings are respectively front and back
elevations of an example of a penetrable target according to this invention;
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a portion of the target drawn to a larger scale
D

page_text: than Figs. 1 and 2; and Figs. 4- and 5 are respectively vertical and horizontal
sections corresponding to Fig. 3..
The target a comprises a frame a¹ to which is attached a piece of stretched
canvas as is usual in penetrable targets. The wing likewise comprises a
frame b which is hinged to the target frame a¹ by means of india-rubber
stamps criveted to the two frames and is further supported by the canvas of the
target, which extends over and is attached to the wing frame 61. The target is
pivoted at a² in a suitable frame and when the target is lowered by turning it
in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2, the side a³ of the
frame rests on the bottom of the trench, whilst a part of the wing b project
above the ground. Connected at one end by an eye 62 to the wing frame b¹ is
a rod d provided with a handle d¹ and normally in engagement with hooks e.
When the marker desires to repair shot-holes in the wing, the target having
been lowered into the trench, all that is necessary is to disengage the rod d
from the hooks e and pull downwards on the handle d'. This extends the india-
rubber straps c, and when the pull on the handle d' is released, the straps c,
acting as springs, contract and again extend the wing into its normal position
for firing, the operator, assisting the straps by pushing up the rod d.
Having now particularly described and ascertained. the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
1. A penetrable target having a hinged wing and so mounted that if the target
is placed in a trench of a depth greater than the height of the target but less
than the combined height of the target and the wing when the target is lowered
therein, the wing will, if the target be so lowered, project above the ground but
will be adapted to be turned down by the marker so as to be within the trench
and in a position convenient for repair.
2. A penetrable target provided with a hinged wing and mounted so as to be
adapted to be repaired by a. marker in a trench of less depth than the combined
height of the target and the wing when the target is lowered therein, as here-
in before described with reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of January 1900.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE.
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.