An Improvement in Electric Targets.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 15th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Electric Targets.
I, ARTHUR JAMES HERVEY WYATT of The Morris Tube Company Limited,.
No. 11 Haymarket in the County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a simple construction of target so arranged that, when the
bull's eye is struck by a bullet, an electric contact is made sufficiently prolonged in
duration to cause a signal to be seen or heard at a distant station. For this purpose,.
behind a central hole in a metal plate which forms the front of the target, I attach,.
by a spring blade at one side, a plate which is coloured differently from the front so
as to form the bull's eye. An arm projecting from this bulls' eye plate bears.
against one arm of a somewhat heavy wheel fixed on a vertical axis, capable
of revolving and urged by a suitable spring into position to keep the bulls' eye
against the front plate.. When the bulls' eye is struck by a bullet, it makes a
stroke backwards, causing the wheel to make a partial revolution in the one
direction, after which it is brought back by the spring, the two movements, owing
to the inertia of the wheel, occupying a certain time, during which an insulated
contact piece on the axis of the wheel makes electrical connection of two spring
blades attached respectively to the conductors to and from the distant station.
In order to keep the contacts protected from moisture or other influences, I
preferably arrange them within an air tight casing into which the axis of the wheel
and the conducting cable enter through stuffing boxes. This casing may be
arranged between two front plates with bulls' eyes, or within a cubical or polygonal
box presenting four or more front plates and bulls' eyes. This latter form is
especially applicable for a floating target, as one or other of the several bulls eyes
is always sure to be visible. Instead of a heavy wheel, a pair of arms carrying
weights might obviously be employed to furnish the necessary inertia. The casing
containing the contacts may be filled with non conducting liquid such as oil.
1009
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Electric Targets.
I, ARTHUR JAMES HERVEY WYATT, of The Morris Tube Company Limited,
No. 11 Haymarket in the County of London, Engineer, 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 a simple construction of target so arranged that, when
the bull's eye is struck by a bullet, an electric contact made sufficiently prolonged
in duration to cause a signal to be seen or heard at a distant station. For this
purpose, behind a hole in a metal plate which forms the front of the target, I
attach, by a spring blade at one side, a plate which is coloured differently from the
front, so as to form the bull's eye. An arm projecting from this bull's eye plate
bears against one arm of a somewhat heavy wheel fixed on a vertical axis, capable
of revolving and urged by a suitable spring into position to keep the bull's eye
against the front plate. When the bull's eye is struck by a bullet, it makes a

page_text: stroke backwards, causing the wheel to make a partial revolution in the one
direction, after which it is brought back by the spring, the two movements, owing
to the inertia of the wheel, occupying a certain time, during which an insulated
contact piece on the axis of the wheel makes electrical connection of two spring
blades attached respectively to the conductors to and from the distant station."
In order to keep the contacts protected from moisture or other influences I
preferably arrange them within an air tight casing into which the axis of the wheel
and the conducting cable enter through stuffing boxes. This casing may be
arranged between two front plates with bull's eyes, or within a cubical or polygonal
box presenting four or more front plates and bull's eyes. This latter form is
especially applicable for a floating target, as one or other of the several bull's eyes
is always sure to be visible. Instead of a heavy wheel, a pair of arms carrying
weights might obviously be employed to furnish the necessary inertia. The
casing containing the contacts may be filled with non conducting liquid such
as oil.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical section partly in elevation and
Fig. 2 is a plan with cover removed, of a four sided target according to my
invention;
Fig. 3 is a vertical section and Fig. 4 is a plan of the electrical contact
arrangement.
A is a rectangular casing having through each side a hole, facing which within
the casing is the coloured plate B constituting the bull's eye.
It is supported on a blade spring band has attached to it a horizontal arm C
the end of which bends upwards at the side of one of the spokes of a heavy wheel D
mounted on a vertical spindle E which passes through a stuffing box into a
cylinder F. A spring S is attached at its one end to one of the spokes of the
wheel D and at the other end to one side of the casing A, this spring being
so adjusted as to bring a stud on the wheel D against a stop T. Within the
cylinder F the spindle E carries insulated a metal crosshead H, which is near to
but not in contact with two spring terminals G connected to the wires of a
conducting cable J, which is passed through a stuffing box into F. When a
projectile strikes any of the bull's eye plates B it is driven inwards giving an
impulse to the wheel D, which makes a partial rotation and returns. During most
of its rotation in both directions the crosshead H is in contact with the terminals G,
the time of contact being so far prolonged by the inertia of the wheel D that
there is time for transmission of an electric current to a distant signal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
An electric target constructed and operating substantially as herein described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of January 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.