Improvements in Targets for Rifle Practice.
Year: 1897

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Targets for Rifle Practice.
I. JAMES THOMAS SPENCER of 25 and 27 London Road, Reading, in the County of
Berkshire, Ironmonger and 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 that type or class of targets for rifle practice, in which
means is provided for removing the same after each shot out of the range of firing
for the purposes of repair, and consists of certain improvements in the mechanism for
operating the movements of the said target or targets for the purposes stated, by
means of which I am enabled to dispense with the chains, levers, and other expensive
and cumbersome gear, hitherto employed for this purpose, and to effect economy in
the earth space necessary for the erection and manipulation of the targets, and the
manual power needed for operating the same.
In order that my invention and the manner of and means for operating the same
may be fully understood, I have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings, of which-
Fig 1 is a front elevation of such a target according to my invention in which the
target proper is shewn lowered within the pit, and the dummy target raised above
the pit, the said pit for clearness of illustration being shewn in section.
Fig 2 is a like elevation illustrating the position of the target proper, and the
duniny target, when arrested midway of the upward travel of the former and the
downward travel of the latter, the positions of these when the target proper is raised
for firing at being shewn by dotted outlines, which is exactly reversed to that shewn
by Fig 1.
Fig 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus as viewed from the right to left of
Fig. 1.
Fig 4 is a plan view taken when the targets are at a horizontal level with each
other, the position of these in this view being exactly opposite to that shewn by full
lines in Fig 2.
Fig 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the automatic locking device hereinafter
explained.
In carrying my invention into effect I excavate sufficient earth to form a pit A, of
such length and breadth as to provide a clearance for the movements of the targets,
and permit the presence of a marker for operating the same, and of such a depth as
to permit the elevated target only, to be seen by the marksman, and upon the bed of
the said pit, I place and fix by any suitable means, a wooden or other rectangular
base plate B, on the four corners of which I erect wooden or other uprights or
standards C, D, E and F on the upper ends of which, I provide suitable plummer-
blocks or equivalent plates a, b, c, and d, respectively, the former of which (a b) form
bearings for rollers m m', to which is connected or formed integrally therewith, the
primary and final ends of a metallic rod or bar G, so bent or formed as to provide a
pair of cranks e and f, while the latter (c, d) form in like manner bearings for similar
rollers n and n¹ for the primary and final ends of a like rod or bar H, bent or formed
to provide cranks g and h The cranks e and f carry like rollers o and o¹, while the
cranks g and h carry rollers P and p¹.

page_text: A wooden or other bar or carrier J is suspended at its ends upon the cranks f and h
by the means of plummer blocks or equivalent plates and which form bearings
for the rollers p¹ and o¹, while a like bar or carrier K is suspended at its ends upon
the cranks e and g by the means of plummer blocks or equivalent plates & and 8¹,
which form bearings for the rollers o and p, the said bars J and K being for carrying
the duminy target L, and the practice target M, respectively or two practice targets
if such is desired, but in the accompanying drawings I have assumed that the former
arrangement is employed.
The said targets are usually composed of a wooden or other frame upon which
canvas or other like and penetrable material is stretched, the practice target M having
painted thereon the usual disc and rings to indicate "bulls eye," "inner," "outer
and "magpie" in the usual way, while the dummy target L is provided with horizontal
rods such as t upon which the marker suspends a black disc in such a position and
way as to indicate to the marksman the value of his shot in the manner well
understood. For the purposes of my invention I provide the frame of the said
targets with feet or forks v, for the reception of which I provide in the bars J and K
slots or apertures w (Fig 4) these being preferably faced by metallic plates w¹, each
adapted to receive a hand or thumb screw, or equivalent device such as t¹ (Fig 1) by
means of which the said feet or forks v may be retained in the said slots, that the
said targets may stand up vertically from the said bars as shewn in Figs 1, 2, and 3.
The said targets are usually made to measure 4, 6, 8, or 12 feet in width according
to the length of the range, and in the accompanying drawings I have assumed that
6 feet targets are in use, but in order that the said bars may receive targets of either
size, I provide in suitable positions in both J and K like slots such as w each faced
by a like plate as indicated by w² in Fig 1.
In practice, the marker standing in the pit A would first place the target M in its
lowest position as at Figs 1 and 3, and repair or patch the hole or holes left therein
from the previous firing, and when so repaired, he would push this from right to left
as at Fig 2, or from left to right as at Fig 4, whichever he may desire, but assuming
the push to be from right to left, the targets would both describe a sector of a circle,
and when M had been raised and J lowered from their positions in Fig 1 to that
shewn in Fig 2, the marker would transfer his hand to the target L, and pull this
down into its lowest position which would raise M into its highest position, thus
transposing the positions of the targets from that shewn by full lines in Fig 1 to
that shewn by dotted outline in Fig 2, the cranks e and h (and consequently the
targets L and M) having by this movement described the half of a circle as indicated
by the dotted outline, and in the direction of the arrows in Fig 1. The marksman
having fired at the target, the marker would note the value of his shot and would
suspend the before mentioned black disc in such a position and manner upon one or
the other of the rods t as would indicate the same, when the marker would impart a
like push to the dummy target L, and a like pull upon the descending target M,
until both were in the positions shewn in Fig 1, which would, indicate to the
marksman the value of his shot, and assuming that the shot had struck the target,
the hole therein made by the said shot, would now be covered by the marker with a
black or white patch as the case may be, when the marker would again raise the
target M and lower the dummy L, and so on each time a shot was fired.
It will thus be understood that by reason of both targets being suspended in
equilibrium upon the points a, b, c, d, that the one acts as a counterbalance for the
other, and that but slight power is needed to operate their movements as described.
In order that either target, but especially the target proper M, may, when
elevated, be automatically locked in that position, so as not to be shaken by the wind,
I provide upon the under surface of each of the bars J and K a plate N, the under
surface of which N¹, describes a sector of a circle, and has at its lowest point a slot O,
while upon the base B, I fix a bracket P, upon which is pivotally suspended a
lever R, having at one end an adjustable weight S, and at the other a foot plate T,
and between T and P I provide a similar bracket V, which serves as a guide and stop
for the vertical movements of this end of R. By reason of the weight S, the normal

page_text: position of the said lever is such, that when either of the bars J or K is brought to
its lowest positions, the plate N¹ thereon depresses the said lever, which automatically
engages with the slot O therein, and locks it in that position, until released by the
marker depressing with his foot the plate T.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. In targets for rifle practice, the combination of a pair of targets supported upon
separate bars or carriers, mounted upon double cranked rods, suspended in suitable
bearings upon vertical standards in such a manner as to counterbalance each other,
and by means of which, motion imparted to either target in one direction, will convey
motion to the other target in an opposite direction substantially as herein described
and shewn.
2nd. In an improved target for rifle practice the combination of a pair of targets such
as M, or one such as M and a dummy target such as L of approved dimensions, supported
upon bars or carriers such as J and K, the said bars or carriers being mounted by the
means of suitable bearings upon the cranks of a pair of double cranked levers such
as G and H the initial and final ends of which said levers are supported in suitable
bearings upon standards such as C, D, E, F, mounted upon a base plate B in such a
manner that the said targets counterbalance each other, with means for locking the
said targets when placed one above the other, substantially as herein described and
shewu by the accompanying drawings.
3rd. In combination with a target for rifle practice as set forth in the preceding
claim, the use and application of a locking device, consisting of a weighted lever R,
pivotally suspended upon a bracket P, and moving vertically in a guide such as V,
and adapted to automatically engage alternately with the slot O of the curved face Ni
of a plate such as N, fixed upon the bars or carriers G and H, and adapted to be
released from such engagement with the said slots when the end T is lowered by the
foot of the marker substantially, as described and shewn by the drawing more
particularly by Fig 5.
GEO. THOS. HYDE
1 Broad St. Bld. Liverpool Street London E.C. Agent for the Applicant.