IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TARGETS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander McNeile, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Iron and Steel Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TARGETS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander McNeile at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
May 1861.
I, ALEXANDER MCNEILE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Iron
and Steel Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TARGETS," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of targets, consists
in constructing these articles in such a manner that every shot that hits the.
target may be indicated by visible signals without the necessity of employing.
an attendant or marker. The target consists of a strong framing, and may be
divided into any convenient number of compartments which are covered with.
sheets or plates of iron that are secured by bolting or otherwise to the fixed
framing. Behind each division of that part of the structure which is to form.
the target to be fired at there is a supplementary framing in which are.
mounted a number of radial levers or arms, the outer ends of which are
provided with hammer heads which rest against the back of the sheets or

page_text: plates of iron. These radial levers are also connected with the escapement
of gearing, whereby certain visible signals are worked. These visible signals
consist of colored vanes, flags, or discs at the ends of levers or arms that are
worked by cords and weights. When a bullet strikes one of the front
plates of the target, the blow on the face causes one of the radial arms to
fly back and release the escapement of the colored disc or flag belonging to
that particular division. The weight belonging thereto will immediately
begin to descend and pull round its shaft, which is connected by a link or
otherwise with the colored disc, and this latter will immediately fly up or out
beyond the target. Stops are provided to prevent the shaft from making
more than one revolution at a time, therefore when the weights have been
once wound up the mechanism will be sufficient to register or indicate the
result of many hours shooting. When the weight stops the colored flag that
has been raised by the blow of the bullet will fall again behind the target.
The transference of the blow from the bullet to levers behind, and from thence
to the moveable signals being the essential feature of the. Invention, I do not
intend to limit myself to any peculiar arrangement of mechanism whereby the
colored signals may be elevated or pushed from behind the target.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander McNeile in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MCNEILE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Iron and Steel Mann-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS. Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the. First day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of. Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander McNeile, Her special license that I, the said Alexander. McNeile;
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alexander McNeile, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time. agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use;
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF TARGETS," upon the condition (amongst others) that 1,.

page_text: the said Alexander McNeile, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
. NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander McNeile, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of "Improvements in the Construction of Targets," consists
in constructing these articles in such a manner that every shot that hits the
target may be indicated by visible signals actuated by mechanical means
without the necessity of employing an attendant as marker. My improved
self-indicating target consists of a strong framing divided into any convenient
number of compartments which are covered with sheets or plates of iron that.
are secured by bolting or otherwise to the fixed framing. Behind each division of.
that part of the structure which is to form the target to be fired at, there is a
supplementary framing in which are mounted a number of radial levers or arms,
the outer ends of which are provided with hammer heads which rest against
the back of the sheets or plates of iron which form the front of the target.
These radial levers are also connected with the escapement action of an
arrangement of gearing whereby certain visible signals are worked. These
visible signals consist of colored vanes, flags or discs fixed at the ends of levers
or arms that are worked by cords and weights. When a bullet strikes one:
of the front plates of the target the blow on the face causes the hammer
head of one of the radial arms to fly back and release the escapement of the
colored disc or flag connected with that particular division of the target.
The weight belonging to the mechanism of this division upon being released
from the detent or stop of the mechanism will immediately begin to descend
and pull round its shaft, which being connected by a link or otherwise with
the lever on which the colored disc is mounted, the latter will immediately
fly up or out beyond the target and thus indicate to the spectators the
particular division of the target that has been.hit. The stop or detent which
until released by the escapement has held the mechanism steady will be
carried back to its original position by means of a spring and will thus prevent
the shaft from making more than one revolution at a time. It will therefore
be understood that when the weights have been once wound up; the mechanism.
will be so arranged as to have a maintaining power sufficient to register or

page_text: indicate the result of many hours of shooting.
When the descent of the
weight is arrested by the detent or stop of the mechanism, the colored flag
that has been raised by the blow of the bullet will fall again behind the target
into its original position. The transference of the blow from the bullet to
levers behind the plates of the target, and from these levers to the moveable
signals being the essential feature of the Invention, I do not intend to limit
myself to any peculiar arrangement of mechanism whereby the colored signals
may be elevated or pushed from behind the target, but I have found in
practice that an arrangement of mechanism similar to that shewn in the
accompanying Drawing will answer every purpose.
Fig. 1, Sheet I., is a back view of one of my improved targets with the
back plate removed, in order to shew the internal mechanism; Fig. 2 is a
sectional elevation of the back with some of the gearing removed, in order
more clearly to shew those parts which are behind and are more immediately
connected with the metal plates which form the front or face of the target; Fig. 3
is a transverse vertical section taken through or near the centre of the target;
Fig. 4 is a front view of the target, which it will be seen is divided into three
principal compartments, (videlicit) the upper and lower compartments 1 and 2,
and the centre or middle compartment 3, which is also provided with a bull's-
eye 4; Fig. 5 is a plan or top view of the target, shewing the arrangement of
the visible signals behind the face plates of the target when they are at rest;
Fig. 6 is another plan or top view drawn upon an enlarged scale and shewing
the mechanism for working one of the signals.
: a, a, a, a, is the main or external framing of the structure, and on to the side
standards of which are screwed, bolted, or otherwise fastened the iron plates
b; b, b, which form the face of the target. Cross pieces a¹, a¹, a', a', are secured
to the side standards a for the purpose of supporting the bearings of the levers
c, c, c, of which there are four sets, one set to each of the front plates 1, 2, and
3 of the target, and one set for the bull's-eye. As, however, all these levers
act in precisely the same manner, a description of the operation of one set will
suffice for all; and in order that the construction and operation of the several
parts may be more clearly seen, I have shewn at Fig. 6 a plan view of one
pair of levers with their gearing and mechanism drawn upon an enlarged scale.
Each of the levers c is provided at its outer extremity with a hammer head c¹,
(seen best in Fig. 6,) which is made to bear lightly against the back of the
target plates b. It is necessary for the proper action of these parts that these
hammer heads should be adjusted against the plates 6 with great nicety and
accuracy, for which purpose they are screwed into holes tapped near the ends
of the levers c, and are provided with square outer ends, so that they may be

page_text: turned in their sockets by means of a key, as shewn in Fig. 6. Any convenient
number of levers c, c, may be adapted to each plate b, the object being that
the hammer heads c¹ of these levers c should be so arranged or dispersed
throughout the back surface of the plates, that wherever a bullet may strike
on the face of the plate, it should find a hammer head behind in the imme-
diate vicinity of the place. I have usually adopted a hammer and lever to
every square foot of surface throughout the target, but a greater number of
hammers and levers may be employed if desired. I have found that even a
smaller number than that shewn in the Drawing will answer the purpose, but
I do not recommend the number of hammers to be reduced to the minimum;
but rather prefer to have them in excess, so that under no circumstances could
the bullet strike the target without setting the signal mechanism in action.
It will be seen on referring to the Drawings, Fig. 6, in particular, that
the hammers c¹ at the outer ends of the levers c bear against the plates b,
and the inner ends of the levers care collected together and rest upon a disc or
plate dat the end of the lever d, so that when the outer or hammer end of
either of the levers c is driven back by the blow of a bullet on the face of the
target the inner end of such lever will push forward the disc d', and cause the
lever d to rock on its centre, as indicated by dots in Fig. 6. The outer end
of the lever d is connected by means of the rod d* to another lever e, mounted
ón a centre 4 on the cross pieces of the inner or supplementary framing f, on
which the toothed gearing hereafter described is mounted.
The lever e is provided at its other end with a horizontal stop pin or projecting
piece e, against which bears an arm g of the shaft g'. This shaft g¹ carries one of
a train of wheels h, h, ha, h³, h' on the shafts g', g², 93, 9. The toothed wheel h* is
mounted loosely on the shaft g', and is merely an intermediate wheel for trans-
mitting motion from the pulley to the other gearing h, h, h³, &c. The pulley k
is keyed on to the shaft g*, and receives several turns of a weighted cord I, which
is the prime mover for actuating this pulley and the gearing connected therewith.
On this same shaft 9' is a ratchet wheel i, into the teeth of which take palls or
clicks j, j, which are attached to the arms of the wheel h', as shewn in the
enlarged detached view, Fig. 7, of this wheel. It will be evident, therefore,
that the tendency of the pulley k, when acted on by the weighted cord, will be
to rotate in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6, and to carry round with it the
ratchet wheel i, the toothed wheel h', and the other toothed gearing h³, h², h¹,
and h, unless some interposing obstacle should prevent the mechanism from
operating. This interposing obstacle will be found in the projecting pin or
stude of the lever e, and immediately this pin e' is drawn out of the way the
weighted cord 1, by acting on the pulley k, will set the wheelwork in motion.

page_text: The shaft g' is provided at its inner end with a crank o (Fig. 6) which is
connected by means of a link p to the inner end of one of the semaphore vanes
or arms q, which are all mounted on centres or axles, so that when by the
rotation of the shaft g' the crank o is carried round, it will during its descent
pull down the link p, and the inner end of the semaphore vane or arm 9 con-
nected therewith, and will cause the latter to rise from behind the face plate of
the target, as shewn in the Diagram views, Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.
It will be seen on referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, that each of the front
plates 1, 2, and 3, of the target is provided with a set of the mechanism just
described, and the bull's-eye A, Fig. 3, is provided with a separate set of
mechanism, but owing to the small diameter of the bull's-eye it is found that
one hammer c, and one lever d, will be sufficient to transmit the effects of
the blow of the bullet to the indicating mechanism of this part of the target.
Fig. 8 is a back view drawn upon an enlarged scale of the toothed gearing
connected with the bull's-eye. The bull's-eye plate A (Fig. 3) is bolted on to
a separate framing a", a", and a space is left in the framing to allow the
hammer head c to pass through and bear against the circular plate A which
forms the bull's-eye. Upon the latter being struck by a bullet the hammer
head crebounds as in the other instances, and acts on the lever d* so as to
liberate the arm g on the shaft g¹ from the projecting stop of the lever e (shewn
in Fig. 6, but not in Fig. 7); the toothed gearing h, h¹, h2, h3, h4, of the
mechanism B (Figures 1 and 3) will then be immediately set in motion, and
the shaft g by its rotation will carry round the crank o, and through the
intervention of the link p will raise the semaphore signal C, which will denoto
that the bull's-eye has been struck, as shewn at Diagram Figures 1 and 2. A
springs (Fig. 6) is made to bear against the side of the lever e, so that imme-
diately this latter has liberated the arm g of the shaft g¹, it will be forced back
into its normal position, so that when the crank o on the other end of the shaft
bas completed its revolution the arm g will come against the projecting stop e¹,
and prevent it from going any further. The mechanism will therefore only
make one signal for each blow, unless the bullet should by chance strike between
the two plates forming the bull's-eye and centre plate, when the two sets of
mechanism belonging to the centre plate 3, and the bull's-eye will be set in
motion and the two semaphore arms or vanes belonging to these compartments
of the target will be raised, as shewn at Fig. 13. If the centre plate alone be
hit, then only one semaphore arm will be raised, as shewn at Fig. 11. If
either the upper or lower plates 1 or 2 be struck by the bullet, the semaphore
arms or vanes of those compartments will be raised, is shewn in Dingrams,
Figures 10 or 14. Although I have in the accompanying Drawings shewn

page_text: the semaphore signals as formed of quarters of a circle, it will be obvious that
other forms, as for instance, straight arins, similar to the semaphore arms used
on railways, may be employed; I also propose to construct these semaphores
of some perforated substance, such as perforated zinc or wire gauze, that will
not hold the wind so much as an unperforated surface.
It will of course be understood that the mechanism behind the target will
only be in action, and the semaphore signals raised when a bullet strikes some
portion of the target, and that therefore the apparatus will remain in working
condition and not require winding up for some hours at a time. When,
however, owing to the number of bits on the target any of the weights shall
have descended too near the ground, the apparatus must be wound up
again by applying power to the shafts 9, by means of a winch r, as seen in
Fig. 6.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Construction
of Targets," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I would observe, that although I have shewn in the Drawings weights and
cords as the mechanical means or forces, whereby the mechanism for working
the visible signals or semaphore arms or vanes are actuated when released
from the stop or. detent by the impact of the bullet on the face of the target,
I do not mean to confine myself thereto, as springs or other appliances may be
employed as the power to actuate the mechanism, nor do intend to confine
myself rigidly to the precise arrangement of parts herein shewn and described,
as they may doubtless be modified to a considerable extent without departing
from the nature and object of the Invention which I desire to secure by Letters
Patent as aforesaid; I claim as the essential feature of novelty in my improved
target the mode herein set forth of transferring the effects of the blow of the
bullet on the face of the target to the mechanism behind, so that the said
mechanism may act on and render visible from the front a flag, vane, disc,
semaphore arm, or other visible signal, without the necessity of employing a
marker to watch the target as is now the case.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander McNeile, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
ALEXANDER MCNEILE. (L.S.)