Improvements in or relating to Disappearing Targets for Rifle and other Shooting Practice.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 19th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Disappearing Targets for Rifle and
other Shooting Practice.
I, JOHN WILLIAM PORTER, of the Rifle Ranges, Williamstown, near Melbourne,
in the Colony of Victoria, Ranger, 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 relates to those classes of targets which can be made to disappear
at intervals. Its object being to provide a set of such disappearing targets which
can be easily dismantled, shifted about from place to place, re-erected with a mini-
mum cost of time or labor, and be packed away into a comparatively small compass
for transport purposes.
My invention will be readily understood from the accompanying drawings in
which,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a set of four targets constructed and arranged
according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section on line 22 Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a front elevation and a plan of a spring used
for securing the targets upon a rock shaft hereinafter described.
Figure 5 is a view showing one of the supports of the said rock shaft.
Figure 6 is a view illustrating one of the details of my invention and
Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a side and a front elevation showing the arrange-
ment of the drums used for winding up the wires or cords used for operating the
targets.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
According to my invention I provide a rock shaft A. consisting of a number of
lengths of iron piping connected together at their ends by flanges a which can be
bolted together. The targets B are made of sheets of galvanised iron of any
preferred shape and in order to stiffen them they are formed with a V shaped
groove or corrugation b down the centre. The rock shaft A is mounted or supported
at intervals in forks or rollocks C and the iron sheets or targets B are secured to
said rock shaft by means of flat steel springs D passing through eyes or loops d.
projecting from said shaft one on each side of each target, a block of wood or other
packing being arranged between the target B and the rock shaft A in order to
form a better support or bearing for the former. Preferably at about the centre
of the rock shaft A I mount a downwardly projecting arm E and immediately
behind it is arranged a standard F in the upper end of which is mounted a small
roller or pulley f around which is passed a cord G one of whose ends is secured to
the lower end of the arm E, whilst its other end extends to the firing point or other
position whence the officer or other person in charge can operate the targets.
Another cord G¹ is attached to said arm E and leads direct to the same place as the
cord G. The upper end of the standard F is retained in position by placing a cross
bar fi in engagement with a projection on the upper end of said standard and by
resting the ends of said cross bar in notches or recesses cut for the purpose in the
surface of the ground. This cross bar can be pointed at one end and widened out

page_text: at the other so that it forms a useful tool which will be very handy in erecting
the targets.
HH represent rollers mounted in bearings in a suitable frame or standard h
upon which the cords G G¹ can be wound when not in use or when it is required
to transport them from place to place. This roller supporting stand or framework
is preferably so constructed that by taking off a cross bar or stays h¹ connecting
the two end frames together, these latter can be laid flat one upon the other and will
take up very little room. The rollers can be lifted out of their bearings to
facilitate their carriage from place to place.
It will be evident that disappearing targets arranged as above described can be
quickly and easily erected, the only excavation necessary being a shallow trench
to receive the rock shaft A and a cross trench or groove to allow the arm E to work
in, and as the rock shaft can be disconnected in lengths and the targets can be
removed from it and laid flat one upon the other, it will be evident that very little
space will be required in which to pack the whole of the apparatus.
When erected the officer or other person in charge can stand at or behind the
firing point and can by pulling the wire or cord G cause the targets B to turn over
into their horizontal position, when they will be out of sight of the marksman.
By pulling the cord or wire G he can again bring the targets into their vertical
positions and can allow them to remain at such position for any length of time
he likes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. A target (such as B) mounted upon a hollow rock shaft fitted with a down-
wardly projecting arm having two operating cords or wires (such as G G¹) attached
to its lower end; one of said cords or wires being passed around a pulley at the
back of said arm ad the other being connected direct to said arm, substantially
as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2nd. The combination with a series of targets (such as B) of a hollow rock shaft
(such as A) made in sections and supported in bearings at intervals and having
provision for the attachment of said targets to it substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and explained and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3rd. The combination with a disappearing target (such as B) of a spring having
its ends passed through loops (such as d) projecting from a rock shaft (such as A)
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as illus-
trated in the accompanying drawings.
4th. The combination with a disappearing target of a pulley (such as f) mounted
in the upper end of a standard (such as F) having a cross bar (such as f¹) connected
with the upper end of said standard and resting in grooves or notches cut in the
ground at each of its ends substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and explained and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of November One thousand eight hundred and
J. W. PORTER.
Tongue & Birkbeck,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.