Improvements relating to Rifle Ranges.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1895.
Complete Specification Left, 21st Feb., 1896-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Rifle Ranges.
I WALTER WINANS of 7 Chichester Terrace, Brighton, in the County of Sussex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The object of the present invention is to render nore safe the neighbourhood of
rifle ranges, which is at present dangerous, by reason of the bullets, which, having
touched the ground short of the butts, ricochet long distances.
The danger has recently been much increased by the introduction of very long
range rifles, and nickel jacketted bullets. The latter, on touching the ground, are
deflected with scarcely diminished velocity, whereas formerly the leaden bullets
were flattened by impinging on the earth, and, in their altered shape, were incapable
of further flight to such a dangerous extent.
To diminish the number of ricochets from bullets striking the earth short of the
target butts, it is usual to build, at intervals across the range, walls of turf, so that
a bullet dropping short of the target will bury itself therein.
If, however, a bullet grazes the top of one of these walls, it will ricochet as badly.
as ever, particularly if the turf wall or bank is faced with timber, as is sometimes
the case.
The object of my present invention is to render the turf walls more efficacious
than heretofore, and to this end I furnish them at their top with a structure from
which the bullets will not glance, so as to be diverted from their course, and caused
to assume a dangerous direction.
According to my invention, I apply to the summit of the turf walls or banks,
a line of planking, the front of which, towards the firing point, is perpendicular,
while the back is chamfered off to a knife edge at the top. The inclined back of
this planking is covered with a layer of felt, india rubber, or similar soft material,
the edge of which projects above the knife-edge of the planking, in a slightly
forward direction towards the firing point..
In practice, a bullet grazing the turf wall would be prevented by the planking
from glancing away in a dangerous direction, although the said planking would not
suffice to stop its course in the direction of the target. In the same way, if a bullet
touches the topmost edge of the planking, the felt or india rubber will prevent an
upward ricochet, while a bullet merely touching the felt or other soft material only,
will not be appreciably diverted from its course.
Although my invention has been described, and is intended chiefly to be used in
connection with the turf walls, it is applicable also to the edges of the openings or
embrasures of safety screens, which openings are now fitted with inclined armour
plates, for the purpose of deflecting such wild bullets as are not effectually stopped
by the screens, into a harmless direction. In this way, the expense of the
construction of such screens, through the embrasures in which the bullets are
intended to pass, in firing at the targets, is much diminished.
Dated this 13th day of December 1895.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements relating to Rifle Ranges.
I WALTER WINANS of 7 Chichester Terrace, Brighton in the County of Sussex,
Gentleman, 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:-
The object of the present invention is to render more safe the neighbourhood of
rifle ranges, which is at present dangerous, by reason of the bullets, which, having
touched the ground short of the butts, ricochet long distances.
The danger has recently been much increased by the introduction of very long
range rifles and nickel-jacketted bullets. The latter, on touching the ground, are
deflected with scarcely diminished velocity, whereas formerly the leaden bullets,
becoming flattened by impinging on the earth, were incapable, in their altered shape,
of further flight to such a dangerous extent.
To diminish the number of ricochets from bullets striking the earth short of the
target butts, it is usual to build, at intervals across the range, walls of turf, so that
a bullet dropping short of the target will bury itself therein.
If, however, a bullet grazes the top of one of these walls, it will ricochet as badly
as ever, particularly if the top of the turf wall or bank is faced with timber, as is
sometimes the case.
The object of my present invention is to render the turf walls more efficacious
than heretofore, and to this end I furnish them, at their top, with a structure from
which the bullets will not glance, so as to be diverted from their course, and caused
to assume a dangerous direction..
•
According to my invention, I apply to the summit of the turf walls or banks
a line of planking, the front of which, towards the firing point, is perpendicular,
while the back is chamfered off to a knife edge at the top. The inclined back of
this planking is covered with a layer of felt, india rubber, or similar soft material,
the edge of which projects above the knife-edge of the planking, in a slightly
forward direction, towards the firing point.
In the accompanying drawing I have shewn, in end view, a turf wall furnished,
in accordance with my invention, with the non-deflecting planking and felt.
A is the wall or bank of earth covered with turf, which will stop all bullets fired
in the direction of the arrow which fairly strike it. B is a wooden rail or plank
mounted on the summit of the bank, and having a 'perpendicular face toward the
shooters, and an inclined or chamfered back, as shown.
C is the strip of felt, india rubber, or other flexible material, attached to the
back of the planking B, and projecting slightly above the top edge of the said
planking, in a forward direction.
In practice, a bullet grazing the top of the turf wall would be prevented by the
planking from glancing away in a dangerous direction, although the said planking
would not suffice to stop its course in the direction of the target. In the same way,
if a bullet touches the topmost edge of the plauking, the felt or india rubber will
prevent an upward ricochet, while a bullet merely touching the felt or other soft
material' only, will not be appreciably diverted from its course.
Although my invention has been described, and is intended chiefly to be used, in
connection with the turf walls, it is applicable also to the edges of the openings or
embrasures of safety screens, which openings are now fitted with inclined armour
plates, for the purpose of deflecting such wild bullets as are not effectually stopped
by the screens, into a harmless direction. In this way, the expense of the
construction of such screens through the embrasures in which the bullets are
intended to pass, in firing at the targets, is much diminished.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
The employment, in connection with safety banks or screens used on rifle ranges,
of the means herein before described for preventing the deflection of the bullets,
such means consisting of an edging of wood and felt, or equivalent materials,
arranged as set forth.
D
11
2 T
६
1000
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.