IMPROVEMENTS IN TARGETS FOR GUN AND RIFLE PRACTICE."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Legge, of Brixton Road, and John Bartlett, of
Barnwell Road, Brixton, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TARGETS FOR
GUN AND RIFLE PRACTICE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Legge and John
Bartlett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd January
1880.
THOMAS LEGGE, of Brixton Road, and JOHN BARTLETT, of Barnwell Road, Brixton.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TARGETS FOR GUN AND RIFLE PRACTICE."
This Invention relates to targets for gun and rifle practice which may be fired at
when stationary or in motion.
For this purpose we construct an apparatus consisting of two long arms carried
by and radiating from the lower part of a vertical hollow sleeve. A vertical spindle
is inserted within the hollow sleeve; to the end of this spindle we attach a plate or
disc, and from the arms we fix vertically one or more small wheels, so as to revolve
on the plate or disc. On the arms revolving the small wheels give an up and down
motion to the arms or horizontal bar. To the end of the arms or bar we attach, by
means of a rope, chain, or wire, the object to be aimed or shot at, such as glass or
other balls. To the upper part of the before mentioned vertical hollow sleeve we
attach a grooved wheel or pulley horizontally, In the upper part of this spindle a
hook is fixed by which the apparatus is suspended in any convenient position, as
for instance, from a rope or wire line, or from the branch of a tree.
To set the apparatus in motion we connect by means of an endless or otherwise
band or wire passing round the pulley or wheel fixed to hollow sleeve, and hence to
another pulley fixed in any convenient place, and is made to revolve by turning a
crank handle or other motive power placed in any distance from the apparatus, and
so causes the arms or bar to revolve with it the object to be aimed at, such object
being caused to travel at a high or low speed with an up and down motion, regularly
or irregularly, according to the mode of turning the crank handle or other motive
power.
The Invention will thus afford means for efficient instruction of marksmen and
for general amusement.
This Invention may be modified in many ways, for instance, we may use a greater
number of arms, and thereby increase the number of objects to be aimed at. The
pulleys, with their attendant fittings, may be placed in any desirable angle or
position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Legge and John Bartlett in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th May 1880.
THOMAS LEGGE, of Brixton Road, and JOHN BARTLETT, of Barnwell Road, Brixton.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TARGETS FOR GUN AND RIFLE PRACTICE."
This Invention relates to targets for gun and rifle practice which may be fired at
when stationary or in motion.
For this purpose we construct an apparatus, Figure 1, consisting of two long arms
or horizontal bars A, A, carried by or radiating from a horizontal sprocket wheel B
or any suitable grooved pulley, which wheel or pulley we fix on the top of a long
vertical pole C of metal or wood, and of any suitable length. On the top of the
pole we fix a pin or pivot for the wheel or pulley to revolve from the vertical pole.
We attach a small arm D, to which we fix two small pulleys D¹ in a horizontal line
with the edge of the said sprocket wheel or pulley. At the lower end of the pole
D we attach two small pulleys. To the end of the arms or bars A, A, we attach by
means of a rope, chain, or wire E, E, of any suitable length, and at the ends of the
said rope, chain, or wire we fix the objects to be aimed or shot at, such as artificial
birds E made to imitate live birds. The wings, head, and tail are made of sheet
iron, the body of a strong framework of wire resembling the body of a pigeon, in
which is inserted an inflated india rubber ball, which by its elasticity keeps the
wings (moving on hinges) well expanded. The moment the body (india rubber
ball) is hit, even by a single shot, it splits up and the ball and wings instantly
collapse, the bird loses its balance, tumbles and whirls in the air exactly like the
real bird when shot; or glass or india rubber balls, potatoes, or flower pots, or any
suitable object to be shot at, is to be attached to the ends of the said rope, chain, or
wire E, E.
We also make the apparatus thus:-On the top of the pole we fix the two arms
or bars A, A, Figure 2, but instead of the sprocket wheel or pulley B revolving on
the top we fix or rivet it to and near the bottom of the vertical pole. To the end
of the pole we have a pin or pivot, so that the vertical pole revolves on its point
or pivot in any suitable stand or stage, which stand or stage is fixed to the ground
by means of earth, screws, or hold fasts, and the pole is held and revolves in a vertical
position by means of suitable supports or stays from the stand.
We have also for a target, to be fixed or fastened to the end of the said chain,
rope, or wire, an air ball, which we make thus:-At the end of the usual mouth
piece (inside the ball) we fix a valve, which, when air is blown into the ball, becomes
quite full or inflated. The valve closes up the end of the air hole, and when it is
required to let the ball collapse for the purpose of packing them into a small space
it is only necessary to insert a pin or wire into the mouth piece, so as to push down
the said valve and allow the air to escape. When it is required to weight the ball
we make a frame or cage of wire, or of any suitable metal or substance; we then
insert the ball (in its collapsed state) and inflate the ball till it fills out and becomes
fixed into the said wire frame or cage. These balls are suitable for the usual trap,
in place of the glass balls now used.
This machine, the horizontal wheel or pulley with the arms or horizontal bar,
may be suspended (instead of being fixed on a pole) by means of wire or rope from
pole to pole or tree to tree, or from tree to pole, or even suspended between two
buildings, Figure 3.
To set the apparatus in motion we connect by means of an endless or otherwise
band or wire F passing round the horizontal wheel or pulley B, and hence to the
two small pulleys D', and then down to the pulleys fixed at the lower end of the pole
D, and is made to revolve by turning a crank handle G or other motive power
placed at any convenient distance from the apparatus, and so causes the arms or

page_text: bar to revolve with it the object to be aimed at, such object being caused to travel
at a high or slow speed with an up and down motion, regularly or irregularly,
according to the mode of turning the crank handle or other motive power. We may
use a greater number of arms, and thereby increase the number of objects to be
aimed at.
In Figure 2 the endless band or wire passes round the horizontal wheel or pulley
B fixed near the end of the pole, and hence to the crank handle G or other motive
power.
No.
For ground shooting, such as running rabbit, or trooper galloping on horseback,
stag, etc., we construct for this purpose, at any convenient distance apart, three
uprights, one of which, hereinafter called No. 1, Figure 4, is provided with a vertical
spocket wheel or pulley with a grooved periphery; such wheel is fixed to a central
spindle working in suitable bearings, and is made to revolve by turning a crank
handle connected to the aforesaid central spindle. Another of the uprights, which
we will call No. 2, consists of a vertical post provided with a loose, on which are
fixed two horizontal pulleys; the upper or top pulley A is made smaller than the
bottom one A'. The third upright, No. 3, is provided with one horizontal loose
pulley. We connect No. 2 with No. 1 by means of an endless band B passing from
the vertical pulley of No. 1 to the smaller horizontal pulleys A of No. 2. We connect
with No. 2 by means of a similar endless band C passing over and between
the pulley of No. 3 and the other of the two pulleys A¹ of No. 2, and No. 3 we fix
the object to be shot or aimed at. On turning the crank handle the vertical wheel
of No. 1 is caused to revolve, at the same time communicating its motion, through
the endless wire or band, to the pulleys of No. 2, thus causing the endless band C
between No. 2 and No. 3 to travel, and with it the object to be aimed at, such object
being caused to travel at a high or slow speed, and regularly or irregularly, according
to the mode of turning the crank handle of No. 1. This Invention will thus afford
means for the efficient instruction of marksmen and for general amusement. This
Invention may be modified in many ways; for instance, we may use a greater
number of uprights or horizontal pulleys, with their attendant fittings, Figure 5, and
thereby increase the number of objects to be aimed at; or instead of causing the
object to be aimed at to travel or move in a horizontal plane, as in the case of four
footed animals, we may cause such objects to move at any desirable angle, or verti-
cally upwards and downwards, as in the case of birds. We effect this variation of
direction by fixing pulleys, between which passes the endless band C carrying the
object to be aimed at, to trees, tops of houses, barns, and to difference of height of
uprights, at any angle or vertically.
Figure 6 represents the object travelling on a horizontal wire in a right and left
direction. We make a metal frame or cradle D (somewhat after the shape of
rocking horse stand); at each end we fix a ring, and from the centre of this cradle
we provide an upright spindle having a shoulder near its point. On this spindle
we fix the object to be aimed at so as to let it revolve; we now pass a cord or wire
E through the two orifices or rings at end of cradle, and fixed horizontally by means
of pegs F. We provide a double pulley, the upper one smaller than the lower; if
preferred, we fix this double pulley on a spindle in a box with one of its sides out.
This box and pulley we place at one end of the horizontal wire E. We now place
the cradle containing the object to be aimed at at the opposite end of the wire; we
connect a thin cord H from the object to the lower pulley I. To the upper pulley
J we wind round a cord K of suitable length and thickness; by pulling this cord
K forward the lower pulley I revolves, and so draws the object forward. By placing
a second double pulley at the opposite end of the wire F, and attaching the thin
cord to the object, it would travel back again.
For the artificial deer, running soldier, or trooper on horse back, &c., we make a
The bulls' eye,
framework of wood shaped to the object and covered with canvas.
of black paper, can be pasted on in any desired place. When the object is destroyed
by the shots it is only necessary to recover the frame with white paper.
The various uprights and pulleys may be fixed immoveable to the ground, or may

page_text: be fixed so as to be readily set up and taken down by any suitable means. In this
latter case we fix the lower end of each upright on a board having at the end a
spike for inserting in the ground, and to the other end we attach a large earth
screw.
The rabbits and other objects can be made of iron, clay, or wood, &c.; the former
are made of sheet iron, shaped like a rabbit, with a strong wire framework in the
centre, into which is inserted an india rubber ball or air ball. The elasticity of the
ball by a simple contrivance fixes the rabbit to the wire; when the ball is hit it
instantly splits up and collapses, and the rabbit falls to the ground. Objects made
of clay, wood, and other suitable substances can be suspended to the wire by means
of a hook the shape of the letter S, or can be tied with string.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of our Invention, and the
manner in which the same is or may be performed, we would observe in conclusion
that we do not limit ourselves to the precise details herein given and shown on the
accompanying Drawings, as various modifications may be made therein, while
retaining the essential features of our said Invention; but what we claim as new,
and desire to be secured to us by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,
the construction of our improvements in targets for gun and rifle practice, substan-
tially as herein described and as illustrated, or any mere variation or modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Legge and John Bartlett, have here-
unto set our hand and seals, this Twentyfifth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
THOMAS LEGGE. (L.S.)
JOHN BARTLETT.
(L.S.)