Improvements in and relating to Self-indicating Targets.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 26th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 5th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL DEVITTUATION.
Improvements in and relating to Self-indicating Targets.
I, JAMES PATERSON of 20 Sussex Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow, in the County
of Renfrew, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to he as
follows:-
This Invention which has for its object improvements in and relative to targets for
rifle and revolver practice is a further development of the Invention for which Letters
Patent of the United Kingdom bearing date the 29th day of April 1887 and
numbered 6268 were granted to the present applicant.
دو
,,
Under the present Invention the values of that part of the target which is to be
shot at instead of being each composed of a number of segments or plates arranged
relatively to each other as described under the said Patent are cach composed of one
plate the series being concentric and excepting the "bulls eye" on the same plane
that is to say the plate constituting the "bulls eye" has in front of it a plate
constituting the "inner" value concentric and in the same plane with which the plate
constituting the outer value is situated or the "outer and inner" values in a
modification hereinafter described may be on the same plate. The "bulls eye plate
is supported vertically on a spring bracket whose lower end is secured to a framing
and in front of the said plate the "inner" and "outer" value plates are similarly and
when two plates are used separately supported, the inner value plate having
a hole
at its centre equal in diameter to the desired size of the "bulls eye" whilst the
"outer
"value plate and which is flush with has a hole at its centre equal to the
diameter or size of the "inner" value. In conjunction with each plate a striker rod
or pin is provided these pins passing loosely through guides or sleeves attached to or
formed on and projecting horizontally from the upper part of the framing. The
rearward ends of these pins bear against the upper extremities of levers centred
loosely at their lower ends on a horizontal shaft or spindle carried in the framing a
separate lever being provided for each value of the target face.
When any one of
the said value plates is struck by a bullet it moves rearwards on its spring brackets
thereby causing the striker rod or pin of that plate to act on its lever and move it
through a vertical arc until the lever lies horizontally. Each lever has a short end
projecting below its fulcrum and when the lever is so moved the said end comes into
contact with a metal spring causing the upper extremity of the spring to be brought
against a metal bar fixed to the upper side of a vulcanite or other non-conducting
block attached to the framing the said bar being through a wire in communication
with an electric battery. The lower ends of the springs are also supported on the
vulcanite or other non-conducting block and they have each attached to them a wire
leading to an electrical indicator preferably situated at the firing point and having
separate discs to indicate the respective values one of the said discs being dropped or
raised into view according to the spring transmitter and wire through which the
current is passed. Over the frame carrying the value plates and levers a horizontal
frame suspended by cords or chains led to the firing point slides vertically the front
part of the said frame being furnished with a brush or sponge or its equivalent which
when the frame is at its lowest position dips into a box placed below and in front of
the value plates. The said box contains moistened whiting or equivalent material and
when the value of the shot has been indicated as aforesaid the horizontal frame is
pulled up causing the brush or sponge to pass over the face of the target and obliterate
the mark of the shot whilst at the same time the said frame raises the lever which had
been dropped and breaks contact of the spring transmitter from the battery with the
indicator the disc shewn being then returned to its normal position by a pull or by
any other suitable means.

page_text: The flush arrangement of face plates and the brush obliterating arrangement are
applicable to the target otherwise constructed in accordance with my said previous
Patent.
eye
22
Under a modification especially applicable to targets for revolver practice the
« bulls eye
"value plate only is movable rearwards the plate in front of it and which
may serve to shew all other values being fixed to the frame and having a hole in its
centre equal in diameter to the desired size of the "bulls eye." The bulls
plate is hung from its upper end in a horizontal frame projecting rearwards from the
main frame and the plate has a pin projecting from it and bearing against the fixed
-plate in front to maintain it in vertical or-proper position to be shot at. The "bulls
eye" plate has also a catch at its upper end which holds upon the heel of a weighted
lever also centred on the horizontal frame in front of the "bulls eye" plate the said
lever having an indicator attached to it so as to lie horizontally behind the target
until the bulls eye" is struck which being done the "bulls eye "plate swings
backwards releasing the catch from the heel of the lever and the latter dropping
downwards on its fulcrum raises the indicator above the target. The lever is returned
to its original position by a cord attached to it and passed over pulleys to the firing
or other position. In front of the value plates before mentioned there may be secured
to the framing a plate having a hole through its centre equal to the desired area of
the values to be indicated on the intermediate plate and between the two outer plates
or before the plate in front of the "bulls eye" plate a brush frame slides or may slide
to obliterate the shot marks as herein before described.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of July 1889.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Self-indicating Targets.
I, JAMES PATERSON, of 391 Brixton Road, in the County of Surrey. Electric
Target Manufacturer, 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings
and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say :-
This my invention has for its object improvements in and relative to self indicating
targets for rifle and revolver practice, and consists in, firstly, the construction and
arrangement of mechanism for automatically indicating, when the target is struck,
the value of the score obtained by the shot fired; and secondly, in combination with
said indicating mechanism a device or appliance for obliterating the shot marks from
the face of the target, all as hereinafter particularly set forth and described.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will now describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, Figure 2 a vertical section through line XX Figure 1,
and Figure 3 is a plan of the self indicating target as constructed in accordance
with this invention; Figure 4 is a rear view to a reduced scale of the target faces or
value plates with their spring brackets and striker rods or pins attached, and Figure 5
is a rear view also to a reduced scale of the contact making levers and contact
springs.
Under this invention the values of that part of the target which is to be shot at
are each composed of one plate, the series being concentric, and, excepting the
"bull's eye," on the same plane, that is to say, the plate A constituting the "bull's
eye "has in front of it a plate B constituting the "inner" value, concentric and in
the same plane with which is, or are, one or more plates constituting other values; in
the accompanying drawings I have shewn two plates CD representing respectively the
6
magpie " and outer " values.
<t

page_text: The "bull's eye" plate A is supported vertically on a spring bracket a, the lower
end of which is secured to the framing E, and in front of the said "bull's eye
plate A the inner and other value plates B, C, D, are similarly and separately sup-
ported, their spring brackets being marked B C D₁ in the drawings. The inner
value plate B has an aperture 6 at its centre equal in diameter to the desired size of
the "bull's eye," whilst the "magpie" value plate which is flush with the "inner
value plate B has an aperture in its centre equal to the diameter or size of the
"inner" plate and in this aperture the latter is fitted; and the "outer "value plate D
is similarly forined with an aperture in its centre in which is fitted the magpie'
value plate.
"
39
""
To the value plates I prefer to attach lugs F into which the striker rods or pins G
are screwed, but said striker rods or pins may be fitted in guides or in any other
suitable manner.
These lugs F extend upwards to the same height so as to carry the striking pins
all at the same level. The "outer" value plate it will be observed will not require
the lug but a boss y may be formed directly on the plate into which its striking rod
or pin may be screwed. The rearward ends of the pins G bear against the upper
extremities of levers H centred loosely at their lower ends on a horizontal shaft or
spindle I carried in the framing E, a separate lever being provided for each value
plate of the target face. When any one of the said value plates is struck by a bullet
it moves rearwards on its spring brackets, thereby causing the striker rod or pin G
of that plate to act on its lever H and move it through a vertical arc until the lever
lies horizontally as shewn in dotted lines Fig. 2. Each lever has a short end / projecting
below its fulcrum and when the lever is so moved the said end comes into contact
with a metal spring K causing the upper extremity of the spring to be brought
against (as also seen in dotted lines) a metal bar L the said bar being through a
wire in communication with an electric battery.
The lower ends of the springs K are, as is also the metal bar L, secured to a
vulcanite block M and they are by means of the wires k in electrical communication
with an indicator situated at the firing point, and having separate discs to indicate
the respective values, one of the said discs being dropped or raised into view according
to the spring transmitter and connections through which the current is passed. Any
other suitable arrangement of electric indicator may be employed without departing
from this invention.
Around the frame E carrying the value plates and levers I have a vertically
sliding frame N to which are attached cords or chains O leading to the firing point.
Upon a bar P carried by this frame N the levers H rest when assuming the borizontal
position and making electrical contact as above described. The front part of the
sliding frame N carries a whiting brush Q or its equivalent which dips into a box R
placed below, and in front of, the value plates. The said box contains a mixture of
whiting and water or equivalent material and when the value of the shot has been
indicated as aforesaid the sliding frame N is pulled up by the marksman or attendant
at the firing point and the whiting brush is caused to pass over the face of the target
and obliterate the mark of the shot; the pulling up of the sliding frame N at same
time causes the lever H which had been dropped to assume its vertical position
and break contact of the spring transmitter. A check chain U may be attached
to sliding frame N to limit its upward travel to the amount desired.
The target frame is supported at the desired height from the ground on
standards S. The two rear ones may be conveniently of angle iron and will form
a guide in which a guide block T attached to vertically sliding frame N may be
fitted for facilitating the manipulation of said sliding frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The general construction and arrangement of self-indicating targets substantially

page_text: as hereinbefore set forth and described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
2. In self indicating targets the arrangement of contact making levers, contact
springs, and vertically sliding frame, constructed and operating substantially as
herein set forth.
3. In combination with claim 2 the whiting brush and box constructed and
arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth.
Dated this 23rd April 1890.
JAMES PATERSON..