Improvements in and relating to Shooting Ranges and Targets.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 12th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 28th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Shooting Ranges and Targets.
I, JOHN SUTHERLAND, of North Brora, Sutherlandshire, Slater, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention to be as follows :-
:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved system, or mode
and means and appliances or ranges for practice shooting in drill halls, shooting
galleries, or saloons, private and club ranges, and such like places; and which will
enable two or more parties to fire at targets or objects in the range, and by either of
the parties hitting the bulls eye or object, cause a shutter or screen to be brought
across the opponents line of fire, and prevent him firing. And by this means, parties
will be afforded a means of knowing or testing without any danger, what they could
do in a real engagement or duel, and an opportunity of learning activity as well as
precision with small arms while this new system of shooting will afford variety and
amusement to the parties practising at the range.
One. construction of shooting range or gallery and target for carrying my new
system or improvements into practice, would consist all as follows:-The plate
carrying the targets would be placed vertically at the back end of the range, and a
vertical transverse plate or standard would be erected at the front part or shooting.
station of the range with two or more round or other holes cut through it for aiming
and firing through at the bulls eyes or objects on the targets. A similar vertical
transverse plate or partition would be erected a short distance in front of the plate
placed at the firing station or between it and the targets and would have holes or
open discs formed in it, corresponding to and in line with those on the firing or aiming
plate, to allow the bullets to pass through on to the targets. Shutters would be
placed in connection with the holes in this intermediate vertical plate and so arranged
that before firing takes place the holes are open, but the first party to make a bulls
eye or strike the centre of the object he fired at, would automatically bring a shutter.
across the opponents line of fire at this intermediate partition and thus prevent hin
firing his shot. One arrangement of mechanism for operating these shutters would
consist in forming the shutters preferably with a lead or weighted back and hinging
each of them on a plate secured to the upper back part of the intermediate vertical
partition over the holes, so that they can automatically fall downwards and
close the holes through which the bullets pass, or be held up to allow the bullets
to pass.
A wire or other cord would be secured to each hinged plate and carried forward
and attached to a vertical oscillating catch lever mounted in the upper part of the
front shooting plate with springs to keep the catch levers in action; and separate
cords would be led from a spring plate behind each back target, and carried diagonally
across to the catch, on the front plate above the firing hole opposite the other target,
so that when a bullet strikes the centre or bulls eye of the target the spring plate
behind it is pushed back and pulls the cord attached to the catch on the front shooting
plate and draws back this catch and liberates the cord attached to the shutter of the
next or opposite target, which will by its weight automatically fall down and close the
aperture in the opponents line of fire, and prevent him aiming at his target until drawn.
up again..
For long ranges the closing and opening shutters might be operated by electricity.
One mode of effecting this would be to mount each shutter on antifriction rollers
running on a top rail above the apertures in the intermediate plate, and have an;
electro-magnet at one side of each aperture from which wires would be led to a local
battery and to the bulls eye part of the target and in this arrangement the bulls
part of the target would be made to move as a make and break spring push. The
eye

page_text: striking of the bulls eye on the target, by the bullet would under this arrangement
make electric contact and complete the circuit, so that the electro magnet would
attract an armature on the shutter or a lever connected to it and draw the shutter
across the aperture of the opponents' line of fire; the shutter being retained in this
position by a catch or locking lever; while the shutter could be withdrawn to open
the aperture by a hand cord attached to it, or to the locking catch, or by the power of a
re-acting spring or weight.
11
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Shooting Ranges and Targets.
I, JOHN SUTHERLAND, of North Brora, Sutherlandshire, Slater, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing
reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved system, or mode
and means and appliances or ranges for practice shooting in drill halls, shooting
galleries, or saloons, private and club ranges, and such like; and which will enable
two or more parties to fire at targets or objects in the range, and by either of the
parties hitting the bulls eye or object, cause a shutter or screen to be brought across
the opponents line of fire, and prevent him firing. And by this means, parties will
be afforded a means of knowing or testing without any danger, what they could do
in a real engagement or duel, and an opportunity of learning activity as well as
precision with small arms, while this new system of shooting will afford variety and
amusement to the parties practising at the range.
---
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown. Figure 1 is a
longitudinal sectional elevation as taken near the line 1 - - 1 in Figure 2, showing
my new or improved arrangement and combination of appliances forming a shooting
range and two targets complete. While Figure 2 is a plan view of same, showing
one of the ranges as open for shooting, and the other as closed. Figure 3 is a
transverse back elevation of the shutter vertical frame through which the bullets
pass, showing one of the shutters e and ranges as open for firing, and the other as
closed. And figure is a transverse back elevation of the target frame A and fittings
and looking towards the front of the range showing the shutter operating quadrants d
on the intermediate frame.
---
. Referring to these Drawings:-One construction of shooting range or gallery and
target for carrying my new system or improvements into practice consists all as
follows: The target plates a a are shown as secured to a strong vertical frame A
at the back end of the ranges 1---1 and 2- 2 and each bulls eye a' of the target
is attached to a vertical spring b fixed at its lower end to the frame A but free to move
at its upper end where it is attached to a cord 6 and passed forward over guide.
pulleys 6. A low vertical transverse frame, or standard B is erected at the front
part or shooting station of the range with a resting bench B', or it might be two or,
more round or other holes cut through it for aiming and firing through at the bull's
eyes or objects a' on the targets a. A high vertical transverse frame or partition C
is erected a short distance in front of the frame B placed at the firing station, or
between it and the target frame A and has round or it might be square holes or open
discs formed in it, each corresponding to and in line with the targets a, a¹, and
the centre B, B¹, of the firing or aiming stations of the frame B to allow the

page_text: C
bullets to pass through on to the targets a, a'. Shutters c, c, are placed in connection
with the holes in this intermediate vertical frame C and so arranged that before
firing takes place the holes C are both open and the shutters raised but the first
party to make a bulls eye or strike the centre a¹ of the object a he fired at, would
automatically bring a shutter c across the opponents line of fire at this intermediate
partition C and thus prevent him seeing the target or object to be fired at. One
arrangement of mechanism for operating these shutters c, as shown in these
Drawings consists in forming the shutters with a lead or weighted back and hinging
each of them on a plate or bar at e' secured to the upper back part of the intermediate
vertical frame Cover the holes C, so that they can automatically fall downwards
and close the holes through which the bullets pass, or be held up to allow the
bullets to pass, as hereinafter described.
A wire or other cord c² is secured to an eye on the one side and lower part of
each hinged plate at e¹ and has it other end attached to the back arm di of a
segmental quadrant d, hinged and oscillating on a centre pin,at du, on the top of the
transverse intermediate frame C, and another loose cord e is attached to the front
arm d of the quadrant d and is led round a guide pulley at el secured to a transverse
bar C of the frame C and the other end of the cord is attached by a hook to a rod
or other equivalent e' under the front firing bench B₁ for the purpose of conveniently
pulling it to raise or open the shutters c as will herein after be described. The
separate cords 63 are also led over the pulleys 63 from the bulls eye spring behind
each back target a and secured at their other end to the upper end of a blade
catch spring, secured at its lower end to the intermediate frame C carrying the
shutter c of the opposite targei a, a', the cords 62 thus crossing each other.
The top
part of this blade spring is formed with a kneed or projecting out catch which
supports a rounded projection on the quadrant d near its fulcrum to retain the
latter in its forward position with the shutter c up and open, as shown in this position
in the left hand target in all the figures, all so that when a bullet strikes the centre
or bulls eye a of this target a and range 1 -- 1 the upper end of the spring plate b
behind it is pushed back and pulls the cord 62 attached to the blade spring on the
intermediate frame C and draws back the spring and top catch fl of range 2---2
and liberates the projection d³ on the quadrant d which then falls down to the
position shown in range 2---2, when the shutter c of this range will by its own
weight automatically fall down and close the aperture in the opponents line of
fire of range 2---2, and prevent him aiming at his target until drawn up again;
and vice versa when the person firing at range 2 --- 2, strikes the bulls eye a¹ of his
range he will in like manner close the shutter c of his opponents range 1---1, and
thus prevent him firing until the shutter c is drawn up by the cord e in front.
For long ranges the shutters c might be automatically operated to fall as described
by electricity, an armature of an electro magnet for each shutter c actuating the
upper catch end of each spring to release it when the circuit was completed
through a double set of wires from the spring b of the opposite bulls eye a¹ which
when struck by a bullet would make the spring complete the circuit through a
local battery and release the shutter c of the opposite range. Or other equivalent
means may be adopted for automatically operating the shutters c by electricity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of iny said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The system, or mode and arrangement and combination of the parts of
shooting ranges and targets, for practice shooting, substantially as herein described,
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In shooting ranges and targets, the hitting or striking of the bulls eye or
object on the target of one range by the bullet, automatically causing a shutter or
screen to be brought across the opponents, or line of fire of another range and target
substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.

page_text: Third. In shooting ranges and targets, the combination of a frame fitted with two
or more shutters and placed intermediate between the shooting bench or station and
the targets, substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Di
1. T
1000
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.