Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1888
Complete Left, 15th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 15th June, 1888
and Artillery Practice.
We JAMES RIGG, Engineer and Major 1st Cheshire & Carnarvonshire Artillery
Volunteers, 11 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., and JOHN HOEY, Superintendent
of Works National Rifle Association's Stores Wimbledon Common, Surroy do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
These Improved Targets, whether for Rifle or Artillery Practice, are of canvas or
other material readily capable of being stretched upon rigid frames and will permit
of the passage of the bullet shot shell or other projectile through them. These
frames may be either of metal or timber or jointly of metal and timber and rollers
are attached to them permitting of their movement horizontally. They may be
freely suspended by these rollers from rails overhead or partially carried upon
tramways below or wholly carried upon tramways as more particularly explained
hereafter.
For Rifle Practice we employ two frames to which these rollers are attached, one
being a Target frame and the other a "Dummy" or frame for indicating the value of
the shots or both may be Target frames.
An essential feature of our Invention consists in the formation of a continuous
flexible connection by wire ropes, chains or other suitable material, between the
frames described which frames are capable of motion in a direction at right angles to
the line of fire, these ropes or other connections passing over pulleys conveniently
placed so as to permit of the maximum transverse travel of the frames from the
exposed position to that within the Mantlets, Butts or other shelter provided for the
protection of the Marker employed in working them.
For a so called "Second Class" or Six feet Square Target for Rifle Practise we
prefer to place within the Mantlet a pair of overhead rails parallel to each other and
carried from suitable columns or from the roof and at either end of these rails
horizontal rope or chain pulleys upon vertical axes, two fraines, preferably of metal,
being suspended by rollers from these rails and provided with suitable sockets or
recesses to receive the target or dummy frames which we prefer to construct of
timber and they may readily be attached to or detached from these metal frames as

page_text: occasion may require. These metal frames are light and also prepared to receive
suitable weights to counterbalance the weight of the timber frames, that one which is
placed in front being provided with a handle for the Marker's use in moving the
frames as may be required into the exposed position or back under cover.
For the Rifle Targets exceeding 6 feet in width we prefer to add light gearing with
suitable shafts and a handle, connected with the rope or chain pulleys already
described, for causing the reciprocating motion of the Frames from and back into the
Mantlet. The weight of these larger frames may be relieved by rollers attached to
them and travelling upon the tramway already referred to and outside the Mantlet.
The "Dummy" frame contains as many oscillating panels as there may he values
required to be indicated and upon the several panels the respective figures are
inscribed usually four in number. A "Spotting dise" hooked into the actual shot
hole, caused by the penetration of the shot through the Target enables its position to
be seen from the firing point, these holes being covered by the Marker with paper
patches previous to the next shot being fired.
this
In the application of the System to Moving Targets on Land Ranges for Artillery
Practice we construct one tramroad or if two frames are desired to be employed two
tramroads parallel to each other across the line of Fire, at a depth below the surface
of the ground sufficient to avoid risk from injury by projectiles under all ordinary
circumstances. A Target frame is supported upon a carriage travelling upon
tramway and an endless wire rope may be connected to this carriage or carriages by
Rope clips, or the continuous circuit may be formed by separate ropes or other
connections attached to the ends of the carriage or carriages and pass over the pulleys
which determine the distance the target shall travel across the Range, a suitable
winch or other gearing being employed for the purpose of driving the rope by means
of Manual, Horse or any other power that may be conveniently available. This
Winch or other Gearing is placed behind a suitable protecting Butt or within a shell
proof house-It will be observed that the second tramroad which may be used
enables double targets or a target and dummy to be employed under this system.
The light frames carrying the targets or dummies we prefer to make of steel or iron
readily removeable from the protected carriage as injured during the practice.
Dated this 15th day of March 1000

page_text: and Artillery Practice.
We JAMES RIGG of No. 11 Queen Victoria Street in the City of London, Engineer
and Major in the First Cheshire and Carnarvonshire Artillery Volunteers, and JOHN
HOEY, Superintendent of Works for the National Rifle Association at Wimbledon in
the County of Surrey 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:-
Sheet No. 1 is intended to illustrate the manner in which we prefer to construct
the Target for Rifle Practice-figure 1 in this sheet being a Plan, fig. 2 a Front
Elevation, part of the Mantlet being removed, and fig. 3 an End Elevation.
H and I are two cast iron columns attached below to a timber foundation J and
above to cross beams K. K' connected to the roof of the Mantlet. Light rolled
channel bars L. L' connect the upper portions of these columns and support angle
steel rails M. M' upon which the carriages N. N¹ travel within the prescribed limits
being suspended by the grooved rollers Q. Q and Q¹ Q'.
To the lower portion of these carriages are attached frames R. R' also of metal
and adapted to receive the Timber arms of Target and "Dummy" Frames S and T
respectively. The carriages N. N₁ are connected together by wire ropes U. U¹
forming a continuous circuit round the pulleys V. V₁ any suitable method being
adopted for maintaining these ropes taut, a movement in either direction of the
handle W attached to the front fraine R will thus necessarily cause the back frame R¹
to move in the opposite direction. To afford stability to these pendant metal frames
we also prefer to connect their lower ends by ropes ✗ passing over the pulleys Y. Y
as also to attach rollers Z. Z to these frames as guides running between the Tee steel
bars O. O¹. At D. D' adjustable weights may be suitably attached to counterbalance
the timber target and dummy frames.
66
"
The Dummy frames contain four or more flexible panels on rollers figured to
correspond with the value of the respective shots on the canvas covered target frame.
Inner
The drawings represent the target in the exposed position having received an
shot indicated by the Marker whoso action of then withdrawing the target S by the
bandle W simultaneously advances the dummy T within view of the Register Keeper-
E is a reversible covering for closing the opening F which permits of the passage of
the target and dummy in and out of the Mantlet and G is the hinged door providing
access to the Mantlet P being a return in the framework of the mantlet completing
the recess from which the marker views the target during the firing.
Sheet No. 2 represents our method of operating Targets as applied to Artillery
Practice Figs. 1 and 2 being Front and End Elevations respectively, Fig. 3 a General
Plan, Fig. 4 a partial Section and Elevation looking down the Range and Fig. 5 a
Transverso Section through the shell proof Winch House. In figs. 1 and 2 E is an

page_text: angle steel or other light metal carriage provided with four flanged wheels adapted to
a framroad F set in a trench G below the surface at a sufficient depth to permit of
the carriage being thereby protected from injury by the heaviest projectile employed
in the Practice. The carriage is provided with suitable sockets or recesses H. H' to
which a bevilled iron or steel frame I may be readily attached or removed therefrom
as damaged during the practice. To this metal frame a canvas covered timber frame J
is fastened, preferably by wire, the canvas being scribed in such manner as may be
desired for the guns employed from time to time. The Target appears above the
surface line K and the carriage is sufficiently weighted to counteract the effect of
winds in the direction of the Range. At suitable intervals along the trench G which
should be drained from the most convenient point, a double range of grooved rope
pulleys Land M support a wire rope or ropes N and O forming a continuous circuit
from a winch P beyond one extremity of the Range along the line of rope pulleys L
under the carriage E and connected to it by friction clips Q. Q', or the circuit may be
made by tail ropes hooked to either end of the carriage and the rope passes thence
round a pulley R beyond the other extremity of the Range back under or near the
carriage over the ropo pulleys M to the Motive Power shown as a Winch P-On
Practice commencing the Winch is driven by either Horse, Manual or other power
available the carriage moving in either direction between the flags T. T¹, indicating
the lateral limits of the Range for practice. As injured by the projectiles either the
metal or canvas covered timber target frames or both may be readily removed and
other substituted without delay.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to bo performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
5.
1st. The simultaneous movement in opposite directions across the line of fire of a
Target and Dummy" or of two Targets by means of a wire rope or other flexible
connection passing over pulleys and forming a continuous circuit substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2nd. The movement of one Target only obtained in the manner defined in our first
claim.