Improved Metallic Self-indicating Target.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Metallic Self-indicating Target.
We, GIUSEPPE DI PAOLO MAGIni, Merchant, and SILVESTRO FOLLI, Doctor
of Medicine, both of Borgo S. Jacopo 9, Florence, Italy, and ERCOLE ANTICO,
Gentleman, of Cagliari, Italy, do hereby declare the nature of our invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The principle on which this target forming the subject of the present invention
is based is as follows:-
The target is constructed of metallic plates and divided into parts, the form,
number and size of which may be varied at will; each of these parts is pivotted in
a vertical or nearly vertical line, in the manner of a window shutter, so that when
a projectile strikes one of these pivotted parts of the target it makes a rotary
movement on the generating line of a cylinder, or like the shutter of a door or a
window would, opening entirely and by its movement imparting movement to a
special signal and retaining sufficient power to close itself by the recoil, either with
or without the aid of a swinging counterweight. This principle may be carried into
effect in several ways, and with targets of no matter what range, form and dimen-
sions. In order to clearly explain the operation and construction of this target, we
will explain the system as applied to a target of the military type.
Taking a target divided into four sections; No. I which constitutes the rect-
angular portion from which it is necessary to remove the circular part; No. II which
constitutes the circular ring furthest removed from the centre; No. III which
constitutes the circular ring nearest the centre; No. IV the centre or bulls-eye.
Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings show the target respectively in
front elevation, in transverse section, in rear elevation and in plan. The part
included under the number I is formed of a number of small shutters A, A¹, A",
arranged in several rows and pivotted by nieans of the pivots a which enter eyes b
fixed to the frame B,B, B", B, or in any other suitable manner. To facilitate the
movement of the shutters, metallic balls might be applied to the pivots so as to
reduce the friction. When a projectile strikes one of the shutters A, A¹, A",
opens violently and enables the point where the shot has struck to be readily seen
from the firing station or point, for behind the target a board painted in quite a
different colour to that of the target may be placed, so that the shutter being open
the blank or space will be clearly distinguished by reason of the different colour
which will be seen.
it
The shutter can reclose itself very easily by reason of its recoil; but to render
the signalling behind the shutters easier counter shutters or parts C, C¹ formed of
a simple iron wire may be situated having the double object of producing a signal
which is more readily visible and of ensuring the reclosing of the shutters. Each
of these counter shutters C, C' (Fig. 3) is arranged to control a group of shutters,
and if one of these shutters opens after a shot is fired it causes the counter
shutter C, C also to open, bringing it to the position C", C; to the counter
shutter C, C, is fixed a flag of a given colour which indicates No. 1. The flag
presenting itself laterally to the target, by its colour indicates No. I, and by its
position indicates if the shot has hit in No. I at top, at bottom, to the left or to the
right. The counter shutter C, C', not being pivotted vertically, but in an oblique
line, it swings so that on account of its weight it immediately recloses after having
been opened, and in closing in also recloses the shutter, and holds it firmly closed

page_text: by its own weight. Further, as the counter shutter C, C¹ is much larger than the
shutter, and on account of the resistance presented by the flag to the action of the
air, its movement is slower than the movement that the shutter alone would have,
so that it enables the marksman or firer to assure himself of his shot with exactitude,
even when the smoke does not permit him to see it at the first instant of firing.
If, however, it is desired to effect rapid firing, so that it becomes necessary that
the shutters reclose very rapidly then a stop may be fixed to the frame which would
compel the counter shutter C, C', to make a shorter travel, a quarter of a circle for
example, thus producing an immediate reclosing. This stop may be of metal, wood,
india rubber, etc. In the circular ring which bears the No. II there are also
shutters which are shown closed in drawings at D, D', and open at D", D; and
counter shutters shown closed at E, E', and open at E, E; the flags No. II act
in the same manner as the No. I flags.
In No. III also, which has the form of a circular ring, there are also shutters I, I',
and counter shutters L, L. For greater facility in signalling, the flag III may be
arranged so that it will appear above the target instead of laterally to the said
target. With this object the said flag is attached to a large lever O pivotted at P;
this lever has a tail which is acted upon by one of the counter shutters L, L',
when the counter shutter is opened by the shutter, which in its turn is opened by
the force of a projectile. By reason of these movements this lever O moves to the
position indicated in the drawings and throws the flag III over the target. As
soon as this movement has been effected the lever, by reason of its weight which is
not counterbalanced, moves backwards and brings the flag behind the target in the
position of rest.
Generally the shutters open under the action of the shot, whether they are hit
full, or hit near the free end or that nearest the pivots. But in the case where the
projectile strikes the part of the shutter very near the pivot, the shutter might not
open, and the signal would not be given. To obviate this inconvenience, that is to
say to avoid the target having any dead centre, or preferably speaking, so that
there should exist no part of the surface of the target at which the signal would
not be given, we have thought of arranging so that each group of shutters covers
these parts of the shutters of the contiguous group which are near the pivots. But
in increasing the length of the shutters in this way, they would interfere with the
working of each other, so that to prevent them touching each other we have thought
of arranging the different groups of shutters, in different vertical planes.
The drawings give an example of the manner in which these shutters may be
arranged in different vertical planes. This manner may be varied at will. The
lateral shutters A, A¹ of section No. I are situated in the forward vertical plane.
The central upper and lower shutters A, A, of this same section No. 1, are
arranged in the succeeding vertical plane, and in the same vertical plane are the
shutters D, D', of the section No. 11; in the third vertical plane are the
shutters I, I of the section No. II. All the groups of shutters or only several
groups might be situated in the same plane; for this purpose it would only be
necessary to elongate and give the form of an elbow to the supporting pivots of the
shutters so that they do not interfere with each other in the automatic opening
and closing.
Although the shutters are in vertical planes removed from each other, a single
centimetre of juxtaposition suffices for preventing the projectile falling on a dead
point even in firing a short distance from the target and even if the distance
between the vertical planes in which the shutters are situated is not very small.
Nevertheless, with the object of diminishing the distance between the vertical
planes in which the shutters are situated as much as possible, the target is
constructed so that when the shutters A, A', are in their normal position, that is to
say when they are closed, iustead of being parallel to the plane of the frame they
are in an oblique position as A, A', (Fig. 4, plan), so that the projection of their
edge R which covers the pivots S which are behind this edge the distance necessi
tated between the two planes so that the shutters do not interfere one with the

page_text: other, becomes much less. With regard to the bulls-eye, it is formed of a small
disc M carrying a horizontal tail M, supported in guides; when the bull is struck,
this tail causes the lever N, N¹ to turn, which throws above the target a flag N" of
a special colour; immediately afterwards, the lever by its own weight falls back.
pushes the tail M' and thus returns the disc M to its place. So that the whole
structure of the target may possess absolute stability and at same time may not
be too heavy, the shutters of the different vertical planes may be applied to
different frames, connected together by means of rods. To prevent that any shots
may in falling rebound and jump outside the target or even inside the target, which
might have the effect of opening some of the shutters and a false signal being given
the front surface of the frame may be covered with a band of wood into which the
shots may sink. By this means the construction of the target would be rendered
more economic, for the frame thus covered might be constructed of cast iron.
The shadows which the shutters might cast on each other on account of their
arrangement in several vertical planes, and which might interfere with the clearness
of the signals, may be avoided by placing a plate laterally to the target, or by
giving a white colour to the back surface of the shutters. Further, by means of a
rampart the wind might be prevented from opening any of the shutters. In order
that the flags which are employed for the signals may remain unaffected by the
weather for a long period they may be made of an india rubber fabric.
In the case where the force of the projectiles should be increased and it is not
desired to increase the thickness of the plates from which the shutters are made,
the front of such plates might be covered with wood in which the projectiles could
embed, and a layer of wool, cotton, hemp, etc., might be introduced between the
wood and the iron.
But if with this arrangement the projectiles had no longer the power to impart
the movement to the shutters, the wood that is to say the front surface of the
shutters might be covered with a very thin metallic plate, which might be pierced,
but would present sufficient resistance for imparting the movement to the shutters.
This system of target, of which we have described the application to a military
target, may be constructed of any size aud in different manners, according to use.
It may be applied to targets for shooting clubs, to targets for garden use, to revolver
targets, to drawing room targets, etc. The size, number and arrangement of the
sections into which the target is divided, and the size, number and the form of the
shutters, the counter shutters, the levers and the signals, may be indefinitely varied.
If desired to substitute for the visible signals an electric signal, the movement of
the shutters may very well provide the necessary contacts for such signalling. The
target may be taken to pieces with great ease, the shutters being capable of being
dismounted as window shutters can be taken down; the frames also may be
constructed so as to be taken to pieces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-.
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is ;-
The improvements in self-indicating targets herein described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
1
801 1
T
1005
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicants.