IMPROVEMENTS IN TARGETS, AND IN ELECTRICAL INDICATING APPARATUS CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO BE USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TARGETS, AND IN ELECTRICAL INDICATING APPARATUS
CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO BE USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH." A communi-
cation from abroad by Arsène Boivin, of Paris, France, Manufacturer of
Electrical Apparatus.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd October 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TARGETS, AND IN
ELECTRICAL INDICATING APPARATUS, CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO BE USED IN CON-
NECTION THEREWITH." [A communication from abroad by Arsène Boivin, of
Paris, France, Manufacturer of Electrical Apparatus.]
The electric shooting targets which have been heretofore constructed have the
defect of requiring the use of a large number of wires to put the shooting target in
communication with the indicator which is placed near the persons who shoot.
According to the present Invention however I greatly simplify the construction and
arrangement of the apparatus.
According to my Invention I provide an indicating apparatus in which there are
two sets or series of movable strips, one set of which is vertical and the other
horizontal, and instead of having, as in the systems already in use, an electro-
magnet for each point or mark, there is only one electro-magnet for each movable
strip; as these vertical and horizontal strips are employed for effecting the
indications as to what part of the target has been struck, I will bereinafter refer
to them as markers. When one stud or bolt of the target is struck by a shot it
causes the sending of two currents, one of which passes into the electro magnet of
a horizontal marker, and the other into the electro magnet of a vertical marker.

page_text: Those markers which are placed above or in front of the others are provided with
small holes at given distances, and numbers are inscribed on those markers which
are below or behind, in such a manner that the simultaneous movement of a vertical
and of a horizontal marker causes them to assume such relative positions that at
the point where the markers intersect each other the number inscribed on the rear
one is seen through the opening in the front one. It will be well understood that
with a limited number of wires a great number of combinations in the movements
of the markers can be obtained, whereby a great number of indications may be
given.
According to my Invention the target comprises a box secured on a sheet iron
plate, and containing a wooden block, a metallic plate, and a wooden plate. This
box serves as a guide to bolts which are kept in their normal position by spiral
springs. These bolts are made with a square head at their front or outer end, and
have at their inner end a copper rod screwed to them, the point of which is designed
to make contact between small copper blades. The box of the indicator is closed
in front by a hinged door provided with glass painted black, red, or other suitable
colour, in square divisions, in the centre of each of which is provided a circular
opening, which is intended to shew the number which will appear when a shot has
struck the corresponding bolt of the target. The numbers are inscribed on the
horizontal markers, guided at one end in a support, and at the other end by a rod
held in the supports of the electro magnet. Above or in front of the said
horizontal markers are arranged the vertical markers, painted in black, and pierced
with round holes; these markers are guided by a support and by rods. An electro-
magnet corresponds to each marker, horizontal or vertical. There are openings
which when the apparatus is at rest act as stops to the markers by holding back a
pin of the rods, but as soon as the current passes into an electro magnet of the
horizontal markers, and into an electro magnet of the vertical markers, the
armatures are attracted, and the corresponding markers being free are caused to
move. The vertical markers fall by their own weight, and the horizontal markers
are moved by springs provided for the purpose.
To bring the markers back in their proper places a pivoted lever is pressed at
one end, whereupon the other extremity lifts a swinging frame, on which when they
fall the rods of the vertical markers rest. To this frame is fastened a rod which
operates a two armed lever, one arm of which carries a rod which operates another
swinging frame with which the horizontal markers are in contact. On pressing the
first named lever the simultaneous movement of the two frames is effected, and the
markers are brought back to their normal positions.
The communications between the target and the indicator are effected as follows:-
One of the poles of the battery is connected with the target, and consequently with
all the movable bolts thereof. The other pole of the battery is connected to a
terminal of the indicating apparatus to which the wires of the electro-magnets
extend. The other extremities of the wires of the electro magnets which command
the horizontal markers are respectively connected with the aforesaid blades on one
side, and the other extremities of the wires of the electro magnets of the verticil
markers are respectively connected with the blades on the other side.
When a shot strikes one of the bolts of the target it is driven back, and its
point penetrates between the blades. The current of the battery passes in two
directions, viz., through the electro magnet of a horizontal marker, and through the
electro-magnet of a vertical marker, and the result is that the two markers are
operated and the number appears on the indicator, shewing at what point the target
has been struck.
If the shot strikes between two bolts, the two bolts are driven back and two
numbers will appear; if four bolts are struck, four numbers will appear. The point
Bruck by the shot is therefore always exactly indicated.
It will thus be seen that only a very small number of wires is required to convey
the indications.

page_text: The same system is applicable to long range targets of large proportions; but
to make use of bolts of small dimensions the following arrangement must be
observed-In front of each bolt is a sheet of steel suitably hinged, the hinges of
one row of plates being covered by the row of plates immediately above them.
When a shot strikes a plate it will drive back the bolt underneath, and the indication
will at once be transmitted; if the shot strikes the lower part of a plate or between
two plates, the two corresponding bolts will be driven back, and the two corre-
sponding numbers will appear; if a shot strikes four plates, the four bolts will be
driven back and four numbers will appear.
It is obvious that an indicator constructed according to this Invention may be
used in houses, hotels, and the like, and the communications would thereby be
simplified.

page_text: or of hardened india-rubber, which press upon the spring-plates d, d; the latter are
provided with arms for making contact with the silvered plate E, but in the
position of the bolt when at rest the pins c, c, prevent the springs d, d, from
touching the plate E.
'
The box G of the indicator is closed in front by a hinged door M provided with
glass e painted black, red, or other suitable colour, in square divisions, in the centre
of each of which is provided a circular opening which is designed to show the
number which will appear when a shot has struck the corresponding bolt of the
target. The numbers are inscribed on the horizontal markers f. f, guided at one
end in the support H, and at the other end (Figures 7 and 8) by the rod g held in
the supports of the electro-magnet. In front of the horizontal markers f, f, are
arranged the vertical markers h, h, painted in black, and pierced with round holes
i, i; these last are guided by the support, H' and rods g¹ (Figure 6). An electro-
magnet I corresponds to each marker, horizontal or vertical; the armatures; are
out of contact with the magnets in their normal position, and act as stops or
abutments for the markers by holding back the pink (Figures 6 and 7) of the
rods g or g¹, but as soon as the current passes into an electro-magnet of a horizontal
marker, and into an electro magnet of a vertical marker, the armatures are
attracted, and the corresponding markers being set free are caused to move, the
vertical markers falling by their own weight and the horizontal markers being
moved by the springs (Figure 7), so that a figure or number appears opposite one
of the springs i of the vertical markers, and is seen through the glass as shown in
Figure 3, and in dotted lines Figure 4.
To bring the markers back to their proper places a lever m pivotted at the point o
is pressed at one end, whereupon the other extremity lifts the pivotted frame I¹
upon which the rods g' of the vertical markers rest when they fall. To this frame
is attached a rod n which operates a bell-crank p, one arm of which carries a rod q
for operating a pivotted frame 1* with which the horizontal markers are in contact.
On pressing the lever m the simultaneous movement of the two frames is effected
and the markers are brought back to their normal positions.
The communications between the target and the indicator are effected as
follows: Each electro-magnet I of the series of vertical markers in the indicator
is connected by one end of its coil to all the spring-plates situated on one side of
the corresponding bolts in the target, and each electro magnet of the series of
horizontal markers is connected in a similar manner to the spring-plates on the
other side of the corresponding bolts. The communications with the battery are
established by connecting one pole of the said battery to the terminal x of the
silvered plate, and the other pole to the return wire common to all the electro-
magnets I, I, I, of the indicator.
When a shot strikes one of the bolts F of the target the said bolt is driven back
and the pin c with it, thus permitting the spring-plates d to come in contact with
the plate E, the two spring-plates corresponding to the bolt that has been struck
close the two circuits, which cause the simultaneous movement of the two markers
in the indicator corresponding to the said bolt. The further back the bolt is driven
the longer the contact of the spring-plates d and plate E will be maintained, and
consequently the more perfect it will be.
If the shot strikes between two bolts the two bolts are driven back and two
numbers will appear; if four bolts are struck the four numbers will appear corre-
sponding to the said bolts. The point struck by the shot is therefore always exactly
indicated. It will thus be seen that a very small number of wires is required to
convey the indications.
The same system is applicable to targets for use at long ranges; for targets of
large dimensions, the arrangement shown in Figure 10 is employed. In front of
each bolt F is a sheet of steel suitably hinged at the point O, the hinges of one
row of plates being covered by the row of plates immediately above them; when
a shot strikes a plate K it will drive back the bolt F underneath it, and the indi-
cation will at once be transmitted; if the shot strikes the lower part of a plate or

page_text: between two plates, the two corresponding bolts will be driven back, and the two
corresponding numbers will appear; if a shot strikes four plates, the four bolts will
be driven back and four numbers will appear.
It is evident that the same system of indicating may be utilized for houses,
hotels, and other buildings, for a variety of purposes, the communications being
effected in as simple a manner. I may, moreover, construct targets in accordance
with the said Invention of various sizes, and with any suitable number of
markers.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
First. A target constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with bolts,
arranged to make and break contact between the plates, by means of which
currents are transmitted to the indicator.
Second. In the indicator the two series of markers arranged substantially as
herein before described, each marker corresponding with an electro-magnet in such
a manner that the two currents transmitted to the indicator from the target effect
the movement of two markers, which by their intersection cause a number to
appear at the point corresponding to that which the shot has struck upon the
target.
Third. The peculiar arrangement of the conducting wires connecting the target
and the indicator, substantially as set forth and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The arrangement and construction of the pivotted frames and other
parts forming the indicator in such a manner as to enable the markers when
moved to be brought back to their original position, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Fifth. In a target the bolts with the hinged covering plates arranged and
constructed substantially as set forth, for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty second day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
117M DODT TAL