Improvements in Disappearing Targets.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 13th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1900
Improvements in Disappearing Targets.
We, HERMANN DOERR, of Wilhelmshaven, and DR. RICHARD ARENS, of 1,
Provinzial-Strasse, Marxloh, near Ruhrort, both in the Empire of Germany,
Captain in the 2nd Marine Battalion, and Chemist respectively, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Efforts have for a long time been made by persons shooting, to render the
targets as far as possible like real ones, that is to say to cause them to disappear
out of the field of sight when they are hit.
This is particularly of importance for soldiers who during their peace mance-
uvres should shoot as far as possible only at such marks as resemble real ones.
Many attempts have been made to construct discs which fall down or disappear
as soon as they are hit. Discs have been coated with explosives so that by the
blow of the shot, they are caused to explode and be destroyed. Attempts have
also been made to shoot at balloon-like bodies, which were filled with gas or
air, so that on being perforated with a shot the charge escaped and they
collapsed.
These kinds of targets suffered however from the drawback, apart from their
high price, that in the case of explosive discs, besides great danger of fire, the
igniting portion was regularly rendered useless in wet weather and thus usually
no destruction of the disc took place.
In the case of balloon like targets filled with gas or air the charge is too
susceptible to changes of temperatures, as great heat frequently bursts the
casing, whilst cold and wet causes the balloons to shrink or collapse. A further
drawback was also found to exist in that they had to be filled at a suitable place
and then owing to leakages in the casing the charge was lost in transport, and
they were rendered useless.
Other targets formed of earthenware, glass and the like are simply shot through
or perforated without breaking into fragments owing to the great velocity of
modern projectiles.
It has thus hitherto been impossible for shooters to observe the action of
their shots, but this drawback is entirely avoided by the targets which form the
object of the present invention.
According to the present invention the target is formed with a hollow space
internally which is entirely filled with a liquid such for instance as water serving
as a pressure conveyor and the inlet opening of which is closed.
In order to form such targets, brittle material with a short fibrous fracture
such for instance as cement, gypsum. earthenware, or the like is preferably
employed.
If such a hollow target filled with liquid be struck by a shot the immediate
disintegration of the same is produced by the pressure which the shot exerts on
the liquid contained in the interior of the target, it being immaterial which
part of the target is struck. The liquid forced away evenly by the shot passing
through, and by the transferred pressure the walls of the hollow target are burst,

page_text: assuming that the said walls have been made only of such strength that the pres
sure produced can burst them. This may be easily ascertained by a simple experi-
ment with each material.
The making of such hollow targets, for instance of cement, may take place in
the following manner.
Figures which have no moulded form but which are merely flat and disc
shaped, are formed of a mixture of 1 part of cement and 1 part of sand or the
like. Two such discs are then placed one against the other at a distance of
about. 5 to 6 millimetres apart, the space being formed by means of an edge
or border of material, the fractional resistance of which is equal to, or differs from.
that of the initial material and which is applied to one side of one disc.
round the edge is tight, and it has an opening at preferably only one place.
usually on the upper edge of the disc in question. Both discs are then placed
together and connected with one another after which the hollow target obtained
is allowed to dry.
All
Before using the hollow target it is filled with water and the upper opening
is closed by means of a stopper or a filling of suitable material such for instance
as cement, and thus a disc is formed ready for use.
The dise may be made of glass, earthenware, papier mâché or any other suitable
water tight material.
As a special advantage of such targets it may also be mentioned that they
may be easily refilled, shortly before use, after taking out the plug in order to
ensure that they will burst on being struck by a shot.
In order to allow of the breakage of the discs into as many pieces and as
easily as possible, both disc surfaces may be prepared for breakage by a suitable
number of nicks or grooves in the still soft material.
The plug must be so firmly inserted that it cannot be driven out when the
shot perforates the target. as otherwise the bursting might easily not take
place. For instance, the discs are only divided by the said nicks into a suitable
number of separate squares: if these discs be hit they immediately break up
into a large number of pieces and thus more completely disappear out of the
field of vision.
Dated this 18th day of February 1899
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6. Lord Street, Liverpool.
Agents for the Applicants.
We, HERMANN DOERR, of Wilhelmshaven. and DR. RICHARD ARENS, of 1,
Provinzial Strasse, Marxloh, near Ruhrort, both in the Empire of Germany,
Captain in the 2nd Marine Battalion, and Chemist respectively, 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:-
Efforts have for a long time been made by persons shooting, to render the
targets as far as possible like real ones, that is to say to cause them to disappear
out of the field of sight when they are hit.
This is particularly of importance for soldiers who during their peace mance-
uvres should shoot as far as possible only at such marks as resemble real ones.
Many attempts have been made to construct dises which fall down or disappear

page_text: as soon as they are hit. Discs have been coated with explosives so that by the
blow of the shot, they are caused to explode and be destroyed. Attempts have
also been made to shoot at balloon-like bodies, which were filled with gas or
air, so that on being perforated with a shot the charge escaped and they
collapsed.
These kinds of targets suffered however from the drawback, apart from their
high price, that in the case of explosive discs, besides great danger of fire, the
igniting portion was regularly rendered useless in wet weather and thus usually
no destruction of the disc took place.
In the case of balloon-like targets filled with gas or air the charge is too
susceptible to changes of temperatures, as great heat frequently bursts the
casing, whilst cold and wet cause the balloons to shrink or collapse. A further
drawback was also found to exist in that they had to be filled at a suitable placa
and then owing to leakage in the casing the charge was lost in transport, and
they were rendered useless.
Other targets formed of earthenware, glass and the like are simply shot through
or perforated without breaking into fragments owing to the great velocity of
modern projectiles.
It has thus hitherto been impossible for shooters to observe the action of
their shots but this drawback is entirely avoided by the targets which form the
object of the present invention.
According to the present invention the target is formed with a hollow space
internally which is entirely filled with a liquid such for instance as water serving
as a pressure conveyer and the inlet opening of which is closed.
In order to form such targets, brittle material with a short fibrous fracture
such for instance as cement, gypsum, earthenware or the like is preferably
employed.
If such a hollow target filled with liquid be struck by a shot the immediate
disintegration of the same is produced by the pressure which the shot exerts on
the liquid contained in the interior of the target, it being immaterial which
part of the target is struck. The liquid is forced away evenly by the shot passing
through, and by the transferred pressure the walls of the hollow target are burst,
assuming that the said walls have been made only of such strength that the pres-
sure produced can burst them. This may be easily ascertained by a simple experi-
ment with each material.
The making of such hollow targets, for instance of cement, may take place in
the following manner.
Figures which have no moulded form but which are merely flat and disc shaped,
are formed of a mixture of cement mortar, in the proportions of 1 to 1. Two
such discs are then placed one against the other at a distance of about 5 to 6
millimetres apart, the space being formed by means of an edge or border of
material, the fractional resistance of which is equal to, or differs from, that of
the initial material and which is applied to one side of one disc. All round
the edge is tight, and it has preferably an opening at only one place, usually on
the upper edge of the disc in question. Both discs are then placed together and
connected with one another after which the hollow target obtained is allowed to
dry.
Before using the hollow target it is filled with water and the upper opening
is closed by means of a stopper or a filling of suitable material such as cement,
and thus a disc is formed ready for use.
The disc may be made of glass, earthenware, papier mâché, or any other suitable
water tight material.
In the accompanying drawings.
Figures 1 and 1 and Figures 2 and 2 show two examples of such targets which
differ only in shape.
C
A is the flat hollow body and is the edge or rim, c is the filling opening at the
top, which opening is closed by means of a stopper or plug. As already mentioned

page_text: it is preferable to employ as a material for the discs, one that is brittle and has
a short fibrous fracture.
As a special advantage of such targets it may also be mentioned that they
may be easily refilled, shortly after use, after taking out the plug in order to
ensure that they will burst on being struck by a shot.
In order to allow of the breakage of the discs into as many pieces and as
casily as possible, both disc surfaces may be prepared for breakage by a suitable
number of nicks or grooves in the still soft material.
The plug must be so firmly inserted that it cannot be driven out when the
shot perforates the target, as otherwise the bursting might easily not take
place. For instance, the discs (in the example shown) are only divided by the
said nicks into five or a suitable number of separate squares: if these discs be hit
they immediately break up into a large number of pieces and thus more completely
disappear out of the field of vision.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. Targets formed of readily disintegrable material and having a closed
internal space or chamber filled with liquid so that when struck by a shot they
fly into many pieces through the internal pressure of the liquid all round on the
walls of the target, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. The improved disappearing targets substantially as described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
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