IMPROVEMENTS ON TARGETS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wright Gardiner Treeby, of No. 1,
Westbourne Terrace Villas, Upper Westbourne Terrace, Paddington,
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS ON TARGETS."
Sealed the 31st January 1860, and dated the 1st August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wright Gardiner
Treeby at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st August 1859.
I, THOMAS WRIGHT GARDINER TREEBY, of No. 1, Westbourne Terrace
Villas, Upper Westbourne Terrace, Paddington, Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS ON TARGETS,"
to be as follows:-
The improvement that I claim is as follows (instead of having the present
military target of solid iron, which requires a man to mark every shot), I
have an iron frame divided into squares not unlike a common sash; the bars
of the frame are bevilled towards the front to direct the shot, or split it, but
in case the shot splits on the bar of the frame, it will pass into more squares
than one, and will show where it strikes. At the back of the frame I have
iron flaps hinged to lugs on the frame; the joints and hinging of the flaps is
protected by the bevelled or chamfered frame in front, which forms a shield to
them. The iron flaps will appear as squares of glass in a sash, when at rest,
but when struck by a bullet it will fly open and fall by its own gravitation;
the fall, if too sudden, may be regulated by a spring, or any common plan for
regulating the same. At the back of the frame there may be any of the
common materials now used for receiving the shot; but what I prefer to place
behind is iron, that the bullet, after passing through the hollow frame in
front, may strike and then fall to the ground, and thereby all the lead will

page_text: be saved, and not fly about as at present is the case with the common target
now in use. In my Invention, the lead will all be saved in a box or receptable,
which could be kept locked at the back of the shield or frame.
What I claim, as my Invention is, the moment that the target is struck
the flap opens, and shows a different colour through the frame, and at once
conveys to the person fireing where the shot has struck, which is most valuable
to him. The saving of lead is also of great value. I claim the whole of the
improvements above mentioned as my Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Wright Gardiner Treeby in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 31st January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WRIGHT GARDINER TREEBY, of No. 1, Westbourne Terrace Villas, Upper
Westbourne Terrace, Paddington, Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Wright Gardiner Treeby, Her special licence that I, the said
Thomas Wright Gardiner Treeby, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Thomas Wright Gardiner Treeby, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TARGETS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Wright Gardiner
Treeby, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent,
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Wright Gardiner Treeby,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained

page_text: in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed (that is to say):
This Invention has for its object improvements in targets, the great
advantage of which is the indicating every shot to the person firing, and saving
the lead.
)
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, front elevation of target. E, E, shews the bevel bars of cast-iron
frame; C, C, shews the flaps that open and shut; F shews the centre hit of
the bull's-eye. Figure 2 shews a cross section of Figure 1, elevation, cut
through A, B; E, E, shews the flaps, one is represented as open after being
struck; D, D, D, represents catches holding up the flaps; K is a disc that
is sent up to the top of the target, on the bull's-eye being hit; F is the end
that hits G on the bull's-eye being hit; G is connected with lever H; T is a
joint that moves upon; J, W, is a part of the disc action; N is a
lifting rod that disconnects the whole of the catches, which are acted upon by
lever O; R is an iron support; P is a pulley.
I would remark, what I claim as my Invention is the iron frame, so
arranged that the hinges of the flaps cannot be injured by the force of the
ball; also the manner of the flaps, on being hit, open and indicate where the
ball has struck; the falling of the flaps by their own gravitation; also the
lifting rod and bull's eye action. I would remark, that I use the lifting rods
and catches with springs or pins to some of the targets; and in some of the
targets I prefer to dispense with them. For volley firing, the targets are
better without catches, but for single firing they are better with catches; and
in this case I have wires connected with the target leading to different points
of firing acted on by pulleys and levers very much upon the common bell
action. The wire action I do not claim, only in combination as before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wright Gardiner Treeby, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
137 C TREERV Gal