Improvements in Targets.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Feb., 1890-Accepted, 5th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Targets.
I WILLIAM PALMER JONES of 75 Bath Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Gun Maker do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows
_
My invention has for its object improvements in targets by which I am enabled to
test the accuracy of a sportsman when firing at moveable objects such as birds upon
the wing or animals running and which will also denote the points where the shots
strike the target and by means of a series of these moving objects which may by the
aid of an operator appear upon the target in positions unexpected to the person firing.
I am not only enabled to register the particular peculiarities of individual firing but
at the same time by the registration which this combination of targets and moveable
objects supplies I am in a position in conjunction with my firing measurement guns
which have been the subject of previous patents to rectify and correct any such errors
which may occur. My target also forms a means whereby practice may be obtained
in a limited area of the class of firing which is required in the field.
My invention consists of a target of somewhat larger proportions than usual in
which I provide a number of perforations which are made in shape to form the outline
of a bird or any object or thing which may be desired and at the back of these said
perforations I place plates of metal which may be fixed to the target and have the
faces which are exposed through the perforations of preferably a dark colour the target
being white but I do not confine myself to this as either may be of any colour as
long as a contrast is obtained. Between the aforesaid plates and the target I place in
each case a second plate which is the same colour as the target and formed so as to
slide away from the perforation These sliding plates may be mounted so as to slide
below the perforations and each one connected by means of separate chains and pulleys
as hereafter described with an operator so that when any one is released by him the
plate being weighted will fall below the perforation leaving the back and dark plate
exposed again being raised after a more or less short interval in which position it
forms a white ground to the perforation.
I may mount the sliding plates above or at the sides of the perforations and provide
a spring to bring them back over the perforation after they have been drawn away by
the operator these springs acting in lieu of the weights described to the plates when
mounted as above but I may dispense with the weights altogether relying only upon
the weight of the plate itself.
The sliding plates may thus be made to slide in any direction and are actuated by
a cord chain wire or other similar material working over a system of pullies or rollers
or through eyelets the said cords or their equivalents being carried to any desired
distance along the range and secured by means of a loop or ring sliding over a hook
or other projection fixed to a board or other suitable contrivance
The action is as follows:-
:―
When the person firing is ready the operator in charge of the range releases one of
the cords which allows one of the sliding plates to slide down and expose the dark
plate at the back of the perforation at which the person firing aims, the plate being
raised again after a more or less length of interval as may be required and in case
of practice with a double charge any two of the objects could be operated at the same
time
In place of providing a sliding plate I may hinge the plate to the back of the target
and connect the cord to it in such a manner that it may be opened or closed to form
the dark back-ground to the perforations, and being either opened or closed the
alternative way as may be necessary by a spring.

page_text: 1 may also hang the plate upon a pivot and weight it so that it will oscillate back-
wards and forwards behind the perforation in such a manner that by the aid of
springs it may be more or less slowly pulled into position behind the perforation by
the operator.
The shape of a bird or any other figure may be fixed upon the target between two
pivots so as to vertically or horizontally revolve by which means it may be turned
with its flat face parallel to the target for firing at and afterwards turned with its face
at right angles by the operator.
In all the above cases moveable plates may be fixed in front of the target instead of
at the rear and in each case may be secured with a pin or catch which would be
operated by the cord.
I
may also release an oscillating bird to swing in front of the target by means of a
pin attached to the cord which is kept in place by a spring By these means the object
to be fired at may be made to appear and disappear for any period of time required
thereby forming a ready mark for the person firing to shoot at and which appears in
unexpected places which is of considerable importance by the means which it
gives of assisting to note the particular method of shooting of any individual
person.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1880.
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Targets.
I, WILLIAM PALMER JONES of 75 Bath Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement
==
My invention has for its object improvements in targets by which I am enabled to
test the accuracy of a sportsman when firing at moveable objects such as birds upon
the wing or animals running and which will also denote the points where the shots
strike the target and by means of a series of these moving objects which may by
the aid of an operator appear upon the target in positions unexpected to the person
firing I am not only enabled to register the particular peculiarities of individual
firing but at the same time by the registration which this combination of targets
& moveable objects supplies I am in a position in conjunction with my firing
measurement guns which have been the subject of previous patents to rectify and
correct any such errors which may occur. This tai get also forms means whereby
practice may be obtained in a limited area of the class of firing which is required in
the field.
My invention consists of a target of somewhat larger proportions than usual in
which I provide a number of perforations which are made in shape to form the outline
of a bird or any object or thing which may be desired and at the back of these said
perforations I place plates of metal which may be fixed to the target & have the faces
which are exposed through the perforations of preferably a dark colour the target
being white but I do not confine myself to this as either may be of any colour as long
as a contrast is obtained. Between the aforesaid plates and the target I place in each
case a second plate which is the same colour as the target and formed so as to slide
away from the perforation. These sliding plates may be mounted so as to slide
below the perforations & each one connected by means of separate chains and
pulleys as hereafter described with an operator so that when any one is released
by him the plate being weighted will fall below the perforation leaving the back &
dark plate exposed, again being raised after a more or less short interval in which
position it forms a white ground to the perforation.
I may mount the sliding plates above or at the sides of the perforations & pro-
vide a spring to bring them back over the perforations after they have been drawn

page_text: away by the operator these springs acting in lieu of the weights described to the
plates when mounted as above but I may dispense with the weights altogether relying
upon the weight of the plates itself.
The sliding plates may thus be made to slide in any direction and are actuated by a
cord chain wire or other similar material working over a system of pullies or rollers
or through eyelets the said cords or their equivalents being carried to any desired
distance along the range & secured by means of a loop or ring sliding over a
hook or other projection fixed to a board or other suitable contrivance The action
is as follows.-
When the person firing is ready the operator in charge of range releases one of
the cords which allows one of the sliding plates to slide down & expose the dark plate
at the back of the perforations at which the person firing aims the plate being raised
again after a more or less length of interval as may be required and in case of
practice with a double charge any two of the objects may be operated at the same
time
In place of providing a sliding plate I may hinge the plate to the back of the
target & connect the cord to it in such a manner that it may be opened or closed to
form the dark back ground to the perforations, and being either opened or closed the
alternative way as may be necessary by a spring.
I
may
also hang the plate upon a pivot and weight it so that it will oscillate back-
wards forwards behind the perforation in such a manner that by the aid of springs
it may be more or less slowly pulled into position behind the perforation by the
operator
The shape of a bud or any other figure may be fixed upon the target between two
pivots so as to vertically or horizontally revolve by which means it may be turned
with its flat face parallel to the targets for firing at afterwards turned with its face at
right angles by the operator.
In all the above cases moveable plates may be fixed in front of the targets instead
of at the rear and in each case may be secured with a pin or catch which would be
operated by the cord.
I may also release an oscillating bird to swing in front of the target by means
of a pin attached to the cord which is kept in place by a spring. By this means
the object to be fired at may be made to appear & disappear for any period of time
required thereby forming a ready mark for the person firing to shoot at and which
appears in unexpected places which is of considerable importance by the means
which it gives of assisting to note the particular method of shooting of any individual
person.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood & more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings upon
which I have illustrated a few of the various ways of carrying my improvement
into effect.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a target having one representation of an object
upon it, the target being mounted upon a separate support & frame so that a
series of these targets may be used in conjunction with each other.
Figure 2 is a back elevation of same.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of same.
Figure 4 is a similar elevation to Fig. 1 but shewing a modification in the means
of actuating the representation or object.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of same.
Figure 6 is a front elevation shewing a modification in the form of the object
but is operated in a similar manner to Figure 5
Figure 7 is a vertical section through same.
Figure 8 is an horizontal section through the representation or object shewing a
modification in the means of operating the back plate when the representation is not
in view,
Figure 9 is a similar section when the representation is in view.
Figure 10 is another modification in the mode of nounting & operating the plate:

page_text: Figure 11 shews a target of larger proportions than usual having a number of
representations upon its face as will be hereafter explained
In carrying my invention into effect 1 form the perforation A in the target B to
form in outline the shape of a bird or any other object or thing usually found in the
field & at the back of this perforation I place the metal plate a which is fixed to the
target & has the face next the target of a dark colour so as to show the outline of
the object A upon the white target B but if preferred the plate a¹ may be white & the
face of the target B dark.
Between the plates a¹ and the target B I place another plate a3 which is the same
colour as the target and is made to slide in the slide grooves a³ & a' so that it may
be drawn from the rear of the perforation A This sliding plate a² may be so placed
that it would fall below the perforation A & is connected with the operator by means
of the chain E which is attached to the said plate a² & runs over pullies one of
which e¹ is fixed to the target A so that when the chain is drawn up by the operator
the plate a is withdrawn from behind the perforation & leave the dark plate a¹
exposed the plate a² being again lowered after a more or less short period so as
to fall & again form a back ground to the perforation the same colour as the target or
in case of the plate being hung below it will be obvious that the connecting wire or
chain would require to be released for exposing the perforation and withdrawn for
closing again. The falling of the plate a' may be assisted by the addition of weight a³.
The sliding plate a³ may be mounted at the sides of the perforations a spring being
provided to bring them back over the perforation after having been withdrawn by any
direction & are actuated by a cord, chain, wire, or other similar means working over
a system of pullies, rollers, or through eyelets the said cords or the equivalents
being so carried to any distance or any desired position along the range & secured
by any suitable means The target A is mounted upon the frame F so as to stand
by itself which allows of a series of these targets being placed in various positions
the whole of the connections being carried to one operator which enables him to
expose an object upon anyone of these targets. A number of these representations
may be formed on one target as shewn at Figure 11 each one being supplied with a
separate contrivance as herein described so that any one can appear & disappear
upon the target at the will of the operator.
The action whether in the case of separate targets or of one target containing a
number of representations is as follows:-
When the person firing is ready the operator in charge of the range operates one
of the cords so as to cause one of the sliding plates a² to move & expose the dark
plate at the back of one of the perforations at which the person firing aims the
plate a³ being allowed to slide back behind the perforation after a more or less desired
interval..
I may fix the shape of a bird or other object H upon the pivots h¹ & h² as shown
in Figs. 4 & 5 so that by means of the chain E' which is attached to the object
at e & passes away to the operator over the pulleyse & e, the plate may be drawn
into an horizontal position with its flat face not exposed to view as shewn in Figure 4
and by dotted lines in Figure 5 afterwards being turned into a vertical position
again with its face parallel to the target as shown by Figure 5 by means of the
chain and spring e* the stop e¹³ preventing the plate from turning past the vertical
position. I may however arrange it so that on releasing the chain E2 the plate is
drawn into a horizontal position by the spring e7 and again drawn into the vertical
position by the chain E. In place of providing the sliding plate a² I may hinge the
plate a at the back of the perforation as shewn in Figures 8 & 9 in which the said
intermediate plate a is closed behind the perforation A by means of the chain es and
pulley being opened again by the spring attachment e
I may also hang the plate a7 in the pivot as as shewn at Figure 10 so that it will
oscillate backwards & forwards behind the perforation A so that by the aid of the
spring a it may be more or less slowly pulled behind the said perforation by the
operation of the chain or cord E¹¹.
I may also pivot the angle plate K behind the perforation A as shewn by Figure 12

page_text: having one of its sides k the same colour as the target & the other k* a darker
colour the plates being operated in one direction by means of the chain k¹ passing
around the pulley & in another direction by a spiral spring round the pivot proper
stops being provided to prevent the sides from turning too far but of course I do
not confine myself to this mode of operating the plates as they could be turned in
a variety of ways to effect the same purpose. In all cases I may place the plates
in front of targets instead of at the rear & it is evident that the moving object may
be fixed at a greater or less distance from the target.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said & in
what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim 18
(1) The improvements in targets in which objects are made to appear & disappear
at the will of an operator from & at any point of the range substantially as herein
set forth & shewn upon the drawings.
(2) The improvements in targets consisting of a front perforated plate & back
solid plate with a supplemental movable plate operated on the face or between
substantially as herein set forth & shewn upon the drawings
(3) The improvements in targets having a bird or other equivalent pivoted or
hinged upon the face thereof & operated substantially as herein set forth & shewn
upon the drawings
(4) The improvements in targets consisting of a front plate perforated with an
object in combination with the pivoted plate having an alternating movement &
operated substantially as herein set forth & shewn upon the drawings.
Dated this 1st day of Fahru 1900
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.