IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH TARGETS
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Walter Brierley and George
Frederick Smeeton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 26th May 1862.
We, WALTER BRIERLEY, of Halifax, in the County of York, Patent Agent,
and GEORGE FREDERICK SMEETON, of the same Place, Ironmonger, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
CONNECTED WITH TARGETS," to be as follows:-
Heretofore the mode commonly practised of constructing targets has been
to make them solid, or, in other words, with an entirely flat surface, upon
which are painted or colored concentric rings or circles of suitable diameter
for bull's-eye and "centre," the "centre" usually being a circle of two feet
diameter, having a concentric circle of eight inches (or other suitable
diameter) thereon, which is termed the bull's-eye, or sometimes a disc of iron
is suspended in front of the target, to act as the centre, the bull's-eye, being
painted thereon.
The object of this Invention is to construct targets in such a manner, that
by means of signals the aid or attendance of markers may be dispensed with,
which we effect in the following manner :-At the back of ordinary targets,
and in a suitable position, we place a shaft, both ends of which are turned to
a point or centred. This shaft is supported by and works in two lugs, which
are fixed to the back of the target and countersunk to receive the centred or
pointed ends of the shaft referred to. (We employ the method above

page_text: described of working this shaft, in preference to the ordinary mode of sup-
porting shafts, because it reduces friction, and is economically and readily
constructed.) This shaft, midway between its ends, is swelled, so as to
construct a double boss, having a hole of suitable diameter through the same.
A slot hole being cut through the target at a suitable distance below the shaft
and bosses, a rod of iron is bent or cranked to a proper form. To one end of
this rod is secured a plate or disc of iron of suitable diameter for the bull's-eye,
the other end of this rod being passed through the slot hole in the target, and
into the hole in the boss of the above-mentioned shaft, and secured by means
of a set screw. We now place a second rod in the upper part of the boss
having a flag or signal at its other end, and secure this rod by means of a
set screw. Upon the last-mentioned rod is placed a weight to counter-
balance the bull's-eye plate, or disc, and rod, (in such a position as to throw
the bull's-eye plate and rod to a suitable distance-in front of the target), whilst
the rod carrying the flag or signal will be balanced in such a position that the
signal will be a little below the upper part of the target, and invisible to the
firing party. The whole being nicely balanced by the weight on the signal
rod, it will be evident that upon the bull's-eye disc or plate on the lower rod
being struck by a shot, the shaft working on the centred lugs will oscillate
freely. The rod carrying the signal being secured in the boss of the same
shaft, will also oscillate in the manner of a scale beam or pendulum, until the
motion is overcome by its gravity. Two springs are placed on the target for
the rods to strike against at each oscillation. Or instead of the signal being
fixed on the rod as described, we place at any convenient part of the back of
the target a rod, working as a scale beam, having a flag or signal at each end,
and actuate the same by means of a rod from the boss or shaft, as above
described.
The second part of our Invention relates to the construction and form of
plates, to be employed as centres, which we make of wrought iron, cast iron,
or other suitable metal, in the form of a "gong," or disc, or plate, having a
bell-mouthed rim thereon; or these plates may be square, with the rim on, as
described. These detached centres are suspended in front of the target, and
when struck by a shot, produce a sound, which differs in tone from that of any
other part of the target when struck, and may be heard at a great distance,
thus signalling a "central hit." We attach or suspend these gong centres to
the targets by means of a hollow tube, or by means of bolts and nuts, a slot
hole being cut through the centre for the bull's-eye rod to work through, the
same as in the target. Lastly, at a suitable distance behind the target, we
erect a framework, covered with wire or rope netting, and at a suitable distance

page_text: parallel, we erect another frame covered with wire or rope netting, the space
between the two being filled with earth, sods, peat, or other suitable substance,
for reducing the power of any stray bullet. Another space being behind the
frames, a wall is built, against which the bullets strike, (after passing over
or off the sides of the target,) and through the earth, sods, or peat, and fall
into this last-mentioned space, not being broken to pieces as heretofore; we
thus secure the lead.