A Target for Rifle Practice and an Apparatus for Marking the Value of Shot upon same and Simultaneously Patching the Target ready to Receive the Following Shot.
Year: 1888

page_text: A Target for Rifle Practice and an Apparatus for Marking the
Value of Shot upon same and Simultaneously Patching the
Target ready to Receive the Following Shot.
I ANTHONY GEORGE BIRD of 26 West Place Wimbledon Common County of
Surrey, Builder do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The target is of wood lined with canvas with two or more layers of black lining
paper under the portions of the target which present a white surface to the marksman
and two layers of white lining paper under the black bull-The apparatus for
marking where the target has been struck and simultaneously patching the bullet
hole consists of a metal tube A made to fit on to the ordinary disc handle G used at
rifle ranges and is fastened to same by a pin E, at the mouth of the tube is fitted a
cork B in which needle points C are fixed these points protrude sufficiently to pick up
a patch paper, and a hard wood backing D prevents the points from becoming
displaced by end pressure-The cork B is secured to tube A by pins H-When a
shot has to be signalled, the marker picks up the patch paper from a thin board which
perforated to receive the prickly end of the metal tube A and pastes same by hand,
he then transfers the pasted patch paper from the end of the tube A to the portion of
the target through which the bullet has passed the marking disc F through the
centre of which the tube A passes is thus immediately over the bullet hole and signals
to those at the firing point the value of the shot-the tube A is secured to the disc F
by means of a band K-Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus and Fig. 2
is an end view of the tube containing the steel points C.
Dated this 19th day of June 1888.

page_text: I ANTHONY GEORGE BIRD of 26 West Place, Wimbledon Common County of Surrey,
Builder 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:-
The target is of wood lined with canvas, with 2 or more layers of black lining
paper under the portions of the target which present a white surface to the marksman
and 2 or more layers of white lining paper under the black bull.
The apparatus for marking where the target has been struck and simultaneously
patching the bullet hole consists of a tee shaped metal tube A made to fit on to the
ordinary disc handle B in use at rifle ranges and fastened to same by pins C, at the
mouth at each end of the horizontal portion of the tube A is fitted a cork D in which
brass pins E are fixed, the points of these brass pins E protrude sufficiently to hold
a patch paper, the cork D is let into a wood seating F which works loose in the tube A
and is kept in position by a spiral spring G and a metal rim H at the end of the tube,
the spring G works against a hard wood backing L which is secured to tube by
pins J.
When a shot has to be signalled the marker picks up the required patch paper
from a receptacle with his paste brush and dabs same on to the prickly end of the
tube, having seen the patch paper is properly pasted he then transfers it from the end
of the tube A to the portion of the target through which the bullet has passed, the
marking disc K through the centre of which the marking portion of the tube A passes
is thus immediately over the bullet hole and signals to those at the firing point the
value of the shot.
By means of the tee shaped tube the marking can be carried on with half the number
of discs at present in use by painting the disc on one side say white to signal a bulls
eye on the other side black to signal an outer-another disc painted the necessary
colors to signal a magpie and an inner.
In Fig. I the tube on one side the disc K is shown in elevation on the other side
in section to show the internal arrangement of the tube.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the mouth of the tube, showing the cork with the points E
of the brass pins protruding.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. That the target being penetrable besides possessing all the advantages of a
canvas target has the additional advantage that when struck by a bullet the sound
can be distinctly heard at the firing point which to rifle shots is a great acquisition.
2. A more accurate system of marking than is at present in use.
3. A simplification of all existing systems of marking, as no spotting discs are
required, only half the number of marking discs at present in use, and no receptacles
for distemper color for marking out old shots as are required where iron targets are
in use.