GB1598566A

GB1598566A - Figure targets for firearms

Info

Publication number: GB1598566A
Application number: GB1043877A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: MARTELLO PLASTICS Ltd
Current assignee: MARTELLO PLASTICS Ltd
Priority date: 1978-04-24
Filing date: 1978-04-24
Publication date: 1981-09-23

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO FIGURE TARGETS FOR FIREARMS (71) We, MARTELLO PLASTICS LIMITED, a British company of 57 to 59 Canterbury Road, Folkestone, Kent, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following state ment:- Training facilities, known as ranges, have been developed which realistically simulate the operational field conditions likely to be experienced in various types of close combat using firearms. In such ranges figure targets representing an enemy can be controlled to appear in various postures in different places, and are related to an aggressive or passive scenario as appropriate.A trainee is supposed to identify, discriminate, fire at,and hit the enemy targets within a predetermined time, the targets being fitted with hit recording sensors. At present the target figures are simple plywood panels cut to the outline shape of a supposed enemy, but are not very satisfactory because they are not sufficiently realistic, being less than one inch thick and therefore virtually only two dimensional.

Also, the plywood panel figures have a relatively short service life before becoming irreparably damaged by shot impact and penetration.

According to the present invention, we provide an improved firearms target which comprises a target figure formed by a shell of reinforced plastics material shaped to provide a flat mounting portion and a three dimensional portion resembling at least part of a human being, said part including the head, a target support to which the target figure is fixed through the fiat mounting portion and by which the figure can be presented in a substantially upright position, and a sensor for recording hits on the target figure attached either to the figure or to the support.

A target in accordance with the invention can of course be used in any firing range, but is particularly well suited for use in the type of ranges described above. Because the target figure is three dimensional it has depth when viewed, particularly when seen as a moving target. Depth is an essential requirement if any impression of realism is to be obtained, and by suitably painting or clothing the target figure it can be made to appear extremely realistic.

Also, reinforced plastics is a more suitable material than plywood for making the target figure. This is because compared with a plywood panel, there is less tendency for splintering of the figure to occur when a bullet hits and passes through it. The damage caused by each hit is therefore less, with the result that targets in accordance with the invention will usually record more hits than the conventional plywood panel targets before the figure becomes so badly holed that some hits are no longer recorded. Hits are recorded by means of the sensor which is fixed to the target, preferably to a shielded part, and which is usually designed to detect vibrations caused by the impact of a bullet on the target figure.

Furthermore, when it is decided that a target figure is so badly damaged that it needs replacing, because of the nature of reinforced plastics material it is possible to repair the damaged figure so that it can be re-used, whereas this is not so in the case of plywood figures. Preferably the material from which the target figure is made includes a fire retardant to cater for the possibility of the target being fired at with tracer bullets.

The fire retardant may be included in the resin of the reinforced plastics material, or may be in a coating applied to the plastics material.

Sometimes it may be sufficient for the target figure to comprise a shell which represents only the front, rear, or side of a body, but if the target is to be viewed from any angle, is is preferable for the shell to be full bodied. In this case the figure is preferably formed from two half body shells which are joined together in a vertical plane in any convenient manner. Preferably the two half body shells are provided with peripheral flanges which mate with each other when the half shells are joined, and the half shells are preferably joined by bolting their mating peripheral flanges together. These peripheral flanges may form the flat mounting portion of the shell.

The target figure can be designed to represent any desired body attitude or configuration, and can be made either substantially full body height, three-quarters body height, approximately half body height, or simply in the form of a head.

When designed for use on training ranges of the type described earlier, it will be convenient for the target in accordance with the invention to make use of the types of target supports and hit recording sensors which are used at present on these ranges, and the target figure will be designed accordingly. Existing target supports are either of the ground or base mounted type, or of the overhead mounted type. For use with the former, the flat mounting portion of the target figure is located at the lower end of the shell and has a number of notches or slots (usually four) for accommodating the bolts of the clamps by which the target figure is fixed to the support.The ground mounted support and the clamped lower end of the target figure will usually be hidden from view on the training range, such as by a wall or by being set into a trench in the ground, and it will be convenient to mount the hit recording sensor on the hidden lower part of the shell, which may be provided with a hole or recess fov receiving the sensor.

In the case of overhead mounted target supports, the support usually comprises a vertically suspended rod carrying a fixing plate at its lower end. In use the fixing plate is bolted to the flat mounting portion of the target figure, which in this case is preferably located near the upper end of the shell, and the rod extends through an opening provided for the purpose in the extreme upper end of the shell. In this case it will be common for the hit recording sensor to be fitted behind the fixing plate of the support.

This will provide the sensor with a measure of protection while still being able to register hits on the target figure, since the fixing plate is bolted directly to the target figure.

Two examples of target figures for targets in accordance with the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of the first example; Figure 2 is a perspective view from the rear and one side of the first example; Figure 3 is a front view of the second example; and, Figure 4 is a perspective view from the rear and one side of the second example.

The target figure illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a three dimensional hollow shell 1 which is shaped generally to represent an upright male human being from knee to head height. The shell 1 is formed from front and rear half shells 2 and 3 which are moulded from a fire retardant glass fibre reinforced plastics material.

The front half shell 2 comprises a portion 4 resembling the front of a man, and a peripheral outwardly directed flange 5 surrounding the portion 4. The rear half shell 3 has an upper portion 6 representing only the upper half of the back of a man, and a peripheral flange 7 substantially surrounding the portion 6 and merging with a flat lower portion 8 of the rear half shell 3. The outline shape and dimensions of the two half shells 2 and 3 are identical, and when placed together to form the complete shell 1, parts of the peripheral flanges 5 and 7 of the two half shells 2 and 3 lie face to face so that the half shells can be bolted (not shown) together through the mating parts of the flanges.

The target figure is of the base mounted type, and the lower edge of the flat portion at the lower end of the shell 1 is provided with four notches or slots 9 so that the target shell 1 can be fitted to a ground mounted target support mechanism. The notches or slots 9 are spaced to fit over the bolts of clamps which are designed to clamp the flat lower portion of the shell 1 to the support mechanism. When fixed, a hit recording sensor (not shown) is bolted to the shell 1, and for this purpose the front half shell 2 is provided with a recess 10 for receiving the sensor between the knees at the lower end of the moulded portion 4.

The target figure shown in Figures 3 and 4 is of the overhead mounted type and comprises a hollow shell 11 intended generally to represent the upper half only of a female human being. The shell 11 comprises front and rear half shells 12 and 121 which are substantially identical to each other and which, as in the first example, are moulded from a fire retardant glass fibre reinforced plastics material. Each half shell 12, 121 comprises a portion 13, 131 shaped to represent the head and torso of a woman and an outwardly directed peripheral flange 14, 141 by which the two halves can be bolted together. In the torso part of the portion 13, 131 of each half shell 12, 121 there is provided a recess 15, 151, and in the case of the front half shell 12 the base of this recess 15 is cut out, as shown at 16, to provide access to the inside of the shell 11 when the two halves 12, 121 are bolted together. The extreme upper end of each half shell 12, 12 is provided with a semi-circular recess 17, 171 so that when the two half shells are bolted together a circular opening 18 is formed.

In use, the target figure is fitted to an overhead mounted target support mechanism in the manner described earlier.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A firearms target comprising a target

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. are preferably joined by bolting their mating peripheral flanges together. These peripheral flanges may form the flat mounting portion of the shell. The target figure can be designed to represent any desired body attitude or configuration, and can be made either substantially full body height, three-quarters body height, approximately half body height, or simply in the form of a head. When designed for use on training ranges of the type described earlier, it will be convenient for the target in accordance with the invention to make use of the types of target supports and hit recording sensors which are used at present on these ranges, and the target figure will be designed accordingly. Existing target supports are either of the ground or base mounted type, or of the overhead mounted type. For use with the former, the flat mounting portion of the target figure is located at the lower end of the shell and has a number of notches or slots (usually four) for accommodating the bolts of the clamps by which the target figure is fixed to the support.The ground mounted support and the clamped lower end of the target figure will usually be hidden from view on the training range, such as by a wall or by being set into a trench in the ground, and it will be convenient to mount the hit recording sensor on the hidden lower part of the shell, which may be provided with a hole or recess fov receiving the sensor. In the case of overhead mounted target supports, the support usually comprises a vertically suspended rod carrying a fixing plate at its lower end. In use the fixing plate is bolted to the flat mounting portion of the target figure, which in this case is preferably located near the upper end of the shell, and the rod extends through an opening provided for the purpose in the extreme upper end of the shell. In this case it will be common for the hit recording sensor to be fitted behind the fixing plate of the support. This will provide the sensor with a measure of protection while still being able to register hits on the target figure, since the fixing plate is bolted directly to the target figure. Two examples of target figures for targets in accordance with the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of the first example; Figure 2 is a perspective view from the rear and one side of the first example; Figure 3 is a front view of the second example; and, Figure 4 is a perspective view from the rear and one side of the second example. The target figure illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a three dimensional hollow shell 1 which is shaped generally to represent an upright male human being from knee to head height. The shell 1 is formed from front and rear half shells 2 and 3 which are moulded from a fire retardant glass fibre reinforced plastics material. The front half shell 2 comprises a portion 4 resembling the front of a man, and a peripheral outwardly directed flange 5 surrounding the portion 4. The rear half shell 3 has an upper portion 6 representing only the upper half of the back of a man, and a peripheral flange 7 substantially surrounding the portion 6 and merging with a flat lower portion 8 of the rear half shell 3. The outline shape and dimensions of the two half shells 2 and 3 are identical, and when placed together to form the complete shell 1, parts of the peripheral flanges 5 and 7 of the two half shells 2 and 3 lie face to face so that the half shells can be bolted (not shown) together through the mating parts of the flanges. The target figure is of the base mounted type, and the lower edge of the flat portion at the lower end of the shell 1 is provided with four notches or slots 9 so that the target shell 1 can be fitted to a ground mounted target support mechanism. The notches or slots 9 are spaced to fit over the bolts of clamps which are designed to clamp the flat lower portion of the shell 1 to the support mechanism. When fixed, a hit recording sensor (not shown) is bolted to the shell 1, and for this purpose the front half shell 2 is provided with a recess 10 for receiving the sensor between the knees at the lower end of the moulded portion 4. The target figure shown in Figures 3 and 4 is of the overhead mounted type and comprises a hollow shell 11 intended generally to represent the upper half only of a female human being. The shell 11 comprises front and rear half shells 12 and 121 which are substantially identical to each other and which, as in the first example, are moulded from a fire retardant glass fibre reinforced plastics material. Each half shell 12, 121 comprises a portion 13, 131 shaped to represent the head and torso of a woman and an outwardly directed peripheral flange 14, 141 by which the two halves can be bolted together.In the torso part of the portion 13, 131 of each half shell 12, 121 there is provided a recess 15, 151, and in the case of the front half shell 12 the base of this recess 15 is cut out, as shown at 16, to provide access to the inside of the shell 11 when the two halves 12, 121 are bolted together. The extreme upper end of each half shell 12, 12 is provided with a semi-circular recess 17, 171 so that when the two half shells are bolted together a circular opening 18 is formed. In use, the target figure is fitted to an overhead mounted target support mechanism in the manner described earlier. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A firearms target comprising a target

figure formed by a shell of reinforced plastics material shaped to provide a flat mounting portion and a three dimensional portion resembling at least part of a human being, said part including the head, a target support to which the target figure is fixed through the flat mounting portion and by which the figure can be presented in a substantially upright position, and a sensor for recording hits on the target figure attached either to the figure or to the support.

2. A target according to claim 1, in which the target figure is made of glass fibre reinforced plastics material.

3. A target according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the reinforced plastics material includes a fire retardant.

4. A target according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the target figure is full bodied and comprises two half body shells which are joined together in a vertical plane.

5. A target according to claim 4, in which the two half body shells are substantially symmetrical about a vertical plane.

6. A target according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which the two half body shells are provided with mating peripheral flanges at which the half shells are joined together.

7. A target according to claim 6, in which the half body shells are bolted together through their mating peripheral flanges.

8. A target according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the target figure is of substantially full body height.

9. A target according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the target figure is of substantially three-quarters body height, the shell depicting the upper part of a body or a body in a semi-crouched position.

10. A target according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the target figure is of substantially half body height, the shell depicting the upper part of a body or a body in a crouched position.

11. A target according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the shell depicts only the head of a body.

12. A target according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the target figure is supported from its base, the flat mounting portion of the shell being located at the lower end of the shell and having a number of notches or slots accommodating bolts by which the figure is bolted to the support.

13. A target according to any one of claims 1 to 11, in which the target figure is suspended from the target support, the support including a rod and a fixing plate at the lower end of the rod, the flat mounting portion of the shell being located near the upper end of the shell and being fixed to the plate, and the extreme upper end of the shell having an opening through which the rod extends.

14. A target according to claim 12 or claim 13 when dependent upon claim 6, in which the flat mounting portion of the shell is formed by the peripheral flanges.

15. A target according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the hit recording sensor is received in a hole or recess in the shell and is attached to the shell.

16. A target according to claim 1, in which the target figure is substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 3 and 4, of the accompanying drawings.