GB2092453A

GB2092453A - Clay pigeon for use in sport shooting

Info

Publication number: GB2092453A
Application number: GB8202873A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-02-11
Filing date: 1982-02-02
Publication date: 1982-08-18
Also published as: DE3202743C2; NO148272B; DK151517B; NO820383L; SE449524B; DK151517C; FI61244C; DE3202743A1; FI61244B; SE8200700L; DK33882A; NO148272C; GB2092453B

Abstract

A clay pigeon disc for use in sport shooting is formed to prevent the formation of a partial vacuum or sub- atmospheric pressure between discs and adhesion of discs to each other. This is preferably achieved by forming the upper part of a bottom ridge (2) of the disc with grooves (4) or small holes to conduct air in between the discs in a stack. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Clay pigeon for use in sport shooting This invention relates to a clay pigeon for use in sport shooting. Clay piegon, or skeet, shooting is a type of sport wherein a rifleman tries by shooting with a shotgun to shatter so-called clay pigeons, that is to say discs, which have been sent on a trajectory through the air. Skeet shooting is an olympic sports discipline wherein are used clay discs prescribed by rules. Thus the discs have to weigh from 100 to 110 grams, be of 110 + 2 mm diameter and about 25 to 28 mm in thickness. The clay pigeon is usually thrown into the air mechanically, one disc at a time moving into a throwing position from a stack of discs. To the disc there is imparted a rotational movement about its central axis, whereby it is held in equilibrium.

The clay pigeon is a generally disc-shaped object resembling a shallow, upside-down cup. The lower edge of the disc is very smooth with a view to ensuring that the disc glides satisfactorily off the throwing machine and into the air. The discs are stored, and transported, whilst stacked upon each other.

Since the lower surface of the disc is required to have a high degree of smoothness and, in the stack, this smooth surface rests upon the smooth border of the disc underneath, it is clear that even a minimal amount of moisture causes the gap between discs to be closed in an airtight manner. Since futhermore the stack often consists of a considerable number of discs one upon the other, the presence of moisture easily gives rise to a subatmospheric pressure, or partial vacuum, between discs, and this in its turn prevents the disc which is next in turn to be thrown, from detaching itself from the stack. The requirement must still be observed that the lower surface of the disc must have a high degree of smoothness for good sliding when the disc is thrown into the air, as was already said. Quite small surface irregularities already cause impaired sliding characteristics.

The invention aims at eliminating the formation of sub-atmospheric pressure between discs and the disadvantages resulting therefrom.

According to the invention a clay pigeon disc for use in sport shooting is characterised in that the underside of the disc has a ridge and that grooves or small holes are formed above the ridge for the purpose of preventing development of a subatmospheric pressure between the discs.

The invention is hereinafter described in more detail by reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment. In this drawing Figure lisa plan view of the clay pigeon; Figure 2 is an elevational view of the same clay pigeon; Figure 3 is a fragmentary section of the clay pigeon on a larger scale.

In Figures 1 and 2, the clay pigeon has been depicted somewhat schematically. The disc has on its lower margin a flange part 1 having on its underside a ridge 2 of semi-circular cross section, as can be seen from Figures 2 and 3. On its top side face 3, the flange part 1 has grooves 4. There may be several such grooves, though preferably distributed with uniform spacing all around the disc to maintain its balance. There are four such grooves in the example illustrated.

When the discs are stacked, the ridge 2 under the upper disc comes to lie on the top surface 3 of the lower disc's flange portion 1. The inner diameter of the flange portion 1 of the discs is slightly larger than the diameter of the disc portion resting on the flange part 1. There is therefore enough lateral play, or clearance, 5 between each two discs lying one on the other to allow a good flow of air through the vertical gap between the discs. Since the flange 1 has grooves 4 in its top surface, the air has access through these grooves to the vertical gap between the discs, thereby preventing the formation of a sub-atmospheric pressure between the discs and, at the same time, sticking of the discs to each othefr.

The grooves on the top surface of the flange part 1 cause no detriment to the discs. The grooves are easy to produce during the moulding of the discs by casting. The disc presented as an example has four grooves of semi circular cross section and 2 mm in diameter The discs have to be readily disintegrable when hit by a shot pellet, but they must not suffer any damage during transport even if numerous discs are stacked upon each other. The discs at the bottom will have to bear a great weight, with the result that minimal vibration may break them if the discs do not rest uniformly on each other. This is why on the top surface 3 of the flange part there are no ridges such as would prevent the discs from lying too tightly against each other.

It is also possible, with a view to preventing vacuum adhesion, to provide small holes in the marginal parts of the disc or on top of it. Such holes must however be small enough, or so positioned, that a shot slug cannot pass therethrough without breaking the disc.

At least one small hole may be located in the central portion of the disc, or for instance through the flange part 1 radially. This has the drawback, however, that the manufacturing process of the discs is impeded by the necessity to make these holes.

Another expedient which is not feasible is to provide the lower surface of the disc with grooves or ridges which would counteract the tight contact between discs.

The embodiment of the invention depicted in the figures is highly advantageous for the reason that the making of the grooves does not impede the casting process because the grooves are produced by protuberances in the mould during the casting process.

In addition to the advantage that the throwing of new clay discs suffers no detriment owing to wetting of the discs, another advantage is gained, namely, that discs which have not been shattered may be re-used. The moisture which they usually take up has no harmful effect because thanks to the grooves as proposed by the invention no vacuum can develop, nor any grouble result from the throwing of the discs.

In the drawing one practical embodiment of the invention has been illustrated; it is to be understood however that this embodiment may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A clay pigeon disc for use in sport shooting, characterized in that the underside of the disc has a ridge and that grooves or small holes are formed above the ridge forthe purpose of admitting air in between the discs in a stack, and thereby preventing development of a sub-atmospheric pressure between the discs.

2. A clay pigeon disc according to claim 1, characterized in that radial grooves are formed in a bottom flange of the disc.

3. A clay pigeon disc according to claim 1, characterized in that in the centre of the disc there is at least one hole which is so small that a shot used in shooting cannot pass therethrough without shattering the disc.

4. A clay pigeon disc according to claim 1, characterized in that it has holes extending radially through a bottom flange of the disc.

5. A clay pigeon disc formed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.