GB2529658A - Improvements in clay pigeon target discs - Google Patents

Abstract

A clay pigeon target disc 1 has a main body 7 with a surface 2. The surface 2 has at least two openings 3. When the target is in flight, air passes through the openings into indentations 6 and passageways 8, which may cause sounds such as whistling to emanate from the disc 1. The sounds may be tuned so that they replicate bird sounds.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN CLAY PIGEON TARGET DISCS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the clay or similar formed discs used during clay pigeon shooting and their improvements using the addition of audible sound producing features in its design,

Background

The use of round discs for launching into the air as target practice is well known and widespread, as the disc or clay' represents the pigeon or any other flight bird or similar. Clay pigeon shooting, also known as clay target shooting, and formally known as Inanimate Bird Shooting, is the art of shooting a firearm at special flying targets, known as clay pigeons or clay targets.

The terminology commonly used by clay shooters often relates to times past, when live-pigeon competitions were held. Although such competitions were made illegal in the UK in 1921, a target may still be called a "bird", a hit may be referred to as a "kill", and a missed target as a "bird away"; the machine which projects the targets is still known as a "trap". These spin and travel at speed after launching into the air and the person aims their shotgun at the moving disc with an aim to hit it in transit. The discs or targets used for the sport are usually in the shape of an inverted saucer, made from a mixture of pitch and pulverized limestone rock designed to withstand being thrown from traps at very high speeds, but at the same time being easily broken when hit by just a very few lead or steel pellets from a shotgun.

The targets are usually fluorescent orange or black, but other colours such as white, or yellow are frequently used in order that they can be clearly seen against varying backgrounds and/or light conditions.

Targets are made to very exacting specifications with regard to their weight and dimensions and must conform to set international standards.

There are several types of targets that are used for the various disciplines, with a standard 108 mm size being the most common used in American Trap, Skeet, and Sporting Clays while International disciplines of these same games use a slightly larger 110mm diameter size. Only the standard 108/110mm target is used in all of the trap and skeet disciplines. Sporting shoots feature the full range of targets (except ZZ) to provide the variety that is a hallmark of the discipline.

All three sports use a shotgun, and in the sporting disciplines are sub-classified by the type of game the clay target represents (pigeon, rabbit, etc.). The two primary methods of projecting clay targets are airborne and ground (rolling).

Naturally, the simplest method of throwing a clay target is by hand, either into the air or along the ground. This method is the simplest, and many "trick shot" shooters throw their own targets (some able to throw as many as ten birds up and hit each individually before any land). However, a multitude of devices have been developed to throw the birds more easily and with more consistency. A plastic sling-like device is the simplest, though modern shooting ranges will usually have machines that throw the clay targets in consistent arcs at the push of a button.

These discs over recent years have been subject to various advances including biodegradable material, edible composites and visual livery for improved viewing once in flight.

The disc itself remains the same form and must be moulded and be able to be stacked in the existing and known manner, as an addition to the manufacturing of the clay disc' would incur costs and as in any multiply manufactured and disposable market this is paramount.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention there is provided a novel circular clay disc which is common in use for moving target practice when clay pigeon shooting, this clay being adorned with added opening and cavity apparatus which emits a sound when made airborne in the conventional manner, to assist people with limited sight or when shooting in poor visual weather conditions and to add novelty.

The clay has at least 3 openings or more that are shaped specifically to intake the impacting air to the upper surface of the clay at the correct volume and angle to prime the function of making a sound.

The noise is generated by the indented or possibly bifurcated passageways proportioned in the upper surface and possibly extending from the top to moreover the underside of the clay.

To each opening is an indented or concave shape that may pass into the whole of the upper surface, forming a trap for the air as it connects upon spinning, this is based on current clay shapes which have a hollowed underside and only a minimal thickness is available to house the openings.

As air passes within the opening it is forced over a shaped area directly around and below the hole, which creates a sound. The sound may be altered in pitch or type by changing the opening and concave indentation shape accordingly.

More particularly in the preferred embodiment a clay with a more dense upper surface may be produced and a group of passageways extending from the outer circumferential face of the clay, join at approximately a ninety degree angle and connect at the intersection point to a single passageway, extending to an opening at the rear or inner portion of the clay.

Preferably the single passageway where the parts of passageways meet has disposed therein a narrowed area which will produce differing pitched sounds upon the alternate passage of air through the alternate passageways.

The amount of air passing into the outer opening will remain the same but the internal passages would produce a differing sound depending on their internal space and thus the rate at which the air volume passes. As air escape' rates are altered by passage or hole sizes the tones may also be changes to create differing sounds or audible noises. This may also be extended to enable different pitches or even types of sounds to be created using these alternating or various internal passage sounds, moulded into the clay on its pressing.

Therefore, as with known air pronounced sound devices, it may be possible to create the sound of a bird or other related animal relevant to the practice of shooting, by altering the external openings or internal passages suitably to create the sound therein, for example: the sound of a Duck.

Brief description of figures

Figures 1 show an example of the clay and the sound producing openings, surface indents and internal passageways.

Figures 2 show an example of the clay disc in a plan view and openings to its surface.

Detailed description of figures

A typical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 1. The clay disc I is of known form as shown, and has a main body 7 of a dimensionally layered circular nature having an upper central surface 2.

To the upper central surface are at least two openings 3, as shown which pass into the surface 2 and body 7 of the clay disc 1.

These openings intake air as the disc spins in flight and the air passes through shaped concave indentations 6 and passageways 8 which alter the air being taken in and may end thus or pass into further channels within a more dense bodied version of the disc and may exit via the underside or another area of the clay I body 7.

On rotation these holes and passages and channels create sound by altering the air volume, speed and its expulsion, as a continuous action until the clay comes to rest or is dispersed during target usage.

The openings 3, 3A, 4, 5 and 6, are advised to be positioned as shown in Figures 1 and 2 but may also be located to other areas of the clay body 7, providing such locations for the openings enable suitably structured air intake to deliver a sound generation when the clay I is spinning in the known way. As it is known that if moving air is passed through openings and channels of a certain form, a sound is produced.

The rotation direction being indicated by the black arrows.

The clay IA is shown in a plan view in Figure 2, its upper surface 2A is shown with air intake openings 3A, 4, 5 and 6.

The air intake shapes shown here are advisory only based on known sound producing holes that are known in spinning or scaling objects and an example of a shape variation that is common for sound producing holes is shown as the broken line 4.

The rotation direction being indicated by the black arrows.

Claims (4)

1. Claims 1. A clay pigeon target disc wherein, holes or openings to its surface affect or intake air as the disc spins in flight.
2. 2. A clay pigeon target disc as claimed in claim 1 wherein air taken into holes or openings to its surface is affected by the holes and accompanying indentations creating audible sound or whistles.
3. 3. A clay pigeon target disc as claimed in claim 2 wherein air taken into holes or openings to its surface is affected by the holes and accompanying inlayed channels or passages creating audible sound or whistles.
4. 4. A clay pigeon target disc as claimed in claims 1, 2 and 3 intakes air as it spins in flight which is affected by holes, openings, channels or passages applied to the clay discs surface and inner proportions, to create audible sounds or whistles, which may be finely tuned to also create bird sounds, to assist people with limited sight or when shooting in poor visual weather conditions and to add novelty.