US1362467A - Target-trap - Google Patents

Description

N. W. BENNER.

TARGET TRAP. K APPLICATmN FILED MAYT. Isa-zio.

1,362,467, Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

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N. W. BENNER.

TARGET TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I, |920.

1,362,467. Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

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WITNESS.- JNVENTOR.

y-1r W ZW /5 Na7/mme! WBe/mer NATHANIEL W, BENNER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TARGET-TRAP.

Application led May 7, 1920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NATI-rimini. W. BEN- NER, a citizen of the United States residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Fhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Target-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to target traps and it has more particular reference to that type or form of device for throwing composition or other frangible targets, and it has for its main object to provide a target trap which can be easily set and released, to which the composition or other frangible targets can be quickly applied with ease and facility, which can be adjusted to the requisite angle with a minimum amount of labor, and which will throw the target in such a manner as to obviate tipping and the correlated retardance of said target with the result that a greater distance of throw is insured.

`With the foregoing and other objects in view,'that will more fully appear as this description proceeds, my present invention consists essentially in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated by the accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings, and more specifically deine'd by the appended claims.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings, constituting a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference designate the same or similar parts in all the views.

Figure 1- is a side elevation of my improved target trap with the operating rod broken away, and the several parts in locked or inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail plan showing the position of the throwing arm when released.

Fig. 4- is a similar view showing the position occupied by the throwing arm mechanism prior to its release.

Fig. 5" is a sectional'elevation taken substantially on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1 and looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 6- is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 6 6 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7- is an enlarged detail underside plan of the target carrier mechanism.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Serial No. 379,624.

l Referring more particularly to the views, the numeral 1() designates a base-plate which is adapted to be secured in place by holdingdown bolts or screws 11, and beneath said base plate there is provided a vertically disposedsocket or journal 12, in which is pivoted the reduced end 13 of the main pedestal 14. Laterally projecting from the pedestal 14, are opposed arms 15, to which are attached the foot rests 16, and forwardly projectingifrom said pedestal is an arm 17 to the free end whereof is clamped by a bolt 18, one end of a bent rod 19, the upper curved end whereof passes through an eyed bracket 2O on the outer underside of a platform 21, which in turn is formed with a second depending inner bracket or lug 22 by means of which the platform 21 is pivotally connected to the pedestal by a pivot pin 0r bolt 23. Upstanding stops or projections 24 are provided on the base plate 10 for limiting the swinging movement of the pedestal 14.

Rearward of the pedestal 14 there is mounted on, or formed integral with, the base plate 10, a standard 25 which is eyed at 26 to receive the rectangular-section end 27 of the operating rod 28, and attached to an upstanding arm 29 on the forward end 27 of said operating rod 28, is one end of a chain or otherexible element 30, which is guided between the peripheral surfaces of spaced vertically rotatable anti-friction rollers 31 mounted on the aforesaid platform 21 and connected at its free end to a laterally projecting ear or hook 32 integral with a rotatably mounted disk or wheel 33 under the action of a contractile spring 34e-one end whereof is attached to a pin -35 on said disk and the other to a stud 36 on the platform 21. Laterally projecting from the aforesaid disk or wheel 33 is a tooth or projection 37 which normally engages with an upstanding stop 38 on the platform 21 and thereby limits the contra- Vclockwise movement of the disk or wheel 33 in opposition to the contractile spring 34.

Mountedon the aforesaid platform 21 is a bracket 39 in which is hused the main pivot pin 40 on which the disk or wheel 33 is keyed or otherwise securely mounted, and the hub or boX 41 of said wheel is provided with a laterally projecting latch portion 42 which is adapted to coperate with a bumper or recoil absorbing device 43 consisting of an adjustable bolt 44encircled by a comyhaving connected thereto one end of the main spring 49 the other end whereof is hooked on to an adjustable eyed bolt 50I carried by an L-shaped bracket 51, mounted on the above described platform 21.

The target holder proper includes a pair of pivoted jaws 52, 53, the former of which is pivoted at 54 to the free end of the target throwing arm 47, and in order that it may have a degree of swinging resiliency relative thereto, the pivot 54 is reduced at -Fig. 7-and has keyed thereon an arm 56 to which is connected one end of ya helical retractile springV 57 whose other end is appropriately connected to the underside of the arm 47 at 58.. Thus it will be readily seen that while the jaws 52, 53, arel normally maintained in alinement with the arm 47, when Asaid arm is vswung a degree of swinging resiliency is provided at the pivot 54 when the impact takes place and the target released. The target holding jaw 53 is pivoted on the jaw 52 at 59, and in order that means may be provided for accurately adjusting the grip of said jaws I preferably employ the means illustrated more clearly in F ig. 7 and which consist in forming the pivot 59 with an eccentric depending pin 60 through which passes; a `wire or fine rod 61 hooked on a stud 62 on the underside of the jaw 52, the other end of said wire or rod 61 being threaded to receive an adjustable locking nut 63 between which and the pin 60 is mounted a compression spring 64.

Stops and a projection 65, 66, are provided in the jaws 52, 53, to retain the target in place and it will be readily noted that the jaws thus provide for what may be termed aside feed.

To provide for the locking of the target throwing arm 47 and its associa-ted parts in the inoperative position as well as releasing same, I preferably employ the latch mechanism shown, and which comprises what may be termed a T-shaped plate 67-.-Fig. 3f-which is pivoted by one arm 68, under the action of a contractile spring 69 on a pivot pin 70 mounted on the aforesaid bracket 51, the opposed arm 71 being notched out at 72 to grip over the target throwing arm 47, and inclined at`73 to readily latch thereon when the parts are returned or moved to inoperative position. Mounted on the base plate 10 is a bracket 74 to the upper end whereof is pivoted at 75 a gravity fall trip or crank arm 76, one limb 77 of which is arranged to be under the aforesaid T-shaped plate while the other 78 is bent substantially Lfshaped to be in the path of the end of the rectangular end porf tion 27 of the main operating rod 28, so that when the latter is released it trips the crank arm 76 as hereafter explained.

In using the target trap, presuming the parts to be constructed and assembled as hereinbefore set forth', the trap operator takes a position at the proper station near the trap to manipulate the operating rod 28 while the gunner stands nearby or astride ythe trap with his feet on the foot rests 16,

which form a guide as to his position and which will also serve to steady the trap.. A clay or other frangiblc target is placed sidewise on the holder jaws 52, 5,3, and held between the stops and projection 66 so that it will be ready when the trap.v is set and subsequently released. To set the device the operator draws the operating rod 28 rearwardly thereby exerting a pull on the chain or flexible element 30 which exerts a clockwise turn upon the disk or wheel 33 in opposition to the contractile spring 3:4, until the buffer memberl 43 engages the latch 42.

The throwing arm 17 then engages within the'notch 72 and the device is set, with the spring 49 under tension. At a signal from the gunner, the operator pushes upon the rod 28, which causes the end or lower portion 79 of the rectangular part 27 to strike the L-shaped end 78 of the crank arm 76 and rock same on its pivot 75 to the right hand in Fig, 1, in turn moving the limb 77 upward and rocking the 'if-shaped plate 67. Instantly this action takes place-or in other words when the trap is released by the disengagement of the notched out part 72 over the target throwing arm 47 the latter flies outwardly under the tension of the main spring 49 until it reaches the discharge position-that is tov say when the main pivot pin 46 is rotated contra-clockwise until the latch 42 strikes the buffer 43. This impact of the latch 42, and buffer 43 causes a sharp arrestation or jar to be exerted on the throwing arm 47 which shoots the target from the carriers or holder jaws 52, 53. It will also be readily seen that the throwing arm 47 moves outwardly and upwardly in an inclined direction so that when the target is released from the holder jaws 52, 53, said target will not only shoot forward but will rise much after and simulate they flight of a bird, and by the provision of the bent rod 19 this outward and upward inclined direction of flight can be varied or adjusted as desired by simply releasing the set screw 80 in the eyed bracket 20 and moving the platform 21 to the requisite angle.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that by my invention I provide an ellicient and easily constructed target trap the numerous advantages whereof will be self-evident to those acquainted with the sport of trap shooting; and while I have described and shown a preferred embodiment it is to be clearly understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details thereof, as well as other combinations and arrangements effected without departing from the spirit of said invention, such changes and other combinations, however, being limited to the ambit or scope of the appended claims. y

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A target trap comprising a base, a pedestal pivotally supported by the base, a platform hinged on said pedestal, means for adjusting the inclination of said platform relative to the base, a throwing arm pivotally supported on the platform and under the action of an adjustable contractile spring, side feed spring influenced target carrying jaws at the outer end of the throwing arm, a support on the platform, a substantially T-shaped spring influenced latch mechanism pivoted on the support and adapted to hold the throwing arm in opposition to the contractile spring, a longitudinally movable operating rod, means actuable by the trap operating rod for releasing the latch mechanism from the throwing arm, a bracket on the pedestal and a crank member pivoted thereon, one arm of said crank member being normally disposed in the path of the operating rod and the other arm being adapted to release the latch mechanism, and spring influenced bumper mechanism for causing the release of the target when the throwing arm reaches the discharge position.

2. In a target trap the combination with a base, a pedestal pivotally supported on the base, a platform hinged on said pedestal and adapted for adjustable inclination relative thereto, and a partially rotatable spring influenced target throwing mechanism supported on said platform, of a pair of target carrying jaws adapted for side feed, one of said jaws being pivoted at the outer end of the throwing arm and the other being pivoted on the first aw, means for exerting a normal gripping effect on said jaws and maintaining same in alinement with the throwing arm, a longitudinally movable operating rod, latch mechanism actuable by impact of the trap operating rod for releasing the throwing arm, and spring influenced bumper mechanism for effecting the release of the target when the throwing arm reaches the discharge position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

NATHANIEL w. BENNER.

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