US2250166A - Target - Google Patents

Description

y 22, 1941- I. o. MOSSBERG 2,250,165

TARGET Filed Feb. 20, 1840 INVENTOR 1V8? 0. Mossterg. 7

ATTORNEY Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,250,166 TARGET Iver 0. Mossberg, New Haven, Conn, assignor to 0. F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., New Haven, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application February 20, 1940, Serial No. 319,857

2 Claims. (Cl. 223-1054) This invention relates to targets and more particularly to targets adapted for use in traps to be thrown by the trap through the air where they are broken when struck by shot from a discharged firearm.

The target of this invention is particularly useful with traps having means to retain the target therein against any accidental release therefrom in any direction until thrown and therefore, one object of this invention is to so form a target that it will be adapted to be so held by a trap of such nature.

Another object of this invention is to provide a target of such form and structure that it will fly evenly through the air without wobbling.

Still another object is to provide a target of the above nature which, when in the air, will readily shatter when struck by a shot, or the like, but will be sufliciently strong to permit it to be packed, handled, and held in, and rapidly thrown from, a trap without breaking.

A further object of this invention is to provide a as a new article of manufacture an improved disc-like target having a new and useful conformation.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved form of target which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple in construction, and which is very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, there have been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, two forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a target, embodying the features and principles of this invention, shown mounted and firmly held in a trap adapted to throw the target outwardly therefrom into the air;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the trap shown in Figure 1 with an unsectioned side view of the target of this invention mounted therein;

Figure 3 is an enlarged top view of the improved target of this invention with a broken portion of the trap shown in cooperation therewith;

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the target;

Figure 5 is an elevational view of two targets nested together for packing, the upper one of the two targets being cross-sectioned to disclose its conformation;

Figure 6 is a top plan View of a target of somewhat modified form; and V Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on line 'l-l of Figure 6.

The target of this invention is preferably made of some readily fracturable material such as clay, and is particularly adapted for use with a trap Ill of the same or similar form as that shown in a copending application Serial 'No. 311,531, filed Dec. 29, 1939. In accordance with this copending application the trap l0 and the target of this invention are for use with shot shells of small calibre. Such shot shells include the wellknown and long used .410 paper shot shell, the 9 m. m. long, the .32 long, the .22 long rifle, and the .22 long, rim fire metallic shot shell cartridges. The trap Iii, see Figure 1, includes a sheet metal frame having a bottom plate ll, an end portion I2 which extends angularly and rearwardly from the plate I I, "and upright flanges l3 and M which extend the entire length of the plate I I, along its sides. Narrow elongated strips l5 and I6 extend transversely toward each other along the entire length of the flanges l3 and M respectively from their top edges. The strips l5 and It being spaced from the plate II by the respective flanges I3 and I4 form opposing channelsl'l and I8. I

The trap I 0 is adapted to be pivotally secured upon a stationary member, or post, l9, which in turn may be secured to a firearm, or a standard, (not shown), by a screw 2! which is screwthreaded into the post l9 after passing through a suitable hole in the outer end 22 of the frame end portion I2. A coiled spring 23, secured at one end 24 to the portion l2 and at its other end 25 to the post I9, is tensioned when the trap is swung about the pivot screw 2| to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 to provide means to rapidly swing the trap frame forwardly and throw a disc-like target 25 therefrom- A leaf spring 21 secured at one end to the flange by a screw 28 is bent inwardly at its other end to provide a tongue 29 adapted to be pressed through an opening 3| in the flange l4 and be disposed in the forward path of the target 26 to releasably hold it in the frame in cooperation with a lug 32 struck up from the plate II at the rear of the target 26.

The target 26 of this invention is disc-like in form having a cylindrical base, or annular rim, 33 of proper diameter to readily slide along the frame bottom plate H between the flanges I3 and M. The height, or thickness, of the base 33 is of proper dimension to readily slide between the plate II and the strips l5 and I6 which overhang the peripheral edge of the base 33 to prevent it accidentally dropping therefrom should the frame be held in another position such as being inverted from that shown in Figure 1. The target 26 has a portion 34 extending upwardly from' the base 33 a short amount to form a cylindrical shoulder 35, the diameter of which is slightly less than the dimension between the opposing edges 35 and 31 of the strips |5 and I6 respectively; The target 26 has a portion 38 extending upwardly from the portion 34, forming the shoulder 35,a short amount,.toform a cylindrical shoulder 39. From the cylindrical shoulder 33 the target has a portion 43'.

which extends upwardly and is frusto-conical in shape. top surface 42 of which is concave to gradually reduce the thickness of the wall of the top portion 4| toward its center to form a thin and weakened portion thereat and thus. reduce the reinforcement actionthereof for resisting collapse of the side wall portion 40.

The target 26 is hollow having a short cylindrical interior surface 43 within its base portion 33 from which the interiorsurface 44 extends upwardly, frusto-conical in shape, to a flat circular interior surface 45 'whichlies directly beneath, and is substantially" the same diameter as, the concave outer surface 42. The diameter of the cylindrical interior surface 43 is substantially the sameas the diameter of the shoulder 39 of the portion 38, so that, when targets are nested as in Figure 5, the bottom surface 46 of the upper one will seat upon the upper surface 41 of the portion 34,

In Figures 6'and .7 a target 5| is shown similar in every respect to the previously described target 26 except that the center portion 4| has been omitted leavinga hole 52 thereat. It is understoodthat the targets 26 and 5| fly through the target only their side walls. Shot 54 fired from a firearm by a marksman striking the side wall of either the target 25 or 5| will obviously shatter the target while it is in the air thus visibly indieating a hit. In accordancewith the principles and features of this invention, it is preferable that the side walls of the targets 23 and 5| are notappreciably reinforced at their top center and therefore the top wall 4| of the target 26 is appreciably thinned and thereby weakened by the con- The target 26 has a top portion 4| the I air with their respective bases 33 and 53 substantially in a horizontal plane thus presenting as a a concave upper surface 42 for the target, its top wall 4| is extremely thin whereby the conical sides 40 will readily fracture when they are struck by a shot, due to not being appreciably reinforced by this thin top portion 4| whereby shot 54 traveling in paths indicated by dash lines 49 striking this thin top wall will easily pass through the same and strike the side wall inside the target to fracture it.

Due to the base 33 having the thickest wall, the portion 34 somewhat less in wall thickness and the wall of the portion 43 gradually decreasing in thickness as it approaches the thin top portion 4|, the excess of weight of the target is at, or adjacent to, the base 33 whereby its center of gravityill is adjacent the plane of the upper surface of said base. In view of such determined location of the center of gravity, the target 26 when rapidly thrown into the air tends to fly, with its base 33 disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, evenly and without wobbling whereby a steady moving target is provided for the marksman. It will be noted that the walls of the target 26 gradually diminish in thickness from the base 33 to the top 4| except at the weakened point 48, thus insuring that upon being struck by a shot from a marksmans firearm, the entire target will break while in the air and thus visibly indicate a hit.

An article of manufacture such as above described having; a relatively thin cylindrical base 33 with a relatively thick wall and being adapted to slide along spaced apart opposed channels I7 and IS; a stepped-up cylindrical portion 34 concentric to the base 33 but of smaller diameter and having a somewhat thinner wall; another stepped-up cylindrical portion 38 also concentric to the base 33 and being smaller in diameter than the portion 34 and having a still thinner wall; a frusto-conical portion extending upwardly from the portion 38 with its wall gradually decreasing inthickness as it approaches the top; and a thin walled top portion 4| formed by providing a concave top surface, as shown in Figures 1-5, or no top wall, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, provides a disc-like target-which is particularly efficient in use, and durable to carry, or to throwfrom a trap. v w

The term concave surface as used herein is to be understood to specifically refer toa surface, such as 42, which is depressed by being gradually tapered from its periphery radially in all directions toward its center, and which is readily pass therethrough without undue resist.-

ance andstrike the interior and opposite side wall of the target to thoroughly shatter it.

' D'ue tothe above construction, whereby a relative'ly heavy base 33 is provided, the ta get of this invention is provided with means whereby itis readilyslidable in opposing channels such as I! and I8 ofa trap similar to that disclosed in Figure 1 without danger of being broken. The wall 43 of the'target where the shoulder 39 joins the portion 34 is made relatively thin insuring ready fracture of the target at this point. By providing preferably, though not necessarily arcuate in cross-section.

While there has been shown and described herein two forms of an improved target, it is to be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit and essential attributes thereof; It is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respectsas illustrative and not restrictive, and it will-be further understood that each and every novel feature and'combination thereof, present in, or possessed by, the 'articles herein disclosed, forms a part of the in vention included in this application.

What is claimed as new and for'which 'it'is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. A target comprising a hollow annular body creasing in thickness as it extends upwardly to be weaker at its upper end than at its lower end and than said base rim, and a circular top wall extending across said target at the upper edge of said side wall, said top wall gradually decreasing in thickness radially in all directions toward its center from the upper edge of said side wall to cause it to be substantially weaker than said side wall and to be particularly thin at its center area to permit ready passage therethrough of a pellet from a fired shot shell of small calibre, and whereby it will not appreciably reinforce said side wall against fracture when the latter is struck by a pellet from a fired shot shell of small calibre.

2. A target comprising a hollow annular body of readily fracturable material adapted for trap shooting and having a substantially thick base rim, an annular side wall extending upwardly from said base rim and being generally frustoconical in form, said side Wall gradually decreasing in thickness as it extends upwardly to be weaker at its upper end than at its lower end and than said base rim, and a circular top wall extending across said target at the upper edge of said side wall, said top wall having a relatively flat under-surface and being depressed at its upper-surface gradually from its periphery at the upper edge of said side wall toward its center radially in all directions to be arcuate in crosssection to cause said top Wall to be substantially weaker than said side wall and to be particularly thin at its center area to permit ready passage therethrough of a pellet from a fired shct shell of small calibre, and whereby it will not appreciably reinforce said side Wall against fracture when the latter is struck by a pellet from a fired shot shell of small calibre.

IVER O. MOSSBERG.

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