US3164384A - Archery target - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 5, 1965 M. L. STEWART ARCHERY TARGET Filed Sept. 14

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upright rods VVby springs.

United States .Patent 3,164,384 ARCHERY TARGET Marvin L. Stewart, Maplewood,`M0., assigner, by direct and mesne assigementsa to M. L. Stewart Enterprises, Enc., Belleville, Ill., a corporation o Illinois Filed Sept. I4, 196i, Ser. No. 138,120 2 Claims. (Cl. 273 162.4)

pad against the front pad. A heavy canvas sheet vlines the rear face of the back pad.

Arrows shot atthe target first `strike the front pad and pass through to the back pad. The spaces between the hairs permit arrows to pass through the target, but the latex coating im nediately retards an arrow entering the target. In. addition, when the arrow strikes the front pad, the upright rods tlex and the front pad mounting springs yield under the force of the arrow. p After the arrow passes through the front pad and into the backjpad its deceleration is even more pronounced because of the more tightly compacted rubberized hair and because of the resilient mounting of the back pad that further dampens the thrust of the arrow. Finally, the then slow moving arrow is stoppedby the heavy canvas sheet.

One of the drawbacks in conventional archery targets is their inability to stop high speed arrows. These arrows pass through the target and continue in ilight. Because of the potential damage the arrows can cause and because of possible damage to or loss of the arrows, the choice of placement of conventional targets is limited, This target, however, is capable of stopping the fastest arrows. It is, therefore, a principal obgect of this invention to-provide an archery target that is resiliently suspended from a frame and that has an internal frictional substance to retard arrows passing through it, with a heavy, relatively impervious sheet on the back of the targetto finally stop the arrows. g

Anotherobject is to provide anl archery target that has a rubberized string-like pad toward which arrows are shot, wherein the rubber part of the pad provides a frictional stopping force upon arrows.

A further object of the invention is to provide an archery target that has a plurality of separate parts to be struck successively by an arrow, with each of the parts being separately resiliently mounted to dampen the thrust of an arrow.

Another object of the invention is to provide an archery target that is made of rubberized horse hair, hogs hair, straw, excelsior, or the like, whereby the body of the target is held in a compacted unit by the rubber part and the unit can be cut to appropriate size from a large block. A corollary object is to provide such a target wherein the central core part of the target or other part that is `damaged by repeated striking of arrows can be cut out and replaced by a plug cut from a piece of the rubberized hair or the like. y

Still another object of the invention is `to provide an archery target that is supported by a stand made of flexible metal tubing to further dampen the thrust of arrows tired at the target and also to provide au archery target that is supported by a stand hat can be readily disassembled.

ice

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Other springs hold the back FIGURE l is a side elevation view ot the archery In the drawing: target; y

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation View of the archery target taken alongethe line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation view of the archery tari get taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the base of the stand taken along the line 4 4 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation view in section of the target taken along` the line 5 5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a view in section taken along the line 6 6 of FIGURE 2 and drawn on an enlarged scale; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary View, partly Vin section, showing the connection between the kbase portion of the stand and the upright portion of the stand.

Referring now tothe drawing, the target has a stand lil with a hase Il and an upright l2. The stand lil may lhave a variety of constructions, but the one'illustrated is desirable from vthe standpoint of ready disassembly.y

The base of the stand comprises a pair of horizontal metal rods i3, the ends of which are bent downwardly to provide feet id. For stabilization, a pair of cross rods I5 are welded or Yotherwise attached to each of the horizontal rods i3.

The upright l2 comprises a pair of rods 16 having bent lower ends i7. These lower ends I7 are fastened to the horizontalbase rods I3 by wing bolts IS. Above the base lill, the rods I6 are slightly inclined to the vertical so that the bends adjacent the lower ends I7 deine acute angles. The rods Id, as well as other parts of the frame, are made of 3ft; inch iron rod, and are, therefore,'exible,

especially at the bentparts adjacent the lower ends I7.

Vends ot the upright rods I6.

The circular rodhas a plurality of hooks 29, preferably four in number and equally-spaced, depending inwardly from it. An end of a coil 'spring 2l is attached to each hook Ztl. The other end of each spring is attached to another'hook 22 having a plate 23 that is confined mainsection 24 of a target assembly 25.

The target assembly 2.5 generally has a main section 24 and a rearward section 26. Both of these' sectionsare made of rubberized hair, such as hogs hair, horse hair,

etc., or they may be made of rubberized straw, rubber-- ized cellulose or other string-like matter suspended within a self-sustaining rubber pad. An example of a target composition is a combination of forty percent hogs hair, thirty percent horse hair and thirty percent cows hair, sprayed with neoprene latex paint. Otherwise, these pads of rubberized strands are made by any conventional molding process. The rearward section 26 differs from the forward section 24 in being more compact to thereby provide a greater stopping force against the thrust of arrows.

The forward section 24 has a burlap ring 27 about its outer edge. The hooks 22 extend through the burlap, but the burlap retains the plates 23 to keep the hooks 22 in place.

There is a thick canvas sheet Z across the back surfaceof the second target section 26. This canvas sheet is vof about the same thickness as canvas belting and is sufexposed surface of the canvas sheet 28. These rods may be, but need not be, connected together at their centers by a rivet Si). Therods 29 are of light gauge metal so arrows will not hit them. A coil spring 3l is Connected by the there are a number of forces applied to arrows to stop y them. An arrow first strikes ythe main target section. As it does so, the upright rods 16 flex somewhat, bending rearwardly (to the left as viewed in FIGURE l), and the springs 21 elongate, allowing the target assembly 25 to shift rearwardly under the impact of the arrow. At the same time, the rubber constituent of the pad 24 applies a yfrictional stopping force to the arrow as it passes through the target section 24.

When the arrow enters the second target section 26, that target section is allowed, by the springs 31, to move rearwardly of the iirst target section, thus applying additional dampening to the thrust of the arrow. In passing Ythrough the second target section 26, the arrow is more rapidly decelerated because of the more compact composition of the second target section 26.

The arrow finally strikes the canvas sheet 28 and is stopped. Y Y

One of the, advantages of this target is that the target sections 24 and 26 are self-sustaining and parts of them can be cut away and replaced by a plug. For example, the center of the target illustrated is assumed to have been Vhit so often by arrows as tohave finally been damaged.

ThisV center has been cut away, leaving an opening 33. A plug 34, cut from a separate pad included with the target for the purpose, iills the hole 33. Thus, damaged parts of the target can be repaired easily and a new target need not be bought.

, Another advantage of this target is its light Weight. A target assembly 25 of about four feet in diameter weighs only about twelve pounds compared to about titty-eight pounds for conventional straw targets.

Y This target Vcan be disassembled for shipment and for transportrby the owner. The upright section 12 of the frame is removed from the base 11 by simply removing the wing bolts 18. VThe target assembly is removed from the frame by unhoolring the springs 21. The second tar-V get section 26 is removed from theV main target section 24 by unhookingl the springs 31. Reassembly is correspondingly easy, and when the target is assembled, it is attrae- ;tive enough to complement the landscape of any residence.

This target is weatherproof. It need not be brought in l during inclement weather and can be used immediately following precipitation. It does not become water-logged as do conventional straw targets.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the process of this invention as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

Vvhat is claimed is:

1. An archery target comprising iirst and second pads, each of said pads being comprised of substantially the same rubberized composition having a plurality of hairlike strands randomly suspended in situ therein, said hair-like strands consisting of at least one member of the group consisting of cow hair, horse hair and hog hair, the composition being self-sustaining, said second pad being under relatively greater compression than said lirst pad, said first pad having a removable centrally located core having a composition essentially the same as said tirst and second pads.

2. An archery target comprising a frame having a base portion adapted to rest iiat upon the ground and an upright portion, means for releasably attaching the upright portion to the base portion, a target assembly, yieldable means for suspending the target assembly in spaced relation from the upright portion of the frame, the target assembly comprising a plurality of units, said units being each comprised of a rubberized pad composition having a plurality of hair-like strands imbedded in situ in said rubberized composition, elastic means for compressing the second pad against the back of the first, said elastic means extending across the rear of the second pad and compressing the second pad against the first pad while leaving the first pad relatively uncompressed, and said iirst pad having a replaceable rearwardly tapering center core.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 225,734 Tangeman Mar, 23, 1880 1,837,627 Mead et al. Dec. 22, 1931 2,722,420 Adamson Nov. 1, 1955 3,048,401 Dishon Aug. 7, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,295 Great Britain 1886 696,139 Great Britain Aug. 26, 1953

Claims (1)

1. AN ARCHERY TARGET COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND PADS, EACH OF SAID PADS BEING COMPRISED OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME RUBBERIZED COMPOSITION HAVING A PLURALITY OF HAIRLIKE STRANDS RANDOMLY SUSPENDED IN SITU THEREIN, SAID HAIR-LIKE STRANDS CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COW HAIR, HORSE HAIR AND HOG HAIR, THE COMPOSITION BEING SELF-SUSTAINING, SAID SECOND PAD BEING UNDER RELATIVELY GREATER COMPRESSION THAN SAID FIRST PAD, SAID FIRST PAD HAVING A REMOVABLE CENTRALLY LOCATED CORE HAVING A COMPOSITION ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AS SAID FIRST AND SECOND PADS.

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