US317521A - Peed c - Google Patents

Description

P. C.l DAMM.

BALL TRAP.

PatentedMay 12, 1885.

UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

FRED C. DAMM, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEORIA TARGET COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.-

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,521, dated May 12, 1885.

Application filed October 21, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED C. DAMM, of Peoria, in the county of Peoria, and in the State of Illinois, have invented an Improved Ball and Target Trap; andIdo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making apart of this specification, in which like letters of reference refer to like parts, and in which- Figure l represents a plan view of the invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of the same when set, Fig. 3, a detail view, partially sectional, of the standard; Fig. 4, across-section at x win Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a cross-section at yy in Fig. 2, Fig. 6, a modied form of the invention.

This invention is in that line of mechanism for throwing balls, clay pigeons, and other objects for practice, in gunnery, and is in the special line of such devices which consist of a pivotal arm having a spring for giving it a strong semi-revolution, a catch for holding said arm in a set condition, and a cord for detaching said catch.

In the drawings, A represents the throwingarm, pivoted at p to the trap frame-piece F. s is the spring by which said arm is operated, and d is the catch for holding the arm A set against the pull of said spring.

The frame-piece F is provided with a pivotal lug, Z, which, entering the socket of the standard T, enables the frame-piece F to be angularly adj usted vertically. The lower end of said standard, by fitting in the standardsocket K, permits the frame-piece F to be turned horizontally in any direction. An opening, d, made through the lower part of the standard T, is for the passage therethrough of the cord D, by which the catch c is released from the arm A. An annular groove in the lug Z, another at the lower end of the standard T, and setscrews passing through the sides of the sockets into said grooves hold said parts together, and .at the same time permit the desired turning of parts. The V-spring s, which I prefer to use for propelling the arm A, is secured to the frame-piece F by having the coils s2 at its vertex clasp the lug M, projecting from said frame-piece and held in place thereon by the cap m and bolt m. The

end s of the springs passes through an opening in the head b of the bolt B. The other end of the spring s is joined by means of a link, e, to the end a of the arm A.

The object in having the arm A bent as shown, is that the pull of the spring when said arm is set shall be near in line with the pivot I), as in Fig. 2, and the starting of said arm be thereby less violent. This decreases greatly the liability to fracture of the clay pigeons in starting them from a state of rest and giving them a sufficient velocity to iinpel them the desired distance. When the arm A reaches the end of its stroke,in the position of Fig. l, the spring s becomes a check to stop the force of its motion. The tension of the spring s is changed at will by means of the bolt B, to the head of which the end s of said spring is secured. The boltB passing through the ear r of the frame projection R, and the set-nut b abutting against said ear, the head b of the bolt is brought nearer Vto or moved farther from thespring s, and desired alteration easily made in the force thereof. The catch o, by which the arm A is held in its potential energy, is pivoted at its vertex to the projection N. A spiral spring, N', fastcned at its ends to the tail of the catch c, and to the lower end of the projection N, snaps said spring-catch up to engage with the arm N and hold it set.

Instead of the V-spring s, I sometimes use a spiral spring fastened at its ends to the end c of the throwing-arm A and to the bolt B, as in Fig. 6.

The end w of the frame-piece F, I usually make sufficiently heavy to resist the countershock of the throwing-arm A.

In using this trap the arm A is brought around toward the weighted end w of the 9c frame-piece and held thereat by the snapcatch c. The cord D being fastened to the catch c, and passing thence down through the channel d in the standard to the operator, en-

ables, by a pull thereon, said catch to be dis- 9 5 connected from the arm A, and the latter to perform its work of throwing a ball or other object attached to its extremity.

The socket-piece 7c, I usually bolt to a board,

7c', through which stakes may be driven to ro hold the trap iirmly to the ground. Said box serves as the cover of aboX for receiving the balls, clay pigeons, and other objects, of the throwing-arm A, having bent end a and pivot P, a frame-piece, F, to which said arm is pivoted, provided with a projection, R, having ear r, a bolt, B, passing through said ear, a spring secured at one end to the head of said bolt, and at its other end connected with the end a of said throwing-arm, and a set-nut, b, for said bolt, whereby the tension of said spring can be regulated, substantially as set forth. A A

2. The frame-piece F, having a projection, It, and an ear, r, at the end thereof, in coinbination with the arm A, pivoted to said frame-piece, the bolt B, passing through said ear, the set-nut b, for longitudinally moving said bolt, the V-spring s, pivoted at its vertex to said framepiece and having its end s secured to said bolt, and the link e, joining the working end of said spring to the said arm A, substantially as and for the purpose herein specied.

3. In a ball or target trap, the framepiece F and cylindrical lug Z, projecting therefrom and having an annular groove thereabout, in

the throwing-arm A, pivoted to said framepieee F, as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a ball and target trap, the combination, with the frame-piece F, a throwing-arm pivoted thereto, and a spring for impelling said arm, of the projection N, L-shaped catch c, pivoted thereto, a coiled spring, N', secured at its ends to the lower end of said projection, and to the tail c of said catch, and a cord, D, fastened to said tail, as and for the purposeset forth.

6. The terminally-weighted frame-piece F, having projections'N andB and lugs Z and M, in combination with the bent throwing-arm A, pivoted to said frame-piece, the V-spring s, held at its v erteX to said lug M by the cap and bolt m m', a link, e, joining the working end of said spring to the bent end of said throwing-arm, a bolt, B, passing through the ear r of said projection R and connected to the end s of said spring, a set-nut, b, for adjusting said bolt, the snap-catch o, pivoted to said projection N, cord D, for depressing said catch, the standard T, and standard socket lf, as set forth.

7. In a throwing mechanism of the kind herein set forth, a frame-piece and a spring adapted to have the line of its pull at approxinxately right angles to said frame, in combiuation with the I -shaped throWiJg-arrn ALpivoted at or near its vertex to said frame-piece,

and having the point of attachment of said Witnesses:

A. B. UPHAM, A. KEITHLEY.

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