US3626854A

US3626854A - Self-inflating target projectile

Info

Publication number: US3626854A
Application number: US859405A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jerry R Brooks
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-09-19
Filing date: 1969-09-19
Publication date: 1971-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 1988-12-14

Abstract

A self-inflating target projectile comprising a tubular member with a gunpowder charge therein and adapted to be disposed in the barrel of a gun, with a hollow capsule in said tubular member having an inflatable balloon therein and a check valve adjacent one end of the capsule with a plug adjacent the other end thereof, said capsule being adapted to be ejected by the gunpowder and said check valve enabling the interior of the capsule to be charged with a gas for inflating the balloon therein.

Description

States Patent 72] Inventor Jerry R. Brooks 1716 Merrywood Way, Galnesvllle, Tex. 76240 [21 1 App]. No. 859,405

[22] Filed Sept. 19, 1969 [45] Patented Dec. 14, 1971 [54] SELF -INFLATING TARGET PROJECTILE 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

52 U.S. Cl 102/41, 102/37.6, 102/92.7 [51] Int. Cl F42b 5/22, F42b 9/20 [50] Field of Search 102/41, 92.7, 35.6, 37.6, 49.5; 273/105.4, 102, 105.2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,864,916 6/1932 Gachassin-LaFite 102/41 3,118,638 ll/1964 Rohr OTHER REFERENCES Space Beacon Astronautics; December 1958, pp. 21 & 27.

Primary Examiner-Robert F. Stahl Attorney-Berman, l)avidson andBerman ABSTRACT: A self-inflating target projectile comprising a tubular member with a gunpowder charge therein and adapted to be disposed in the barrel ofa gun, with a hollow capsule in said tubular member having an inflatable balloon therein and a check valve adjacent one end of the capsule with a plug adjacent the other end thereof, said capsule being adapted to be ejected by the gunpowder and said check valve enabling the interior of the capsule to be charged with a gas for inflating the balloon therein It is an object of the present invention to provide a tubular member that can be used with a conventional shotgun and which can be fired from the barrel of the shotgun which is provided with a self-inflating balloon therein so as to provide a target for improving shooting skills.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an inflatable target that can be fired or shot from a conventional shotgun for use as a target so as to eliminate the necessity of specialized target throwing equipment, such as the equipment required for throwing clay targets.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a shell that can be readily inserted in a shotgun and which has therein a deflated rubber balloon that can be quickly inflated after it leaves the gun so that a simple and economical target is provided for improving shooting skill.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof and in which FIG. I is a sectional view of the self-inflating target projectile embodied in the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating the target being inflated after it has left the barrel of a shotgun, and

FIG. 3 discloses a modification of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral generally designates a tubular member that can be a conventional shotgun shell casing which is provided with a conventional primer 12 and a moderate charge of gunpowder 14 therein with a base wad 16 therein and a plastic plug 18 which also serves as the over-powder wad.

Disposed within the shell 10 is a hollow capsule or casing 20 which is made of metal and has a turned over lip 22 adjacent its rear end securing the enlarged portion 24 of an inflatable balloon thereto.

The forward end of the casing or capsule 20 has a countersink or recessed portion 28 therein. A compression spring 30 is disposed in the countersink and'has one end bearing against the bottom 32 of the countersink which is provided with an orifice 34 therein, and the other end of the spring 30 is mounted on a boss 36 of a check valve 38. The valve 38 is provided with a sealing washer 40 which is normally maintained seated over the valve opening 42 by said spring member. The valve opening 43 is disposed in the bottom of a cup member 44 pressed into the outer end of the countersink 28 and seated against a sealing washer 46 therein. The casing 20 is maintained in the shell 10 by a turned-over lip 48 in the outer end of the shell.

After she shell has been assembled, the interior of the casing 20 is charged with an appropriate gas such as carbon dioxide, compressing the balloon 26 back against the plug 18.

The shell is now ready for insertion in the barrel of a shotgun indicated in FIG. 2. When the shotgun is fired, the shell 10 will take the trajectory as indicated in FIG. 2 and will be discharged from the gun barrel.

When the shell 10 is fired, the plug 18, after it leaves the barrel of the gun will separate from the capsule 20 and the gas within the capsule will cause the balloon 26 to inflate as illustrated in FIG. 2. Thus, the present invention provides a gasfilled target that is self-inflating after it leaves the barrel of the gun and the inertia of the capsule will cause the balloon target to are downwardly as illustrated in FIG. 2 so as to provide a floating target for improving shooting skill.

Thus, with the present invention, a person can load his gun alternately with this self-inflating target projectile and a conventional shell so that the shooter is able to project his own targets and eliminate the requirement for specialized target throwing equipment, such as the convention clay target devices.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3, this is substantially the same as that described in connection with FIG. 1 except that the capsule 54 is rovided with a plug 56 that has an inwardly extending lip 60 that extends into a complementary annular groove 62 in the capsule 54. The inflatable balloon 64 is disposed in a sleeve 66 having an outwardly turned lip 68 securing the intumed end 70 of the balloon to the capsule in the enlarged bore 72 of the capsule.

The sleeve 66 is provided with a boss 74 thereon having an aperture or orifice 76 therein and compression spring 76' is seated over the boss and bears against a valve disc 78 fonning a check valve in the capsule. The false disc 78 is provided with a sealing washer 80 that seats over the valve opening 82 in the capsule. The valve disc 78 has a valve stem with an enlarged head 84 extending therethrough. When the capsule 54 is used in the shell 10, as described in FIG. 1, after assembly, the interior of the capsule 54 is filled with an appropriate gas such as carbon dioxide. When the embodiment of the invention described in FIG. 3 is disposed in the shell 10 and the shell is fired from a gun, the plug 56 is locked to the capsule until it clears the barrel. Thereafter, the plug 56 separates from the capsule 54 and the gas within the capsule passes through the orifice 76 and inflates the bellows-type balloon 64 that is stored in a deflated condition within the sleeve 66.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the fonn, location and relative arrangement of several parts without departing from the essential characteristics of the invention, and it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A self-inflating target projectile for a shotgun shell of the type including a hollow casing open at one end and having a primer-fired gunpowder charge at theother end, comprising a sealed hollow capsule secured in said casing, a filling air check valve mounted in one end of said capsule and accessible through the open end of said casing, said capsule having an aperture in the end thereof opposite said valve, an inflatable target balloon having its open end secured to said capsule surrounding said aperture with said balloon normally lying within said capsule, and a plug normally sealing the aperture in said capsule and seating as a wad against the gunpowder in said shell, said plug normally retaining said balloon in said capsule against the pressure of air in said capsule until said projectile is fired from a shotgun.

2. A device as claimed in claim I, wherein said plug has a central upstanding boss engaged in sealing relation in the aperture of said capsule.

3. A device as claimed in claim I, wherein said capsule has an annular groove formed therein surrounding said aperture and said plug has an annular intumed flange engaged in said annular groove.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said capsule has a countersink portion therein with an orifice therein and said check valve includes a biasing spring in said countersink and a valve disc covering said aperture and said spring normally urges said disc in said seated position over said aperture.

* i i i i

Claims

1. A self-inflating target projectile for a shotgun shell of the type including a hollow casing open at one end and having a primer-fired gunpowder charge at the other end, comprising a sealed hollow capsule secured in said casing, a filling air check valve mounted in one end of said capsule and accessible through the open end of said casing, said capsule having an aperture in the end thereof opposite said valve, an inflatable target balloon having its open end secured to said capsule surrounding said aperture with said balloon normally lying within said capsule, and a plug normally sealing the aperture in said capsule and seating as a wad against the gunpowder in said shell, said plug normally retaining said balloon in said capsule against the pressure of air in said capsule until said projectile is fired from a shotgun.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plug has a central upstanding boss engaged in sealing relation in the aperture of said capsule.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said capsule has an annular groove formed therein surrounding said aperture and said plug has an annular inturned flange engaged in said annular groove.