US642887A - Target. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Feb. 6, |900. J. USTER.

TA F G E T.

(Application led Juiy 1 5, 1899.)

(N0 Model.)

WITNESSE INVENTOR, dZ/,l/

ATTORNEYS 1m: Hams frans cn, Puommnc., wAsuum'oN, o. c.

Nrrnp STATES PATENT Prion.

JOHN USTER, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

TARGET.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,887, datedv February 6, 1900.

Application iiled July l5, 1899, Serial No. 723,881. (No model.)

To all whom, z5 may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN USTER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State'of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Targets; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full,4 clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to targets; and it has reference particularly to that kind of ltarget wherein the impact of the ball or other projectile is adapted to throw into view devices for designating the point at which the target has been struck.

The invention consists in an improved target of the kind above particularly referred to and constructed substantially as hereinafter pointed out.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a front View of my improved target, portions thereof being broken away to reveal certain details of construction. Fig. 2 is a side view of my improved target. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of said target, and Figs.

4 and 5 are views of certain details comprised in the invention.

d a b b are rails forming a base, which is supported upon suitable legs c, secured in any desired manner thereto. The railsbb, which are the front and back rails of said base, rest upon the ends of the other rails a d', and they are superimposed by two other pairs of rails d d and e e', the latter pair being disposed above the rails a a and outside of the rails d d. Said rails d d e e are all preferably spaced. The front ends of the rails d d are connected and reinforced by a strip f, whose top surface is flush with their top surfaces.

Extending transversely across the rear ends of the above-mentioned pairs of rails is a pair of narrow parallel strips g g. Resting upon each of the rails d d', near its front end, and secured thereto by a horizontal and integral projection g2 is a narrow vertical plate g3, which should preferably be of metal. The plates g8 are spaced and are connected and braced at their upper ends by another and horizontal metallic plate g4. The means for securing the projections g2 of the plates g3 upon the forward ends of the rails d d should preferably be screws, bolts, or other similar devices, whereby the parts referred to may be readily detached.

ln the pocket h, which the pair of strips g g form with the ends of the rails d d e e', rests the lower edge of an armor-plate 7L. If desired, screws or bolts penetrating said strips and the plate 7L' may be employed for removably securing this last-named element in po- Sition.

t' i designate a pair of vertical shafts, each having an integral collar t2 near its lower end, whereby it is supported upon one of the rails d d', to which it is firmly, but removably, secured by means of a nut r3engagingthe lower extremity of said shaft, which is threaded for this purpose. It will be noted that each of the shafts t' 1l is disposed directly behind one of the plates g3 and is therefore protected. The upper end of each of these shafts 'L' e" is steadied by a hinge j, one leaf of which is secured to the top of the plate gL1 and the other leaf of which has a recess j cut in its edge for the reception of the shaft. Coacting with this hinge and positively maintaining the shaft in its proper position is a bar le, that is pivotally secured by a hinge 7c to the upper edge of the armor-plate h. The front end of the bar k is provided with a notch 7a2, andextending across said end of the bar is apad k3, preferably of leather, adapte l to impinge against the shaft. The bar 7a, including its pad 7c3, is made long enough so that when the shaft is being steadied by the hinge j said bar can be pushed downwardly to bind the parts in position without being forced past the horizontal and into a consequent ineffective position.

Adjustably and removably disposed upon each shaft t' t" by virtue of set-screws m is a series of spaced collars n.

o designates paddles disposed in two series,

each upon a shaft i, (L) being penetrated at their outer ends by said shafts and each paddle being cnt away, as at o2, to receive one of the collars a. In their operative positionthat is to say, the position best shown in Fig. S-the paddles of the two series are disposed in alinement with each other, thereby closing the opening that is formed by the plates g and g1 and the strip f, when, impacted by the projectile, they are adapted to be turned back in substantially the position indicated for that one which is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Above each collar n and within the cut-out portion of each paddle there is fulcrumed upon the shaft an arm or lever p, whose free end carries a ball p', into which it projects, said ball being secured thereto by a removable pin p2, that extends through an opening p3 in said lever. The lever is provided with an integral projection p4, having a straight edge p5, adapted to take against the back of the corresponding paddle. It will thus be seen that when the paddle is swung back it will carry with it the projection p4, and thus move the lever about its fulcrum. The construction of the leverp is illustrated in Fig. 5.

In order to return the parts to their initial position after having been actuated by the impact oi' the projectile against a paddle or paddles, I provide a pair of vertical and horizontally-movable uprights or standards y. The standards q are secured each by screws, which penetrate an integral and rearwardlyextending projection q', to the ends of a plate 7', forming an integral connection between substantially I-shaped guides r r2, (see Fig. 4,) respectively working between the rails c and d and d and e. The springs s connect eyelets s', projecting upwardly from the rail b, with other eyelets s2, that are formed on the I-shaped guides yr' fr?. By these springs the standards q are normally kept forward. It should be remarked that the standards q are `disposed so as to project considerably outside of the plates g3 or, in other words, far enough to protect the balls p in their retracted positions and that said standards are preferably composed of metal. j

The frame carrying the standards q and consisting of the plate r and the guides r fr2 is adapted to be moved rearwardly against the tension of the springs s (in order to return the levers p to their initial position by means of the standards q, which engage them) by a belt t, suitably connected to the plate r of said frame near its center and passing over a pulley t that is journaled between the rails d d. Said belt or a rope connected to it is eX- tended to the shooting-stand, where it can be manipulated to reset the target.

The balls p' may be colored or otherwise marked in any manner, so that it may be readily determined which paddle is struck; but I prefer to color or otherwise mark them correspondingly thus: the extreme upper and lower ones one color, the next upper and lower ones another color, and so on toward the center face.

In order that there may not be any undue reaction of the levers p, Iinterpose between each and the top of the corresponding collar n a washer u, preferably of felt or leather,

between which and said lever and the collar Athere is sufficient friction for the purpose intended.

fu is a metallic plate secured across the front of the rail b and acting as a fender or shield adapted to protect the lower or base portion of the mechanism of the target.

The edges of the paddles should be close enough together so that when they are in their closed positions the projectile used cannot pass between them. It is preferred that there be an odd number of each series of paddles. 1f this is so, a bulls-eye would be the impact of the projectile with the target at the contiguous edges of the paddles which are in the middle of the series. The next best shot would be the hitting of one of these two paddles. The third best shot would be the hitting of the target at the points Where two of the corners of the middle paddles are struck simultaneously with the two adjacent corners of the paddles above or below them, and so on.

It will be manifest that my improved target is well adapted for military practice purposes, and it may by varying its size be constructed for use either with heavy or small arms. It is especially adapted, however, for use with the small-arm, and by virtue of the fact that the objective-namely, that portion of the target comprised in the paddles-is vertically elongated it lends much toward accustoming the shooter to aim at an upright object, such as a man, so that he learns to more quickly confine his calculations in aiming practically to a vertical line.

In view of the foregoing description of my improved target it will be seen that the various parts may be readily disconnected, so that they may be knocked down for packing in a comparatively small space.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a target, the combination of a suitable frame including spaced horizontal and vertical plates together forming an opening, shafts supported in said frame back of said vertical plates, paddles pivotally mounted on said shafts, normally closing said opening Vand movable out of opposition thereto, levers fulcrumed on said shafts and naving projections extending from their fulcrumed ends and adapted to bear against the backs of said paddles, indicating Adevices carried by said levers, and a resetting mechanism for said levers and the paddles consisting of a suitably-guided frame, standards carried by said frame and adapted to engage said levers, and means for actuatn g said frame7 substantially as described.

2. In a target, the combination of a suitable frame including spaced horizontal and vertical plates together forming an opening, shafts supported in said frame back of said vertical plates, paddles pivotally mounted on said shafts, normally closing said opening and movable out of opposition thereto, levers'ful- IOO IIO

crumed on said shafts and having projections extending from their fulcrumed ends and adapted to bear against the backs of said paddles, indicating devices carried by said levers, and a resetting mechanism for said levers and the paddles consisting of a suitably-guided spring-returned frame` standards carried by said frame and adapted to engage said levers, and a iieXible operating device connected to said frame, substantially as described.

3. In a target, the combination, with a suitable frame including spaced horizontal and vertical plates together forming an opening, parallel rails supporting said plates and a base sustaining said rails, of vertical shafts removably mounted in said rails back of said plates, removable collars adj ustably mounted on said shafts, paddles pivotally mounted on said shafts and having recesses receiving said collars, said paddles normally closing said opening and movable out of opposition thereto, levers fnlcrumed on said shafts and having projections extending from their fulcrumed ends and adapted to bear against the backs of said paddles, said levers being fulcrumed Within the recesses of the latter and each above a collar, indicating devices carried by said levers, a resetting mechanism l for said levers and the paddles consisting of a suitably-guided spring returned frame, standards carried by said frame and adapted to engage said levers, and a iiexible operating device connected to said frame, a removable plate mounted on said rails back of said first-named plates and the opening formed thereby, hinges mounted upon the upper ends ot said first-named plates and engaging said shafts, and padded bars pivotally connected to said last-named plate and also engaging said shafts at their upper ends, substantially as described.

4. In a target, the combination of a suitably-supported shaft, collars mounted on said In testimony that I claim the foregoing I j have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of July, 1899.

JOHN USTER.

lVitnesses:

ALFRED GARTNER, JAMEs B. NEWTON.

Images