US841611A

US841611A - Back-stop and receiver for target-shooting.

Info

Publication number: US841611A
Application number: US32448006A
Authority: US
Inventors: William T Alsop
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1906-07-02
Filing date: 1906-07-02
Publication date: 1907-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 1924-01-15

Description

,611. PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907.

W. I. ALSOP. BACK STOPAND RECEIVER FOR TARGET SHOOTING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2.1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFroE.

WILLIAM T. ALSOP, OF OWVENSBORO, KENTUCKY.

BACK-STOP AND RECEIVER FOR TARGET-SHOOTING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM'T. ALSOP, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Back-Sto s and Receivers for Target-Shooting, of whlch the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a projectilereceivers and back-stop for use of sportsmen in tar et-shooting.

ft is well known that in flying-target or trap shooting a considerable amount of shot is wasted, and also unhit targets falling to the ground are broken and wasted. It is the purpose'of the present invention to receive'and retain the shot which is ordinarily lost with material economy and consequent decrease in expense in the use of projectiles for trap or flying-target shooting. The improved receiver and back-stop will be of such shade or color as to provide an effective background to assist the sportsman or marksman in his aim with respect to the target, especially in view of the fact that the targets as now commonly made are dark and usually black.

The improved'receiver and back-stop will be disposed at such distance from the position of the sportsman or marksman that the projectiles or shot will have about reached the limit of their drive and will strike the receiver with comparatively little force, thus permitting the latter to be formed of a suitable fiexible material which will yield under the impact of the shot without injury to the projectiles.

It is also proposed to have the receiver and back-stop so arranged that it may be reduced to compact form and shielded from the weather when not in use, but always ready and in position to beplaced in practical shape.

The improved device is also of such slight structure that it may be readily transported from one place to another, and while it is not intended to limit the receiver and back-stop to the use of any precise material or of any particular reducing structure it is preferred that canvas be employed and suspended from suitable winding-rollers held within or under a protective guard or weather-shielding means.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a receiver and back-stop embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section therethrough.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed J n15 2,

Patented Jan. 15, 1907,

1906. Serial No. 324,480-

Similar numerals of reference areemployed to indicate corresponding parts in the views.

The numeral 1 designates a suitable upright supporting-frame structure, having in the present instance roller means 2, held at the upper extremity thereof under and shielded by a guard 3. Any number of rollers may be. employed. Secured to the roller means 2 are flexible sheets 4, preferably constructed of canvas and overlapped, as at 5, a sufficient distance to prevent separation thereof under normal conditions, but'permitting the air to pass therethrough, especially when the wind is blowing, and thus obviate the provision of any positive obstruction to the air, which would result in injury to the supporting-frame structure and a downfall or serious disarrangement of the device. By having the side edges of the sheets overlapping and forming means for the passage of air therethrough the supporting-frame structure can be made much lighter. The sheets 4 are made long enough to extend downwardly to the ground-surface and outwardly from the latter a certain distance, and near their lower edges the sheets are provided with tying lines or cords 6 on their rear sides for securement to suitable stakes 7, or in some instances said lines orcords may be fastened to the frame structure. The lower ends of the sheets 4 also have tying cords or lines 8, which are fastened to stakes 9, the tying lines or cords 6 and 8 being so arrangedthat a trough 10 is provided at the lower ends of the sheets when the latter are pulled down and secured. The sheets 4 by their overlapping arrangement form a practically continuous web, and in some instances one sheet alone may be used, though, as before explained, a number of sheets overlapped at the edges are referred. The sheets are also disposed at a ownward and outward angle of inclination to permit the projectiles or shot striking thereagainst to freely roll down into the trough 10.

The receiver and back-stop Wlll be of such length as to cover the maximum radius of fire of the sportsman, or, in other words, it will be located in such relation to the posithrowing the targets as to take in the shot or receive the shot that may be projected in a number of directions.

The shot striking the receiver and backsto sheets and falling into the trough is gat -ered and subjected to a separating operation similar to that usually pursued in shot tion of the sportsman and the apparatus for factories and whereby the perfectly spherical shot is caused to deposit in one receptacle or place and the imperfect or flattened shot in another receptacle or depository. The good shot may then be used for reloading shells, with a material saving in the cost of target shooting that will be obvious.

The receiver or back-stop may be either straight or curved, as choice may desire, and,

furthermore, the sheets or the webs are not necessarily confined to use with rollers, the essential feature being the dis osition of the sheets in such manner as to e 'ectively' direct the shot striking thereagainst toward the lower portions of the sheets, where the trough is formed.

The proportions and dimensions of the receiver and back-stop may be varied at will and the details of construction modified within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is "1. A receiver and back-stop of the class s ecified, having a supporting-frame and a exible sheet suspended from the upper portion and depending downwardly over the frame and provided with a trough at its lower extremity to receive shot or other projectiles striking the sheet and passing downwardly over the latter, the portion of the sheet depending over the frame being clear to receive the shot or projectiles.

2. A receiver and back-sto of the class set forth, having a supportingame, flexible sheets depending from the said frame and .loosely overlapped at their edges to provide for passage of air between the sheets without perforating the latter, the lower extremities of the sheets being formed as a trough.

3. A receiver and back-stop of the class set forth, having a supportin'g-frame, a flexible sheet suspended from the frame, andsecuring devices attached to the lower extremity of the sheeti'n reverse positions to form a trough at the lower extremity of said sheet.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit nesses.

WILLIAM T. ALSOP.