WO2002035175A1

WO2002035175A1 - Target

Info

Publication number: WO2002035175A1
Application number: PCT/GB2001/004697
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul Thomas Albert Mulvihill; Richard Norman Gregg; Thomas Bryer; Benjamin John Green
Original assignee: Aerial Target Systems Limited
Priority date: 2000-10-23
Filing date: 2001-10-23
Publication date: 2002-05-02
Also published as: AU2001295777A1; GB0025891D0

Abstract

Conventional clay pigeons (1) merely shatter when hit. This is not particularly dramatic and is sometimes difficult to determine. A target for target shooting is disclosed which includes a pyrotechnic (20) sensitive to impact by or friction from a projectile which hits the target. Setting off the pyrotechnic can produce a visible flash or flare, an audible ' bang' or both. Either alternative is much more dramatic and exciting than the sometimes less than obvious break up of a clay pigeon.

Description

TARGET The present invention relates generally to a target for shooting practice or target shooting, and which is made for the purpose of being shot at

The background to the invention will be explained in relation to an improved "clay pigeon" The reader will readily understand that the invention may be applied to other targets fixed or moving Presently available clay-pigeon targets are of course formed exclusively from clay and shatter when correctly targeted It is noted by the inventors that the shattering of the clay pigeon is not particularly dramatic, at best the clay disappears Perversely, it may in some circumstances, or for some users, prove difficult to determine a hit

Against this background, according to the present invention there is provided a target for target shooting, including a pyrotechnic sensitive to a strike by an inert projectile which hits the target Generally, a pyrotechnic comprises a mixture of a fuel or combustible substance and an oxidising agent Setting off the pyrotechnic can produce a visible flash or more prolonged burning, or an audible noise or both Either alternative is much more dramatic and exciting than the sometimes less than obvious break up of a clay pigeon, or punching a hole at perhaps a thousand yards in a card rifle target

The target is preferably in the form of a clay pigeon or an unmanned aircraft water craft or land craft

The pyrotechnic preferably compπses a mixture of metal particles and an oxidising agent, e g potasium chlorate or potasium perchlorate

The metal particles preferably include aluminium and/or magnesium The more finely divided the particles, the faster the burn rate, so an explosive flash can be produced by a very finely divided magnesium flash powder, for example, while a more persistent twinkling can be provided by, say, 2mm particles of aluminium In one form, the mixture is contained in a capsule, one side of which is sufficiently hard and tough that shock pressure between it and a projectile impacting from the other side is sufficient to ignite the pyrotechnic

In that form, the mixture is pariiculate and the capsule is divided into interlinking compartments to prevent the mixture from migrating away from some areas of the capsule to others This is particularly valuable in the case of clay pigeons which spin as they are launched

In another form, the mixture is conatined in a first part and a second part overlies the first part, the second part comprising a second substance which is sensitive to a strike by the projectile to ignite the mixture

In that form, the mixture preferably comprises a particulate oxidising agent in a combustible polymeric matrix

The matrix preferably is resorcinol resin

To increase safety in storage or transport the first and second parts are preferably separate and provided with means to enable them to be assembled with the second part operatively overlying the first part

The second part preferably contains phosphorus or a compound thereof Various embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clay pigeon,

Figure 2 is a schematic view of a pyrotechnic for use in the clay pigeon of Figure 1 , Figure 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment, Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of another pyrotechnic for use in the clay pigeon of Figure 1 , Figure 5 is a cross section of a part of the pyrotechnic of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a cross section of another pyrotechnic for use in the clay pigeon of Figure 1 Referring first to Figure 1 there is shown a clay pigeon 1 comprising a cup-shaped shell 10 and a disc-shaped clay pigeon pyrotechnic 20.

The shell 10 is formed from clay in the shape of a traditional clay pigeon In alternative embodiments the shell may be formed from metal, typically aluminium, plastics may be used in preference, since destruction of the shell is not essential to determine a hit.

The pyrotechnic 20 is attached to the interior of the shell 10 by any suitable means such as adhesion, or clips or the like.

Referring now also to Figure 2 the pyrotechnic 20 comprises a hollow body 30 and a plurality of triggers 40, of which three are shown in the drawings. The body 30 is provided with a lid 35 which fits over the face of the body 30 having the triggers 40 to prevent accidental activation.

The body 30 is filled with a pyrotechnic powder e.g. magnesium flash powder. The triggers 40 are impact-sensitive primers or percussion caps which, when struck by a projectile such as a lead shot fragment, cause ignition of the pyrotechnic powder.

Suitable material for the primers is a mixture of particulate red phosphorous and sodium chlorate used in the "caps", for toy cap guns and the triggers may be made in a similar fashion in a paper carrier. Other materials suitable for percussion caps are discussed in GB 465 768. In this embodiment ignition of the pyrotechnic powder causes the body 30 to shatter, allowing the pyrotechnic explosion to escape. In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the body may be formed so as to be reusable and have a series of vents covered by disposable covers which are blown off by the pyrotechnic explosion, leaving the remainder of the body 30 intact In the embodiment of Figure 3 the body 130 is formed to have three triggers in the form of three concentric rings 140 a, b, c. The body 130 is divided into compartments 145 a, b, c corresponding to respective rings 140 a, b, c.

Each of the compartments 145 a, b, c contains a pyrotechnic powder which produces a different coloured explosion The colour/s of the explosion resulting from striking the target depend on which part of the body 130 is struck. In this way some measure of the accuracy of the strike can be attained. The principle can be used in static targets e.g. as used in a rifle range.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the pyrotechnic has two parts 400 and 402. The part 400 comprises a body of combustible material 404 contained by a cardboard ring 406. The part 400 is manufactured by making a paste comprising a matrix of resorcinol resin with hardener, and fillers of potassium chlorate, magnesium flash powder and powdered aluminium, pressing a quantity of the paste into the ring 406 and allowing the resin to harden. The unhardened paste may be pressed against a clay, so adhering the part 400 thereto as the paste hardens. The other part 402 is a disc of fibrous material 408 coated on its underside with a layer 500 comprising phosphorous sesquisulphide or amorphous red phosphorus and with suitable binders and fillers which serve as a flame retardant. This layer has adhered to its underside a layer of double sided adhesive tape 502 and adhered to the underside of that is a release layer 504. In order to arm the device, the release layer 504 is peeled from the self adhesive tape 502 and the part 402 is stuck to the part 400 so that the layer 500 overlies the body of combustible material 404. The layer of self adhesive tape 502 both adheres the two parts together and protects against accidental friction setting off the device The impact of a projectile, e g a shotgun pellet, carries a little of the layer 502 through into the body 404 where friction against the potassium chlorate ignites the phosphorous This, in turn, ignites the layer 404 producing a bright flare or flash accompanied by an audible "bang". The part 400 may itself be secured to the shell 10 using double sided self adhesive tape (not shown) The part 402 could be made larger than the body 406 and could, for example, extend to the edges of the shell 10 In an alternative, the body 404 could also extend to the edges of the shell 10 and, to avoid excessive use of materials could be

A body 404 having a total weight of about 15 gms and comprising 5 parts resorcinol, 1 part hardener, 15 parts potasium chlorate, 2 parts fine aluminium and 2 parts course magnesium, all by weight, gives a bright flare which burns for a few seconds, giving a much more stimulating effect than a strike on a conventional clay In an embodiment, not illustrated a mixture of particulate fuel, e g aluminium and magnesium particules, with a particulate oxidising agent, e g potassium chlorate, is not suspended in a polymeric matrix Again a shotgun pellet carries an amount of phosphorus or phosphorous sequi sulphide into the mixture where it ignites by friction with the potassium chlorate, so setting the pyrotechnic off In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, a capsule has a shell comprising a relatively tough hard cup 600 for attachment to a clay or other target The cup may be aluminium alloy, steel, plastics and may be machined, pressed or moulded as appropriate

The cup 600 contains a mixture 602 of particulate fuel or combustible material and particulate oxidising agent An example of the fuel or combustible material >s a mixture of aluminium flash powder, course titanium granules and flake aluminium flitters The oxidising agent may be a particulate chlorate or perchlorate, potasium chlorate or perchlorate being preferred A preferred composition is as follows Potasium perchlorate powder 70% Aluminium flash powder 30% Titanium course granules 8%

Flake aluminium flitters 8% The mixture is contained in the cup 600 by a card cover 604 which is itself retained by a lip 606 which is turned over. Internally the cup has a plurality of concentric ring walls, which act to prevent migration of the mixture 602 from one part of the cup to another The spin imparted to a clay pigeon as it is launched might, otherwise, cause the mixture to migrate to the periphery of the cup As illustrated, the πng walls do not extend completely to the cover 604, so that ignition of any part of the mixture will ensure the whole will burn

A shot gun pellet penetrating the cover 604 with sufficient energy, produces a pressure shock in the mixture against the base 700 (as seen in the drawing) of the cup, so igniting the mixture to provide its pyrotechnic effect In addition to the pellet having sufficient energy, the cup must be sufficiently hard and tough The clay itself is insufficiently hard and tough (it shatters) for the pyrotechnic to be set off reliably without some other assistance as described in this and the other embodiments