Target actuating and resetting mechanism

Application filed February 17, 1930. Serial No. 429,151.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in target practice machines, and more particularly to the mechanism for operating, that is, revolving and resetting the 5 targets. ⁶

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism that may be easily attached to. the several forms of target practi.ce machines now in use, so that the mechanism will be all self-contained, easily set and automatically operated after being set.

With a number of target practice machines now in service, the different mechanisms are electrically operated, and in case of a short circuit the operator is apt to receive a serious shock. Again, where the machines are electrically operated, it is necessary to connect them to the lighting current and they cannot, therefore, be moved readily from one 20 place, to another.

It is well known to those familiar with this subject that these target practice machines comprise a box or casing, from which ex_Q_ tends the. butt of a pistol and which pistol has a limited traversing movement, the object being to sight the pistol and fire at a moving, or stationary object at the rear of the cabinet.

„_n Another object of the present invention, ' therefore, is to provide a spring motor mechanism to be fitted in the rear of these target practice machines, which will be wound by the movement of a lever which is operated ^G, ^{COin 1S inserted} in the pistol and alter the lever movement has been completed an object or plurality of objects, mounted’ about a shaft will intermittently appear before an aperture, so that the player of the fk ^m0i.°^r °^ne P^racticing will try to hit the object before it disappears from before the aperture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a spring motor device wherein the objects to be hit, such as representations of birds, will automatically reset themselves alter being knocked down, so that all that is necessary for the one testing his skill is to simply put in a coin, operate a lever, which cocks the pistol and starts the machine, and i objecS™ ^{anCl fire the gUn at tlle} Wiring «η another object of the invention is to so connect a hgnt to the mechanism that as soon as the objects start to appear in front 55 whi ^th?^y T^{11 b}« iUumina?ed while, on the other hand, the light will not ^bu£h unless the birds are revolving fasten\^ar^Ot^^ObjeCt °^{f the} tendon is to fasten ah of the parts to a front plate, so thallus m_ay readily be fitted to the rear of the target, practice machines now in use and stZtuies ^{Ut little Change in the} P^re^t

Still another object of the invention is to ^S° ^{that tbe bulIets}Λνβι being fired will gravitate toward the forward end of the machine and may then ce again replaced m the pistol.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain new and novel arrangements and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described Ind pointed out m the claims.

nriu ^rii^ng i^no V ^{to tIls drawin}gs showing a 70 preferred embodiment of my invention l<ig. 1 is a perspective of a target practice machine . with my improved attachment mounted m the rear thereof;

? ^is-^{a re},^{ar v}i^{ew of tbe} P^late and spring so motor device showing the gear train and the nnTX “ ^WlUCh ?^{le Same is set} motion and th. manner 01 mounting the two little batteries for the illuminating light· senS; ^{3 1S a Side vieW}’ ^{parts bei}ng shown in S5

Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary sectional view showing more in· detail the manner in which th! ^{pimons and} g’^ears are mounted on

Fig. 5 is a iragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, showing the manner of mounting the birds on the central themseKest^{at aUt}°^maticalIy ^reset

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the connection between the pistol cocking mechanism and the rack bar for winding the motor.

Referring now more specifically to the sev95

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1,851,647 be forced forwardly, thus elevating the rack bar 11 which, it will be remembered, engages with the pinion 12 on the shaft A and will thus wind up the spring. The upper end o± the rack bar is provided with a slot 30 and «raided by a pin 31 and the upper end of this rack bar makes an electrical contact, which will be later described. Also, the operation of this lever 27 cocks the pistol.

Before following through the operation oi the gear train, it will be noticed that pinned on the shaft C is a sleeve 32, while the outer end of the shaft C is mounted within the plate 5. Also mounted on this sleeve is the cross bar 33, to the ends of which are mounted the targets 34, which may follow the outline of a bird or any fanciful-object. It will be .oticed that these, targets 34 have a/ugj*⁰

It might be well to

- vertical position, the upper target curing the plate 5 and its associated parts in front# .

place, as may be seen, a foot or stand 8,is rivr lines in Fig.. .

eted, as at 9, to the casing 6 and this^foot box or cabinet.

eral views, and to Fig. 1 in particular, there is shown a target practice machine comprising a casing 1, in which is mounted the pistol 2 which is universally mounted at 3 for 5 shooting at an object to the rear of the casing 4. It will be understood that the pistol and its mounting per se forms no part of my invention and any form of casing and pistol and the manner of operating the pistol may 10 be used. , . ,

In the rear of the cabinet 4, there is mounted a front plate 5, to which is secured a casing 6 from which extends the portion 7 which forms a return pan for the bullets (not 15 shown) that are to be fired from the pistol.

It will be seen that the front plate 5 is elevated a little with regard to this pan, so that i-f Ibp bullets nassthrou^h an aperture, short- noticed tnat uiese largeis y-s ##>= “ #.¹¾ v7cbe mentioned ^Γ they may fall down on to the rear thereof to be pivoted withurthe IL _Mn S pass beneath «J lower edge of ends of the cross bar. It might be well to the nlate 5 or if they strike the outside of the mention here that there is an aperture. 36 plate 5 they will simply drop on the pan and the plate 5, so. that when the cross bar is in its return to the front of the cabinet. For se- vertical position, the upper target ⁴, curina the,plate 5 and its associated parts m front of the aperture, as shown m the dotte nlace as mav be seen,-a foot or stand 8 is nv- lines in Fig. 3. · · - , eted ’as at 9 to the casing 6 and this foot Should this target be struck and knocked foot will be secured to the lower part of the to the position shown, m Fig. 3, it.will, by box or cabinet. . Slottedly held to the foot 8 gravity, when revolving, right ^a bv the small bolt 10 is the rack bar 11 which, vertical position, as also may be seen in Fig. ώ turn operates the pinion 12, which is 3. In other words by providing a lug to the keved to the main drive shaft A. There will rear of the target, the weight of the target bealsu beseen loosely mounted on this shaft A ing off-center, will gravitate to a vertical pothe laree gear 13 which, in turn, is provided sition, where it will remain during the rest with the various pawls 14, which engage with _of its revolutions until knocked, down by anfhp ratchet wear 15. which is likewise keyed other bullet. , ,.

#α#,ΛΑ Referring tor the moment now to the manMounted above this shaft A, on the shaft B, ner, of illuminating the W##'¹» £ is a small gear 16 operated by the gear 13, mecnamsm is m operation, it will be seen that and likewise to thereat on this shaftis mount- the upper end 37 of the rack bar 11 will con40 ed the lartre «'ear 17, which latter engages tact with the spring finger (properly inwithtiiS^^ which, in turn, is mSimt- sulated), as at 39, while from the spring fined on the^Ptar°-et revolving shaft C. On the ger, there is a circuit connected with a .small shaft C is mounted the gear 19, which meshes light 40, which is mounted on the casing 6, with a suitably mounted pinion 20 on which while casing has an aperture 41 directly un45 SreVafenI£Si^Pcommon to spring der the light, so that when the light isom it motors for holding down the speed of the will illuminate the target The o-par train is connected to the small cells 42 that are re^S It is thought that this short description of spectively held in place by the clips 43, and the o’ear train and spring motor is sufficient, one of the leads from the batteries may be „ ^it^slX to mTst spring motors _κ grounded to tb_?

Referring to Fig. 2 for the moment, there complete the circuit. Therefore, when trie mav be seen a spring 22,.one end of which is rack bar is in operated position, it will confastened as at 23, to the rear cover plate, and tact with the spring finger until it has again the other end 24 of which is fastened, to the descended and the motor is unwound.

main drive shaft A.

in the slot the nose 28 of the lever be- up the spring.through the pinion 12. The ino· widened out’and extending through an. ratchets engaging the pawls will cause spnn_&ZrSSlXfSSlbe^ath thlrack ' to drive the large gear ^and.torough thu 7 11^ The leve” 27 is arranged so that several pinions and gears described wi 1 Ρ 05 w^on the handlers'operatedjtheliose 28 will orate the main target shaft C, as wall bo read75

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110 is connected to the small, cells 42 that are reone of the leads from the batteries may, bo Therefore, when the

115 , main — A- small guard. 25 is seen also fastened at the end 23, of the spring to hold the same in.place.

1, there may be seen

Operation

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125

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1,881,647 ily understood. The targets 34 will intermittently appear m front of the aperture and the person practicing will then fire the pistol. It the operator hits the target, it will be 5 knocked rearwardly, that is, on its pivot point, and m its descending motion will right nself by gravity, so that when it again appears m front of the aperture it will be in its w ^ΡΛ^δϊ^0η· ^{The U}S^{ht wil1 reinain 1 the rac}k bar has disengaged itself from the spring fi_nger 38, as will be readily understood. The bullets will then, by gravity, rail down the pan 7, where they mav oe again replaced within the pistol.

Krom the foregoing, it will be seen that I have designed an attachment or target setting mechanism for target practice machines that is, wholly operated by a spring motor, wherein die same may be either built with new machines or may be attached to mac lines already in use. Furthermore, the targets are illuminated by small light cells \ x?^la*^r · ^reP-^^aced when necessary, so that there is no chance of the operator receiving the shock. Again, the machines being self-contained may be moved about withrⁿL .^reier?^nce to any connections with the lighting circuit.

Finally, it will be seen that it takes only a short stroke of the lever to wind up the machine ana that it is not necessary to reset the targets by hand if the operator'is skilled enough to knock them down. It will also be seen thatthe whole device is very compact and all of die parts are mounted on a plate and a bracket, which may be easily fitted ^{a target} P^ractice machine.

Many slight changes might be made without in any way departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.