US722132A - Target-trap. - Google Patents

Description

PATBNTED MAR. 3, 1903.

W. W. McQUEEN. TARGET TRAP.

APPLIGATION P1221) SEPT. 29, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY No. 722.132. PATENTED MAR. 3, 1903.

W. W. MOQUEEN- TARGET TRAP; APPLIOATIION FILED 812F129, 1902.

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WILLIAM IV. MCQUEEN, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,132, dated March 3, 1903.

Application filed eptember 29, 1902. Serial No. 125,240. (No model.)

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Be it known that I,\VILLIAM 11V. MCQUEEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Target Traps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is a target apparatus, and relates more particularly to means for consecutively bringing inanimate or flying target traps into position and discharging them.

The object of the invention is to provide means wherebya number of single-shot traps can be fired in rapid succession from one point with the same effect as is obtained when using a so-called magazine trap. Single-shot traps are less liable to break the fragile targets or blue rocks-a serious defect in magazinetrapsand the accuracy and force of flight which is a prominent advantage of single-shot traps'is retained in my arrangement.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device with the inner or stationary platform removed. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation on the line so of Fig. 1, the trap-firing device being somewhat enlarged. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing the stationary platform and movable ring with the traps and operating mechanism removed. Fig. 4. is a partsectional detail of the firing mechanism.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the device consists in a horizontal annular ring or platform 1, revolubly mounted 011 a circular track 2 by means of wheels 3. Upon this platform is mounted a number of flying-target or blue- rock traps 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. For the purpose of illustration I have shown five single-shot traps mounted on the ring 1; but a greater or less number may be used, if desired. It is evident that revolving the ring 1 will bring the traps 5, 6, 7, and 8 consecutively into the firing position which the trap 4 occupies, and the targets 5, 6, and 7 can be consecutively discharged from this position. The flight of the targets may be toward any part of the field-as to the right,to the left,

or straight away. The direction of flight is regulated by the common pivotal base adjustment provided in all traps of this kind. In the drawings trap No. 4-. is set to discharge to the right. Nos. 5 and 7 discharge straight away. No. 6 discharges to the left and No. 8 to the right; but the operator can set them at any angle unknown to the marksman.

Within the ring 1 is mounted a fixed platform 9, upon which the attendant sits while loading the traps. Being in the center of the circle of traps he is in a convenient position to pull back the arm 8 of the trap to be loaded and to place the target thereon. After the trap 8 is loaded and the trap 4: is discharged the ring 1 revolves to the left, bringing the trap 8 into the position previously occupied by trap 7, bringing trap 4 into position for loading, and bringing trap 5 into firing position. In order to insure that the traps shall each stop in the proper firing position,I pro vide upon the ring 1 a suitable stop, which may be made in various forms, although I have found it convenient to provide projections 10 on the ring 1 and a spring 11 independent of the ring to engage the projection 10 and hold it in position by means of the curved or hooked end 11 The discharging of the trap and the revolving of the ring 1 are accomplished by an operator who stands at the firing-station ready to obey the signal of the marksman.

The mechanism which I prefer to employ for first discharging the trap and then moving a new trap into position is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, where 12 is the target-cord passing down through the base of the trap and secured to one end of the target-lever 12, which is mounted by means of a pivot 12 upon the under side of the ring 1. The other end 12 of the lever extends back in the line of movement of the ring 1. Raising the end 12 of the firing-lever discharges the trap, and the end 12 is raised by means of the bevellatch 13, that slides horizontally on the face of a table 14. below the end 12 of the firinglever when the trap is in position to be discharged. The arrangement of the latch 13 and the magazine which operates it is shown in Fig. 4, where 15 is a spring that normally holds the latch 13 out of the path of the firing-leverswhile the ring 1 is being revolved.

When the spring 11 has engaged the projection 10 and holds the platform, the latch 13 maybe forced under the end 12 of the firinglever, thereby raising it. A vertical trigger 16 engages a notch 13 in the bottom of the latch 13 and draws the latch forward when the firing-cord 17 is pulled. Upon reaching the position shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 4 the latch 13 is released from the point of the trigger 16 and the latch fiies back to its original position. As soon as the firing-cord 17 is released the spring 18 draws it back until it again engages the notch 13 To revolve the ring 1 so as to bring the traps consecutively into position, I provide a horizontal arm 19, pivoted at the center of the ring 1 and so arranged that its outer end may engage the beveled lugs 20 carried by the ring 1. The spring 19 returns the arm 19 to its original position after it has been pulled forward by the ring-operating cord 21.

In order to both discharge the trap and move the ring so as to bring the new trap into position for firing and to accomplish this by a single pull of one operating-cord, I attach the end of the ring-operating cord to the trigger-cord 17, and from their point of attachment I run the main operating-cord 22 to the firing-station. A spring 17, having sufficient stiifness to operate the trigger-lever without yielding, but having considerable extensibility, is inserted in the length of the trigger-cord 17. Pulling the cord first discharges the trap, since the pull required for the trigger is not sufficient to stretch the spring 17 and then a continued pull of the same cord stretches the spring 17 bringing the cord 21 taut and revolving the ring by overcoming the resistance of the yielding spring 19. \Vhen the next projection 10 reaches the hook 11", the latter engages it and resists continued movement of the ring 1. Releasing the cord 22 permits the spring 19 to return the lever 19 and its operatingcord to their original positions.

By the means above described I have produced a target-discharging apparatus adapted to rapidly discharge a succession of single-shot traps from one firing position and requiring only one attendant to adjust and load the traps. The traps are fired from the marksmans station and the new trap is brought into firing position by a single pull of the firing-cord. The same movement brings the discharged trap in front of the loading attendant, who has only to spring back the arm of the trap and place the target thereon.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a target-discharging apparatus a revoluble platform; a plurality of target-traps mounted thereon; means for revolving said platform to bring the traps successively into the predetermined firing position; and a stop in operative relation to the platform to arrest its rotation when the trap has reached the firing position.

2. In atarget-dischargingapparatusarevoluble platform; a plurality of target-traps mounted thereon; means for revolving said platform to bring the traps successively into the predetermined firing position; and means for automatically locking the platform while discharging the traps.

3. In a target-discharging apparatusa fixed platform; a revoluble annular platform surrounding said fixed platform; a plurality of target-traps mounted on said annular platform and means for revolving said annular platform to bring successive traps into position for firing.

4. In a target-discharging apparatus; a revoluble platform; a plurality of target-traps mounted thereon; a firing-cord leading to the marksmans station; and means attached to said cord for first discharging a trap and then revolving said platform to bring another trap into position for firing.

5. Atarget-discharging apparatus comprising in combination a fixed platform; a revoluble annular platform surrounding said fixed platform; a circular track; Wheels secured to said annular platform and running on said track; aplurality of target-traps mounted on the circular platform; a firing-lever for each trap secured to said annular platform; means for actuating said firing-lever from the marksmans station; and means for revolving the annular platform to bring successive traps into position for firing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. MCQUEEN.

Witnesses:

JAMES C. HANSON, FRANK MARTINDAL.

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