U.S. patent number 3,701,532 [Application Number 05/079,028] was granted by the patent office on 1972-10-31 for bullet deflection apparatus.
Invention is credited to Joseph Nikoden, Camphill Circle.
United States Patent |
3,701,532 |
|
October 31, 1972 |
BULLET DEFLECTION APPARATUS
Abstract
A bullet trap for a practice shooting range having an upwardly
angled main deflecting plate leading to a bullet spending or
de-energizing chamber. An upper deflection plate is located
vertically above the main plate and is also angled upwardly and
rearwardly leading to the opening of the bullet spending chamber.
The bullet spending chamber has a plate which is angled downwardly
and rearwardly from the rearward edge of the deflection plate. The
bullet spending chamber has cylindrical surfaces facing one another
which redirect the bullet back and forth until its kinetic energy
is exhausted. The lead may then be recovered at any convenient
location. A further plate is provided immediately forwardly of the
upper deflection plate, and this plate is angled rearwardly and
downwardly and terminates adjacent to the forward edge of the upper
deflection plate. The upper deflection plate may be angled from
5.degree. to 12.degree. for optimum conditions.
Inventors: |
Joseph Nikoden, Camphill Circle
(Inverness, IL) |
Family
ID: |
22147959 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/079,028 |
Filed: |
October 7, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/410;
89/36.04 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41J
13/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F41J
1/12 (20060101); F41J 1/00 (20060101); F41j
001/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/102.4,103,102S
;89/36 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Richard C. Pinkham
Assistant Examiner: Marvin Siskind
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross &
Simpson
Claims
1. In a bullet trap for a practice shooting range, a bullet
spending chamber having at least one live bullet opening, a lower
upwardly and rearwardly angled deflection plate means extending
from a point below said live bullet opening to a point immediately
adjacent thereto for deflecting bullets upwardly and rearwardly
into said bullet spending chamber, an upper upwardly and rearwardly
angled deflection plate means leading to said live bullet opening
for deflecting bullets downwardly and rearwardly into said bullet
spending chamber, said lower and upper deflection plates being
spaced apart vertically in the vicinity of said live bullet opening
so as to permit deflected bullets to
2. In a bullet trap for a practice shooting in accordance with
claim 1 wherein said bullet spending chamber includes a downwardly
and rearwardly angled plate portion extending from a point adjacent
to the rearwardly
3. In a bullet trap for a practice shooting in accordance with
claim 2 wherein said downwardly and rearwardly angled plate has a
deflecting surface thereof facing substantially forwardly to
redirect bullets into
4. In a bullet trap for a practice shooting in accordance with
claim 3 wherein said deflection surface of said downwardly and
rearwardly angled
5. In a bullet trap for a practice shooting in accordance with
claim 1 wherein said upper plate has an angle of between 5.degree.
and 15.degree.
6. In a bullet trap for a practice shooting range in accordance
with claim 1 wherein said upper plate has an angle of 12.degree.
with the horizontal.
7. In a bullet trap for a practice shooting range in accordance
with claim 1 wherein said upper deflection plate is between
5.degree. and 12.degree.
8. In a bullet trap for a practice shooting range in accordance
with claim 1 wherein said lower deflection plate is between
30.degree. and 40.degree. off horizontal.
Description
1. Description Of The Prior Art
The principal patent relating to upwardly angled deflection plates
leading to a bullet spending chamber is a U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,092.
This patent discloses much of the basic bullet deflection apparatus
which is currently in use today. Another patent which is related is
a Caswell U.S. Pat. No. 1,992,001. Still another patent which shows
a typical bullet trap arrangement is U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,887. This
latter patent shows an upwardly angled deflection means having a
horizontal deflection plate at the upper edge thereof leading to a
bullet spending chamber.
2. Field Of The Invention
The field of art to which this invention pertains is a bullet trap
for a practice shooting range and in particular to a bullet trap
having an upwardly and rearwardly angled deflection plate means
leading to a bullet de-energizing chamber at the upper end
thereof.
It is a principal feature of the present invention to provide an
improved bullet trap for a practice shooting range.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide an
improved deflection means for directing live bullets into a bullet
de-energizing chamber.
It is an important object of the present invention to provide a
bullet trap arrangement utilizing an upwardly and rearwardly angled
deflection plate means with an upper deflection plate means which
is also upwardly and rearwardly angled.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an upper
deflection plate means for a bullet trap as described above wherein
the upper deflection plate means is angled at between 5.degree. and
15.degree. from horizontal.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bullet
trap arrangement as described above wherein the bullet
de-energizing chamber has a plate extending downwardly and
rearwardly from the upper deflection plate to the interior of the
bullet spending chamber.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a bullet trap arrangement according
to the present invention and showing an upper deflection plate
which is angled at approximately 5.degree. from horizontal.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view through an entire bullet trap
arrangement according to the present invention and illustrating the
position and functioning of an upper deflection plate which is
angled from horizontal to approximately 12.degree..
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Increasing needs for law enforcement have correspondingly increased
the need for practice shooting ranges to train law enforcement
officers. It is important however that such shooting ranges be safe
for the user and be economical to operate.
Bullet de-energizing means such as is disclosed in a Nikoden U.S.
Pat. No. 2,772,092 had been developed to gradually de-energize the
kinetic energy of a live bullet by permitting gradual collisions
against curved deflection plates. The result is that the bullet is
safely de-energized with a minimum wear on the deflection plates
and with maximum recovery of lead.
Another arrangement for a bullet deflection means is shown in a
Dunder U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,887. The Dunder patent shows an upwardly
angled deflection means with a substantially horizontally disposed
deflection plate positioned immediately above and forwardly of the
upper end of the main deflection plate. However, it has been found
that such a horizontal deflection means spaced above the upper edge
of the main deflection plate does not provide maximum assurance
against lead fragments being deflected back toward the shooter.
In the present application I have provided a deflection plate which
is spaced above the upper edge of the main deflection plate, but
which is directed upwardly and rearwardly as well. The preferable
angle of the upper deflection plate is from 5.degree. to 12.degree.
with the lower main plate being between 30.degree. and 40.degree.
from horizontal.
In addition, I have provided a rearwardly and downwardly directed
deflection plate immediately ahead of the upper deflection plate.
Also, my bullet de-energizing means has a rearwardly and downwardly
plate portion which has its forward edge adjacent to the rearward
edge of the upper deflection plate means.
Referring to the drawings in greater detail, a bullet trap
arrangement according to the present invention is illustrated
generally by the reference numeral 10 and includes an upwardly and
rearwardly deflecting main plate 11 which terminates at an upper
end 12. The upper end 12 leads directly to an opening 13 in a
bullet spending or bullet de-energizing chamber which includes a
pair of members 14 and 15. The members 14 and 15 are generally
semi-cylindrical in shape and lead to a further opening 16 which
may conduct the expended lead down along a chute 17 to a convenient
point for retrieving the lead.
The bullet trap 10 is provided with an upper deflection plate 18
which is also upwardly and rearwardly directed and which extends
from a point 19 to a point 20.
The upper deflection plate 18 is spaced above the upper end 12 of
the lower deflection plate 11 to define in part the opening 13 to
the bullet spending chamber.
In addition, a rearwardly and downwardly extending plate (a portion
of which is shown in Figure 1) 21 is provided immediately ahead of
the upper plate 18. All of the deflection plates are provided with
suitable reinforcement members such as the members 22, 23, 24, 25
and 26.
The upper deflection plate 18 may have an angle of from 5.degree.
to 15.degree. from horizontal. The particular embodiment shown in
FIG. 1 has an angle of 5.degree. off horizontal. By so angling the
upper deflection plate 18, live bullets are directed into the
opening 13 to the bullet spending chamber in such a way as to
minimize the chance of lead fragments being deflected back to the
shooter. The plate 21 acts to guide live bullets which are fired
unusually high, downwardly to the main plate 11 and from the main
plate 11 to the upper deflection plate 18 and hence to the bullet
spending chamber through the opening 13.
The bullet spending chamber which includes the members 14 and 15
has a rearwardly and downwardly angled plane surface 27 which
extends from immediately above the rearward edge 20 of the upper
deflection plate 18. This downwardly and rearwardly directed
portion cooperates with the deflection plate 18 to guide the lead
into the curved surface 28 of the bullet spending chamber. Lead
entering the curved surface portion 28 may then be directed into a
curved closed path by multiple deflections from the surface 28 and
a further curved surface 29 which are part of the bullet spending
chamber.
Two bullet paths are illustrated in FIG. 1 to show the operation of
the upper deflection plate 18. For example, a bullet following the
trajectory 30 may impinge against the forwardly facing surface of
the plate 11 at a point 31 and be redirected along a trajectory 32
which causes the bullet to impinge at the lower surface of the
upper deflection plate 18 at a point 33. From the point 33 the
bullet is then directed through the opening 13 to the bullet
spending chamber where it is de-energized.
As a further example, a bullet following the trajectory 34 may
strike the lower surface of the upper plate 18 at a point 35 and
then be directed through the opening 13 to the bullet spending
chamber. After entering the bullet spending chamber, the bullet may
then follow a curved path such as the path 36 and finally, after
its kinetic energy is consumed in collisions, the lead passes
through the opening 16 and follows a path 37 to a lead recovery
station.
A further embodiment of the bullet trap arrangement of the present
invention is shown in FIG. 2.
In Fig. 2 a series of deflection plates 38, 39, 40 and 41 are
assembled together to form the main upwardly and rearwardly
directed deflection plate. The upper deflection plate is the plate
42 which is also rearwardly and upwardly directed. The deflection
plate 42, in this example, has an angle of approximately 12.degree.
off horizontal.
Bullets deflected from the plate 42 are then directed through an
opening 43 into a bullet de-energizing chamber consisting of the
members 44 and 45. Bullets are de-energized and then passed through
an opening 46 to a chute or other means for retrieving the lead at
a convenient location.
In this example, also, a rearwardly and downwardly directed plate
47 is provided immediately ahead of the upper deflection plate 42.
Also, the member 44 of the bullet spending chamber has a portion 48
which is directed rearwardly and downwardly from the rearward edge
of the upper deflection plate 42 to cooperate in properly guiding
the live bullets into the de-energizing portion of the bullet
trap.
Typical trajectories for bullets fired at a target are illustrated
in FIG. 2 by the reference numerals 49 and 50. The trajectory 49
involves a collision with the plate 40 at a point 51 and a second
collision at a point 52 against the lower surface of the upper
deflection plate 42 from where it is then directed to the
de-energizing chamber. The second trajectory 50 involves a
collision at the plate 41 at a point 53 and a second collision at
the plate 42 at a point 54 from where it is then directed to the
de-energizing portion of the bullet trap.
Accordingly, the apparatus of the present invention provides an
improved means for safely directing live bullets into a bullet
de-energizing chamber and minimizing the chances of fragmentation
back to a shooting position.
* * * * *