U.S. patent number 3,737,165 [Application Number 05/068,180] was granted by the patent office on 1973-06-05 for shooting range bullet trap structure.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kory Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to Giedrius Pencyla.
United States Patent |
3,737,165 |
Pencyla |
June 5, 1973 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
SHOOTING RANGE BULLET TRAP STRUCTURE
Abstract
Freedom from exposed partition edges is attained by means of
concealed cantilever supporting bracket arm structure on one or
more vertical bars behind and in supporting relation to downwardly
and rearwardly oblique deflector plates located forwardly from back
plate means with which a downward bullet chute is provided to a
spent bullet chamber defined behind upwardly and rearwardly sloping
bottom plates. A bullet deenergizing device within the upper rear
portion of the spent bullet chamber receives bullets deflected into
a downward opening from which the spent bullets drop into the
chamber. Great flexibility for multi-section installations is
afforded, with unusually ample tolerance allowances for dimensional
variations in the available space for the installation, and assured
assembly stability.
Inventors: |
Pencyla; Giedrius (Oak Park,
IL) |
Assignee: |
Kory Industries, Inc. (Chicago,
IL)
|
Family
ID: |
22080925 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/068,180 |
Filed: |
August 31, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/410;
73/167 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41J
13/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F41J
1/12 (20060101); F41J 1/00 (20060101); F41j
001/20 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/102.4 ;73/167 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pinkham; Richard C.
Assistant Examiner: Siskind; Marvin
Claims
I claim as my invention:
1. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising:
back plate means and top, opposite side and upwardly and rearwardly
sloping bottom plate means providing surfaces for deflecting
bullets rearwardly toward the back plate means;
a spent bullet collecting chamber defined behind said bottom plate
means;
at least one vertical frame bar located along the back plate means
intermediate and spaced from rear portions of the side plate
means;
oblique deflector plates extending from the side plate means above
said bottom plate means and providing bullet deflection front
surfaces slopping toward said back plate means with rear portions
of the deflector plates cooperating with said back plate means to
define a downward bullet chute to said chamber;
said deflector plates having side edges adjacent to one another at
a joint generally aligned with and forwardly from said frame
bar;
cantilever supporting bracket arm means on said bar concealed
behind and supportingly secured to said deflector plates adjacent
to said edges; and
a joint-bridging guard strip plate lapping margins of said front
surfaces along the length of said joint;
the space forwardly along said deflector plate surfaces between
said side plates thus being free from any vertical
obstructions.
2. A structure according to claim 1, including additional spaced
vertical frame bars, said back plate means comprising at least one
panel, and means on said spaced frame bars and said panel removably
hanging the panel on and between said spaced bars.
3. A structure according to claim 2, including a plate member
located between said spaced frame bars and having an upwardly
extending margin lappingly disposed behind a lower margin on said
panel, and clip means on said lower margin engaging said upper
margin.
4. A structure according to claim 1, said top plate means
comprising a canopy panel sloping downwardly and rearwardly towards
and having an edge adjacent to said deflector plate means, said
deflector plate means having an upper edge adjacent to and located
in upwardly offset relation to said edge of the canopy panel.
5. A structure according to claim 1, including bullet deenergizing
means below said deflector plate means and adjacent to the lower
end portion of said back plate means including deenergizing
bullet-spin surfaces and providing a chamber having said surfaces
continuous about a horizontal axis except for a single entry and
discharge gap at the bottom of the chamber, a ramp leading to said
gap, and means providing a bullet-directing funnel opening toward
said ramp and leading from said lower end portion of the back plate
means.
6. A structure according to claim 5, said bullet deenergizing means
comprising plate members of generally U-shape form assembled
together to provide a deenergizing chamber and providing said
bullet-spin surfaces about a generally horizontal axis, with upper
margins of said members in lapping relation and lower margins of
said members spaced apart to provide a gap into said chamber with
one of said margins providing said ramp.
7. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising:
back plate means and top, opposite side and upwardly and rearwardly
sloping bottom plate means providing surfaces for deflecting
bullets rearwardly toward the back means;
a spent bullet collecting chamber defined behind said bottom plate
means;
at least one vertical frame bar located along the back plate means
intermediate and spaced from rear portions of the side plate
means;
oblique deflector plate means between the side plate means above
said bottom plate means and providing bullet deflection surface
sloping toward said back plate means with rear portions cooperating
with said back plate means to define a downward bullet chute to
said chamber;
cantilever supporting bracket arm means on said bar concealed
behind and supporting said deflector plate means;
there being a space along said surface between said side plate
means which is free from any vertical obstructions;
attachment flange means on respectively opposite back side margins
of the deflector plate means;
attachment bolts securing the flange means along one margin
adjustably to said arm means;
an attachment bracket on said side plate means; and
bolt means securing the remaining attachment flange means on said
deflector plate means adjustably to said bracket.
8. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising:
back plate means and top, opposite side and upwardly and rearwardly
sloping bottom plate means providing surfaces for deflecting
bullets rearwardly toward the back plate means;
a spent bullet collecting chamber defined behind said bottom plate
means;
at least one vertical frame bar located along the back plate means
intermediate and spaced from rear portions of the side plate
means;
oblique deflector plate means between the side plate means above
said bottom plate means and providing bullet deflection surface
sloping toward said back plate means with rear portions cooperating
with said back plate means to define a downward bullet chute to
said chamber;
cantilever supporting bracket arm means on said bar concealed
behind and supporting said deflector plate means;
there being a space along said surface between said side plate
means which is free from any vertical obstructions;
said deflector plate means being attached to said bracket arm means
at one side of the bracket arm means;
additional oblique deflector plate means attached to the opposite
side of said arm means; and
a joint covering strip overlapping adjacent front margins of said
deflector plate means.
9. A structure according to claim 8, including forward edge
protecting oblique deflector members carried by and along forward
edge portions of both of said deflector plate means and having
respective but adjacently located sides, and a joint-covering strip
overlapping said sides along the front thereof and closing the
joint therebetween.
10. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising:
back plate means and top, opposite side and upwardly and rearwardly
sloping bottom plate means providing surfaces for deflecting
bullets rearwardly toward the back plate means;
a spent bullet collecting chamber defined behind said bottom plate
means;
at least one vertical frame bar located along the back plate means
intermediate and spaced from rear portions of the side plate
means;
oblique deflector plate means between the side plate means above
said bottom plate means and providing bullet deflection surface
sloping toward said back plate means with rear portions cooperating
with said back plate means to define a downward bullet chute to
said chamber;
cantilever supporting bracket arm means on said bar concealed
behind and supporting said deflector plate means;
there being a space along said surface between said side plate
means which is free from any vertical obstructions;
said oblique deflector plate means including a panel having a front
margin and edge;
an oblique deflector guard panel disposed forwardly adjacent and
extending above and below said edge;
a mounting bracket carried by the back of said guard panel; and
means detachably securing said bracket to said front margin.
11. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising:
back plate means and top, opposite side and upwardly and rearwardly
sloping bottom plate means providing surfaces for deflecting
bullets rearwardly toward the back plate means;
a spent bullet collecting chamber defined behind said bottom plate
means;
at least one vertical frame bar located along the back plate means
intermediate and spaced from rear portions of the side plate
means;
oblique deflector plate means between the side plate means above
said bottom plate means and providing bullet deflection surface
sloping toward said back plate means with rear portions cooperating
with said back plate means to define a downward bullet chute to
said chamber;
cantilever supporting bracket arm means on said bar concealed
behind and supporting said deflector plate means;
there being a space along said surface between said side plate
means which is free from any vertical obstructions;
said frame bar having a forwardly projecting flange; and
said bracket arm means comprising a flat bar disposed in a vertical
plane, and having a rear edge welded to said flange.
12. A structure according to claim 11, said bar having a forwardly
extending base bar extension welded to and projecting from a lower
end portion of the frame bar and providing a forward support for
the frame bar, said cantilever arm means and said deflector plate
means.
13. A structure according to claim 12, including a brace panel
having respective edges welded to said frame bar flange and to said
forward base extension.
14. A structure according to claim 13, including means connecting
said brace panel and said side plate means and contributing to
stability of the structure in the assembly.
15. A structure according to claim 13, including bullet deflecting
means carried by said bracing panel and protectively related to an
edge thereof.
16. A structure according to claim 13, including means supporting
said bottom plate means on said bracing panel.
17. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising:
back plate means and top, opposite side and upwardly and rearwardly
sloping bottom plate means providing surfaces for deflecting
bullets rearwardly toward the back plate means;
a spent bullet collecting chamber defined behind said bottom plate
means;
at least one vertical frame bar located along the back plate means
intermediate and spaced from rear portions of the side plate
means;
oblique deflector plate means between the side plate means above
said bottom plate means and providing bullet deflection surface
sloping toward said back plate means with rear portions cooperating
with said back plate means to define a downward bullet chute to
said chamber;
cantilever supporting bracket arm means on said bar concealed
behind and supporting said deflector plate means;
there being a space along said surface between said side plate
means which is free from any vertical obstructions;
said bottom plate means comprising a pair of panels disposed in an
oblique upward and rearward plane intersectingly related to said
deflector plate means;
one of said panels being fixedly mounted and having an upper edge
in adjacent spaced relation below said deflector plate means to
provide a bullet-receiving gap, said one panel having a lower edge
spaced upwardly relative to a supporting floor;
the other of said panels having an upper margin overlapping said
lower edge and having a lower margin adjacent to said floor;
and
hinge means connecting said lower margin to said floor whereby said
remaining panel is movable as an access door to space behind said
panels providing a bullet recovery pit.
18. A structure according to claim 17, including a bullet deflector
guard mounted on the floor forwardly adjacent to said lower
margin.
19. A structure according to claim 17, including a bullet
decelerator located behind said one panel, means for guiding
bullets moving down said back panel means into said decelerator,
and means for directing spent bullets from said decelerator toward
said door panel.
20. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising:
back plate means and cooperating plate means providing surfaces for
deflecting bullets rearwardly toward the back plate means so that
the back plate means serves generally as a chute along which
bullets fired theretoward travel downwardly;
means defining a bullet-deenergizing chamber which is fully closed
except for a bottom combination entry and discharge gap;
means for directing bullets from the chute generally under said
chamber and into said gap to spin out within said chamber until
deenergized to drop from said gap;
means for receiving the spent bullets dropping from said gap;
a receiving ramp at and facing toward said gap and toward which
said directing means is trained; and
said directing means comprising members defining a funnel leading
from said chute and trained toward but in spaced relation to said
ramp to avoid interference with dropping of spent bullets from said
chamber.
21. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising:
back plate means and cooperating plate means providing surfaces for
deflecting bullets rearwardly toward the back plate means so that
the back plate means serves generally as a chute along which
bullets fired theretoward travel downwardly;
means defining a bullet-deenergizing chamber which is fully closed
except for a bottom combination entry and discharge gap;
means for directing bullets from the chute generally under said
chamber and into said gap to spin out within said chamber until
deenergized to drop from said gap;
means for receiving the spent bullets dropping from said gap;
and
said deenergizing chamber means comprising a complementary pair of
generally U-shaped plates having adjacent upper flanges in lapping
relation and lower flanges in spaced relation providing said
gap.
22. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising: back plate
means and cooperating plate means providing surfaces for deflecting
bullets rearwardly toward the back plate means so that the back
plate means serves generally as a chute along which bullets fired
theretoward travel downwardly;
means defining a bullet-deenergizing chamber which is fully closed
except for a bottom combination entry and discharge gap;
means for directing bullets from the chute generally under said
chamber and into said gap to spin out within said chamber until
deenergized to drop from said gap;
means for receiving the spent bullets dropping from said gap;
said chamber means being located forwardly relative to said back
plate means; and
protective guard plate means forwardly from said chamber means
providing a spent bullet pit receptive of the spent bullets from
said chamber and including a hingedly mounted panel providing a
forward clean-out access door.
23. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising:
back plate means and top, opposite side and upwardly and rearwardly
sloping bottom plate means providing surfaces for deflecting
bullets rearwardly toward the back plate means;
a spent bullet collecting chamber defined behind said bottom plate
means;
at least one vertical frame bar located along the back plate means
intermediate and spaced from rear portions of the side plate
means;
a plurality of oblique deflector plate means between the side plate
means above said bottom plate means and sloping toward said back
plate means with rear portions cooperating with said back plate
means to define a downward bullet chute to said chamber; and
cantilever supporting bracket arm means along said bar concealed
behind and supporting said deflector plate means;
means supporting said deflector plate means spaced one above the
other with progressively greater spacing between the successively
higher plate means relative to the immediately subjacent plate
means.
24. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising:
back plate means and top, opposite side and upwardly and rearwardly
sloping bottom plate means providing surfaces for deflecting
bullets rearwardly toward the back plate means;
a spent bullet collecting chamber defined behind said bottom plate
means;
spaced vertical frame bars;
oblique deflector plate means between the side plate means above
said bottom plate means supported by said frame bars and sloping
toward said back plate means with rear portions cooperating with
said back plate means to define a downward bullet chute to said
chamber;
said back plate means comprising at least one panel extending
between the vertical frame bars;
means on said spaced frame bars and said panel for removably
hanging the panel on and between said spaced bars and comprising
aligned horizontal pins projecting rigidly laterally from upper
portions of said frame bars, and hook-shaped hangers on the panel
engaging said pins;
a plate member located between said spaced frame bars and having an
upwardly extending margin lappingly disposed behind a lower margin
on said panel; and
clip means on said lower margin of the panel engaging said upper
margin of the plate member.
25. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising:
back plate means and top, opposite side and upwardly and rearwardly
sloping bottom plate means providing surfaces for deflecting
bullets rearwardly toward the back plate means;
a spent bullet collecting chamber defined behind said bottom plate
means;
a plurality of oblique deflector plate means between the side plate
means above said bottom plate means with rear portions cooperating
with said back plate means to define a downward bullet chute to
said chamber; and
means supporting said deflector plate means in spaced relation one
above the other with progressively greater spacing between the
successively higher deflector plate means relative to the
immediately subjacent deflector plate means.
26. A shooting range bullet trap structure, comprising:
back plate means and top, opposite side and upwardly and rearwardly
sloping bottom plate means providing surfaces for deflecting
bullets rearwardly toward the back plate means;
a spent bullet collecting chamber defined behind said bottom plate
means;
oblique deflector plate means and means supporting the same between
the side plate means above said bottom plate means and sloping
toward said back plate means with rear portion cooperating with
said back plate means to define a downward bullet chute to said
chamber;
said bottom plate means comprising a pair of panels disposed in an
oblique upward and rearward plane intersectingly related to said
deflector plate means;
one of said panels being fixedly mounted and having an upper edge
in adjacent spaced relation below said deflector plate means to
provide a bullet-receiving gap;
said one panel having a lower edge spaced upwardly relative to a
supporting floor;
the other of said panels having an upper margin overlapping said
lower edge and having a lower margin adjacent to said floor;
and hinge means connecting said lower margin to said floor whereby
said remaining panel is movable as an access door to space behind
said panels providing a bullet recovery pit.
27. A structure according to claim 26, including a bullet deflector
guard mounted on the floor forwardly adjacent to said lower
margin.
28. A structure according to claim 26, including a bullet
decelerator located behind said one panel, means for guiding
bullets moving down said back panel means into said decelerator,
and means for directing spent bullets from said decelerator toward
said door panel.
Description
This invention relates to bullet traps and is more particularly
concerned with traps of the kind that are adapted to be
multi-sectional for indoor pistol and rifle range purposes.
Prior arrangements of bullet traps have been proposed in which
there has generally been the rather serious objection that edges of
divider and supporting partitions have been exposed to the
liability of being hit by bullets inexpertly or inadvertently fired
thereagainst, with consequent shattering and possibly dangerous
spattering of bullet particles. Such partitions also complicate the
deflectional control of bullets at the joints between deflector
plates and the partitions. Prior arrangements have also lacked
flexibility in construction of multi-section assemblies for diverse
locations and requirements and have often required rather precise
prefabrication for particular installations. There has also been
undue structural complexity and lack of efficiency in various
features of prior bullet trap assemblies, and more particularly in
the bullet spending structures thereof.
According to the present invention, the foregoing and other
disadvantages, defects, inefficiencies, shortcomings and problems
in prior structures are overcome by providing a new and improved
shooting range bullet trap structure embodying the principles of
the present invention as will be hereinafter more particularly
described. An important object of the present invention is to
provide a novel shooting range bullet trap structure which
eliminates exposed partitions between adjacent sections assembled
together.
Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved
supporting means for deflector plates in a shooting range bullet
trap structure.
A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved
back plate and supporting structure in a shooting range bullet trap
assembly.
Still another object of the invention is to provide new and
improved bullet spending or deenergizing means for shooting range
bullet traps.
A yet further object of the invention is to provide new and
improved spent bullet collecting chamber means for shooting range
bullet trap structures.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be
readily apparent from the following description of a preferred
embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected
without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts
embodied in the disclosure, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional detail view through a shooting range
bullet trap structure in accordance with principles of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmental enlarged detail view showing a feature of
the base portion of the structure;
FIG. 3 is a fragmental sectional plan view taken substantially
along the line III--III of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 is a fragmental sectional plan view taken substantially
along the line IV--IV of FIG. 1.
On reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, a shooting range bullet trap
structure pursuant to and embodying features of the present
invention comprises an arrangement of bullet-impact resistant steel
plates constructed and arranged for ready set-up from a knock-down
condition without requiring welding at the assembly site but
enabling the various components to be bolted together. To this end,
the structure comprises an assembly including back plate means 5
and top plate means 7, opposite side plate means 8 and bottom plate
means 9 providing surfaces for deflecting bullets rearwardly toward
the back plate means.
In a practical, easily assembled construction, the back plate means
5 comprise one or more generally vertically disposed plate panels
10 and means for detachably hanging the panels in place and against
swinging under bullet impact. As will become clear, direct bullet
impact is not to be expected but only deflected bullet impact which
though of sufficient consequence to require an impenetrable back
plate surface nevertheless enables the panels 10 to be constructed
from lighter gauge and less costly steel plate material than those
surfaces of the assembly which are designed to receive direct
bullet impact. For example, while the panels 10 may be constructed
from ten gauge hot rolled steel, those surfaces which are designed
to receive direct impact of fired bullets may be constructed from
quarter inch high alloy steel. Each of the panels 10 has hanger
means on the back upper margin thereof comprising downwardly
opening hook-shaped rigidly attached hangers 11 respectively
located adjacent to the vertical edges of the panel. Supportingly
receptive of the hangers 11 are means comprising respective
horizontal pins 12 projecting rigidly laterally from vertical
supporting frame means comprising at the sides of the assembly
vertical angle frame bars 13 and intermediate the side frame bars
vertical parallel T-bars 14, wherein the T-head flanges of the bars
14 are located in a plane with one another where there is a
plurality of the bars 14 and in a plane with a flange of each of
the side bars 13. Attachment of the hanger supporting pins 12 to
the respective bar flanges may be in any suitable manner but is
desirably by means of welding the pins to the flanges to project in
axial alignment cantilever fashion from the supporting bar
flange.
For not only preventing swinging of the panels 10 under the
velocity of bullet impact, but also to guide bullets deflected
against the panels downwardly without any obstruction along the
lower edges of the panels, the lower margin of each of the panels
10 is in lapping engagement with the front face of the upper margin
of a subjacent panel margin. Further the lower margins of the
panels 10 are desirably provided with clip means comprising one or
more downwardly directed clips 15 secured as by welding to the back
face of the lower margin and receptively engageable with the upper
margin of the subjacent panel. For example, the subjacent panel may
be another of the panels 10, depending upon the overall height of
the assembly. Sound deadening or damping material such as
rubber-like sheets or strips 17 may be applied to the back faces of
the panels 10.
Whether one or more of the vertical frame bars 14 is employed,
depending upon the number of sections desired for the particular
installation, each such bar has in addition to its back plate
supporting function, the function of supporting oblique deflector
plates 18 of which there are a suitable number spaced one above the
other and inclined in a downwardly and rearward direction to
deflect live bullets generally rearwardly and downwardly toward the
back plate panel means 5 which cooperates with the deflectors to
provide, in effect, a downward chute for the deflected bullets. For
this purpose, each of the deflector plates 18 has on its back face
means in the form of a bent up or rigid welded-on side edge
attachment flange 19 which is adapted to be secured by means of
bolts 20 to a supporting cantilever bracket arm 21 comprising a
flat bar disposed in a vertical plane and secured as by butt
welding to the forward edge of the intermediate flange of the
associated bar 14. The construction and arrangement are such that
the arms 21 are completely concealed from the line of fire into the
bullet trap, the upper terminal ends of the arms extending
sufficiently short of the upper forward edges of the deflector
plates 18 to be out of the line of fire from any angle at the
firing position toward the bullet trap. Further, the upper edges of
the arms 21 slope downwardly from the front ends of the arms, and
the lower edges of the arms extend in the same oblique direction as
and are within the same oblique plane as the associated deflector
plates 18, thus enabling complete protective concealment of the
lower edges by a respective joint-bIDGING guard strip 22 bridging
across the joint between the edges of the coplanar deflector plates
18 attached to the arm. By having the guard plates 22 secured along
one margin to one of the associated deflector plates 18, as by
means of welding to the front marginal face, while lappingly
engaging the front marginal face along the adjacent side edge of
the remaining deflector plate, relatively wide tolerance
adjustments are permitted between the deflector plate edges. For
example, as shown in FIG. 3, neither of the attachment flanges 19
need be in abutment with the associated arm 21, nor do the adjacent
edges of the deflector plates 18 have to be in abutment, because
the guard strip 22 fully protectively bridges across the joint and
throughout the length of the joint, and cooperatively with the
deflector plates 18 deflects live bullets downwardly and toward the
back plate means 5. Downward and rearward deflection of the bullets
is improved by having the rear marginal portions of the deflector
plates 18, inclusive of the associated end portions of the guard
strips 22 angled downwardly and rearwardly at a steeper oblique
angle than the major portions of the deflector plate, as shown. It
will be observed that the space along the bullet deflection surface
provided by the plates 18 and guard strip plates 22 between the
side plates is free from any vertical obstruction against which a
bullet might hit, and more particularly there is freedom from
vertical partition or partitions as has been common heretofore.
The relationship of the upper front edges of the deflector plate
panel assemblies to the rear lower edges of the immediately
superjacent deflector panel assembly in each instance is so related
to the firing points or stations in front of the bullet trap as to
assure live bullet interception by the deflector plate and
avoidance of direct live bullet impact against the rear panel means
5. Since this assurance increases as the elevation increases, the
vertical spacing between the deflector plate assemblies is also
increased, thereby minimizing the total number of vertically spaced
deflector panel assemblies required. In the arrangement shown,
having five vertically spaced deflector plate assemblies, the
distance between the second and third assemblies from the bottom is
greater than the distance between the first and second assemblies,
while the distance between the third and fourth assemblies is
greater than that between the second and third assemblies and the
distance between the fourth and fifth assemblies is greater than
that between the third and fourth assemblies.
Protection against bullets striking and possibly ricocheting from
the front edges of the deflector plates 18 of the uppermost tier or
assembly is avoided by the relationship thereto of the top plate
means 7 including a downwardly and rearwardly oblique canopy plate
structure 23 having its lower rear edge relatively close to and
offset downwardly relative to the adjacent upper front edge of the
deflector plate structure such that live bullets will be
effectively deflected downwardly and rearwardly by either the
deflector plate structure or the canopy plate structure when
striking anywhere near the gap between these structures.
As to the deflector plates 18 below the topmost of such plates,
means to guard against bullets striking the upper edges of the
deflector plates comprise edge guard deflectors 24 which are
supported in suitably spaced downwardly and rearwardly oblique
relation forwardly adjacent to the respective edges of the
deflector plates by means of angular supporting bracket flange
members 25 secured as by means of welding to the back of the
respective deflector 24 in each instance and secured as by means of
bolts 27 to the upper margin of the associated deflector plate 18.
In a preferred arrangement, the side-to-side dimensions of the
deflectors 24 and the bracket flanges 25 are identical with the
associated deflector plate 18 in each instance. Ricochet of bullets
from the upper edges of the deflectors 24 is avoided by having
those edges sharply chamferred as shown at 28. Across the joints
between the sides of adjacent deflectors 24 are guard strips 29
desirably welded to the margin of one of the adjacent deflectors
and lappingly engaging the companion deflector.
Connection of the sides of the deflector plates 18 nearest the side
plate means 8 at each side of the assembly connects the frame bars
13 and 14 in a unitary assembly. To this end, each of the sidemost
deflector plates 18 carries on its back surface an integrally
welded-on vertical front-to-rear attachment flange 29 (FIG. 3)
attached as by means of bolts 30 to a generally U-shaped attachment
bracket 31 secured as by means of welding to the inner face of a
side panel 32 which has its rear vertical edge portion secured as
by means of welding to the contiguous side frame bar 13 and its
lower edge portion secured as by means of welding to a forwardly
extending angle base bar 33. Desirably the rear end of the base bar
33 is welded to the lower end portion of the vertical frame bar 13.
Additional stability in the unitary assembly is attained by means
of vertical generally triangular bracing panels 34 welded on edge
in the angle between the lower end portions of the frame bars 14,
the lowermost arm 21 and forwardly projecting base bar extensions
35 welded at their rear ends to the lower portions of the bars
14.
To protect the front edges of the side plates 32 from bullet
impact, deflector members 37 are provided which may be secured as
by means of anchor or expansion bolts 38 to respective side walls
39 of the building containing the shooting range within which the
bullet trap is housed.
Bullets and bullet fragments deflected towards and moving
downwardly along the back panels 10, on reaching the bottom margin
of the lowest of the back panels 10, are deflected downwardly and
forwardly by means of a bottom deflector flanges structure 40
having an upper marginal edge lapped by the contiguous back panel
10 and engaged by the clips 15 thereof. By preference, there is one
of the deflector flanges 40 in each of the sections of the trap
assembly between the side panels 32 and the nearest bracing panel
34 in each instance as well as in each section between the bracing
panels 34. For mounting the deflector flange 40 in each location,
it has as its opposite sides respective downwardly extending
attachment flanges 41 which are secured as by means of bolts 42 to
the respective panels 32 or 34, as the case may be, thereby
contributing to the stability of the trap unit assembly.
Bullets or fragments travelling downwardly and forwardly along the
deflector flange 40 with any velocity will be diverted by a lower
end less steep shunting flange portion 43 across a drop gap onto an
upwardly and forwardly inclined ramp 44 into a bullet spending,
dissipating, deenergizing, develocitating chamber 45 wherein the
bullets or fragments are confined to move within a restricted area
in a generally oval path about a horizontal axis such that
centrifugal force will cause the bullets and fragments to hug
decelerating surfaces until they drop as virtually dead weights
from the chamber 45. For this purpose, the chamber 45 is defined
within a complete enclosure except for a single combination entry
and exit opening 47. The structure for this purpose comprises a
pair of complementary cooperating generally U-shaped plate members
48 and 49, wherein the member 48 has the ramp 44 from which the
body of the member 48 extends arcuately to a terminal flange which
is in lapping engagement with the inner surface of a terminal
flange portion of the member 49 the body of which is generally
arcuate and has an opposite terminal flange portion spaced from the
lower portion of the deflector flange 40 and the shunting flange 43
to provide a funnel having its opening at one side of the gap 47
and directed toward the ramp flange 44. By preference, there is one
of the chambers 45 in each of the sections of the trap assembly
between the side panels 32 and the nearest bracing panel 34 in each
instance as well as in each section between the bracing panels 34.
For mounting the members 48 and 49 in each location they have at
their respective opposite sides suitable attachment flanges 50
which are adapted to be secured as by means of bolts 51 to the
supporting plates 32 or 34, as the case may be, thereby
contributing to the structural stability of the trap assembly.
It will thus be seen, as indicated by directional arrows, that
bullets and fragments entering the chamber 45 will ride up the ramp
44 and then spin along the decelerating surfaces provided by the
members 48 and 49 in a continuous circuit, jumping across the gap
47 until all momentum incident to firing velocity has been
dissipated. Thereupon, the dead weight spent bullets and particles
exit through the gap 47 either by dropping straight down or by
sliding generally downward and backward along the ramp 44, and
dropping down into a recovery chamber 52 provided behind the bottom
plate means 9. As the spent bullet and particle material drops down
from the deenergizing chamber 45, the material is gravitationally
biased forwardly along the descending slope of a ramp 53 extending
downwardly and forwardly to a generally horizontal collecting plate
54 in the bottom of the recovery chamber 52. Desirably the rear end
of the ramp 53 is located rearwardly and below the shunting flange
43 and has a vertical backstop flange 55 which prevents particles
from escaping rearwardly and which is an upward extension from a
downwardly extending supporting flange 57 for the rear end of the
collection plate structure.
Not only do the bottom plate means 9 provide the recovery chamber
or pit 52 therebehind, but provide a bullet deflecting guard
protectively concealing the bullet-decelerating chamber means
therebehind. To this end, the plate means 9 comprise a generally
upwardly and rearwardly oblique deflecting panel 58 which is in a
plane generally intersecting the back face plane of the lowermost
of the deflectors 18 located thereabove and with which the upper
edge of the panel 58 provides a gap so that live bullets and
fragments deflected upwardly and rearwardly will be intercepted and
directed rearwardly by an intercepting generally horizontally
extending plate member 59 which overlies the panel 58 and has an
inner end portion extending rearwardly into the gap beyond the
inner end of the panel 58 and disposed in suitably spaced relation
to both such edge and the underface of the superjacent deflector 18
to permit relatively free entry of live bullets through the gap
toward the downwardly angled inner end portion of the deflector and
thence onto the deflector flange 40. By preference, there is one of
the panels 58 and plate 59 in each of the sections of the trap
assembly between the side panels 32 and the nearest bracing panel
34 in each instance as well as in each section between the bracing
panels 34. For mounting the members 58 and 59, in each location,
they have at their opposite sides respective downwardly extending
attachment flanges 60 and 61 adapted to be secured as by means of
bolts 62 and 63, respectively, to the panels 32 or 34, as the case
may be, and contributing to the sturdy stability of the bullet trap
assembly unit.
To avoid live bullet impact against the front edge of the panel 59,
or against the edges of the attachment flanges 61 thereof, a fore
or lead deflector panel 64 extending the full width of the panel 59
but relatively short in a front-to-rear direction is secured to the
front margin of the panel 59 to extend above and below such margin
and is directed at an oblique angle downwardly and rearwardly in a
plane generally intersecting the plane of the deflector panel 58.
To bridge across the joint between adjacent ones of the panels 64,
respective bridging strips 65 lappingly engage the adjacent margins
of the panels, being welded to one such margin and freely lapping
the other such margin.
To enable clean-out of the recovery pit chamber 52, the deflector
panel 58 at its lower front edge is spaced substantially rearwardly
and above the receiving plate 54 so that an access opening is
provided in the front of the chamber 52. This access opening is
normally closed by a combination swinging door and deflector plate
panel 67 which extends in generally the oblique upwardly and
rearward plane of the panel 58, with the upper margin of the panel
67 overlapping the lower margin of the panel 58. At is lower margin
the panel 67 is attached to hinge means such as a piano hinge 68
which is desirably attached to an anchor plate 69 secured as by
means of anchoring or expansion bolts 70 to the underlying
supporting surface such as a concrete floor 71. Through this
arrangement, each of the recovery pit chambers 52 can be readily
cleaned out by swinging the panel 67 open about its hinge for
access into the recovery chamber 52. Bridging across the joint
between the deflector panels 58 and the deflector door panels 67 of
the adjacent sections, in each instance, is a joint-closing strip
72 which is desirably welded to the margin of one of the adjacent
panels 58 and freely overlaps the margin of the other of the
adjacent such panels, and extends in free underlapping relation to
the margins of adjacent ones of the deflector door panels 67
whereby the door panels may be individually opened for clean-out as
desired. Joint closure between the panels 67 and the side panels 32
is effected by respective ledges 72a carried by the panels 32.
To avoid stray bullet impact against the lower edge of the door
panel 67, a protective deflector guard 73 is desirably mounted
adjacent thereto on the floor 71 and comprises a generally upwardly
and forwardly oblique panel having its upper edge spaced above and
forwardly relative to the door panel lower edge in a manner to
extend sufficiently above the line of fire toward the lower door
edge for protection purposes but located sufficiently forwardly
relative to such door edge as to avoid interference with free
opening movement of the door and, in fact, serving as a door stop
to hold the open door in a generally upwardly and forwardly
inclined convenient position. At its lower edge the plate 73 is
desirably chamferred to approach the surface of the floor 71 as
cleanly and gap-free as practicable to avoid an edge that might
catch a stray live bullet. Attachment of the guard deflector 73 to
the floor 71 is effected by suitable means such as anchor or
expansion bolts 74 which secure a base plate 75 welded to the
forward margin of the plate 73, with the desired divergent
angularity between the plates being maintained by a spacer device
such as a piece of rod 77 extending horizontally therebetween and
welded thereto. Desirably, the deflector guard 73 is of a width
equal to one section of the bullet trap assembly, with as many of
the guard deflectors mounted edge-to-edge as there are sections in
the assembly.
Vibration damping means are desirably interposed under at least the
base structure of the trap assembly. In a desirable form of
vibration damping, synthetic or natural rubber pads 78 are located
under the vertical frame bars 13 and 14 and the forwardly extending
base bars 33 and 34 (FIGS. 1 and 2).
It will be understood that variations and modifications may be
effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel
concepts of this invention.
* * * * *