Patent Application
20230417516
The present disclosure relates to the field of live-fire targets. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to targets with no welds, bolts or other attachment features located in the striking area of the target.
Steel targets have been used in connection with live-fire shooting ranges for many decades. For example, typical target plates used in plate rack systems have a shaft, either full width or partial width, welded to it that allows the target to be rotated from a vertical orientation to a roughly horizontal orientation. Other typical targets include features that allow the target to be bolted to a rack whereby the bolted area is susceptible to being struck by a round fired at the target. Still other typical targets are bolted to a mount through the target face or include a through-hole for hanging the target using, for example a hooking arrangement.
Either bolting the target or welding the shaft to the target tends to weaken the target resulting in target cracking, more frequent breaking and a shorter life, thereby requiring more frequent replacement. Targets with a welded shaft or mounting configurations that include bolting through the target face cost more than a target that does not include such features because of the additional manufacturing steps required to fabricate such targets.
Typical metal targets are made from mill hardened steel plate, such as AR500. As described above, typical targets mounted on live fire stands involve welding or bolting of the targets. Such targets have limited life, as welding and through-holes for bolting adversely impact the target life. Moreover, the hardness of targets made from mill hardened steel plate is not uniform across the entire surface of the strike zone of the target. Mill hardened steel plate is typically hardened in bulk, meaning that many plates are hardened at the same time in the same device. This results in a wide variance of Brinell hardness across the plates and within the single plates in a batch. A variance of 50 Brinell points or more across a single plate is quite common.
The embodiments disclosed herein solve the problems associated with prior art target made from hardened steel plate. The embodiments have longer life; thereby, able to withstand a much greater number of bullet strikes before needing to be replaced. Unlike steel hardened in bulk at the mill where hardness can vary as much as 50 Brinell points across a plate, hardness of targets processed according to the present disclosure are much more uniform, with Brinell hardness varying less than 30 Brinell points across the entire strike zone of the target. The higher precision in hardness uniformity is another factor that contributes to the longer life of the targets of the present disclosure.
An embodiment of the present disclosure may include a long life live-fire target comprising a target having a front, back, top, and bottom, the front comprising a bullet strike zone, meaning the portion of the target that is designed to be hit by bullets. The target further comprises at least one mount. The at least one mount and target are formed as a single unit, such that if the at least one mount is removed from the target the structural integrity of the target is destroyed. The at least one mount extends angularly away from the front into a mounting position. When the at least one mount is in the mounting position, the at least one mount is positioned to minimize the chance that a bullet fired at the target will strike the at least one mount. The mounting position of the at least one mount is formed when the ferrous steel of the target is in an annealed state or the target is constructed of a soft ferrous steel material. After the at least one mount is formed into its mounting position, the target is heat-treated to a hardened state.
A method for fabricating a live fire target comprising the steps of providing a hardened steel plate, creating or cutting the hardened steel plate into a flat pattern of a target. The flat pattern of the target includes a bullet strike zone and at least one mount. The method further includes annealing the flat pattern of the target to a softened state, followed by forming the at least one mount so that the at least one mount is angled away from the bullet strike zone of the target and is located in a position for mounting the target. After the forming the at least one mount step, the target is reheat-treated such that the target is returned to a hardened state.
An alternate method of producing a live fire target comprising the steps of acquiring a flat pattern of a target that is constructed of a soft ferrous steel, the flat pattern of the target including at least one mount and a target front including a bullet strike zone. The at least one mount and target front are a single unitary structure, such that separating the at least one mount from the target would destroy the structural integrity of the target. The method of producing the target further includes the step of forming the at least one mount such that it is angled away from the bullet strike zone into its mounting position. Once the at least one mount is in the mounting position, the target is heat treated to a hardened state. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, once heat-treating is complete, the step of cryogenic freezing of the target may be performed. If cryogenic freezing is performed, a tempering cycle may follow.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and described in the following written specification. Even though the present disclosure focuses on embodiments of a live fire bullet target, it is understood that no limitation to the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended and that embodiments disclosed herein are adaptable to any prior art system as would be understood by one of ordinary skill. It is further understood that the present disclosure includes any alterations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments and includes further applications of the principles disclosed herein as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains.
Referring to
An embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a target having at least one mount 70. The at least one mount 70 allows the target 10 to mounted on a structure, such as a target stand (not shown), thereby placing the target in position to allow a shooter to fire a bullet at the target 10. The at least one mount 70 of target 10 may be formed as a single unit 80 with target 10, such that separating the at least one mount 70 from the target 10 would destroy the structural integrity of the target 10 and make it unsuitable for its intended purpose.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one mount 70 extends angularly away from the front 20 of target 10 so that the at least one mount is in a suitable position for mounting the target 10 into a mounting position 90, such that the at least one mount 70 is out of the bullet strike zone 60. The angular position of the at least one mount 70 to the front 20 of target 10 and more specifically to the bullet strike zone 60 is any angle that ensures that the mount is protected from bullet strikes. For example, an angle of 90° between the at least mount 70 and the bullet strike zone 60 minimizes the chance that a bullet will ever hit the at least one mount 70 when the target 10 is in the mounting position 90.
Target 10 may be constructed from any hardened steel plate suitable for live fire targets. Preferably, suitable steels include, but are not limited to ferrous or abrasion resistant steels, such as AR400 steel, AR500 steel, and MIL-A-46100 Armor Plate. Such steels typically have a Brinell hardness of between 480 and 550.
In other embodiments of the present disclosure, target 10 may comprise relatively soft ferrous steels. Such steels would typically have a Brinell hardness of less than 310. A non-limiting example of such a steel would be 1045 steel. Using a steel such as 1045 allows the at least one mount to be formed (e.g., bent) into mounting position 90 without prior annealing. Once the mounting position 90 has been achieved, the target may be heat treated to an appropriate Brinell hardness, such as for example, a Brinell hardness of between 480 and 550.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one mount may include mounting features suitable for mounting the target on a target stand. For example, as shown in
As discussed in more detail below, the mounting position 90 of the at least one mount 70 is formed when the flat steel plate target is in an annealed state. After the at least one mount 70 is arranged in the mounting position 90, the target 10 is returned to the hardened state.
Referring to
The angular position of the first mount 120 and second mount 130 in relation to the front 20 of target 10 and more specifically to the bullet strike zone 60 is any angle that ensures that the mounts are protected from bullet strikes when the target 10 is mounted for use. For example, an angle of 90° between the first mount 120 and the bullet strike zone 60 minimizes the chance that a bullet will ever hit the first mount 120. Correspondingly, when the second mount 130 is positioned at an angle of 90° between the second mount 130 and the bullet strike zone 60, the likelihood that a bullet can impact the second mount 130 is minimized. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the angle between the mounts and the bullet strike zone or the target front may range from 30° to 120°.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the first mount 120 and second mount 130 may include mounting features suitable for mounting the target on a target stand. For example, as shown in
As discussed in more detail below, the mounting position 90 of the first mount 120 and the second mount 130 is formed when the flat steel plate target is in an annealed state. After the first mount 120 and the second mount 130 are arranged in the mounting position 90, the target 10 is returned to the hardened state.
Referring now to
The front 20 of target 10 comprises a bullet strike zone 60. Specifically, the bullet strike zone is that portion of the target that is susceptible to being struck by a bullet during live fire shooting. Even though the figures herein show target fronts 20 and bullet strike zones 60 that are generally round, other shapes fall within the scope of this disclosure. For example, any geometric shape, including without limitation oval, square, rectangular, triangular, or any other shape suitable to a particular shooting application as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art falls within the scope of this disclosure.
An embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a target having at least one mount 75. The at least one mount 75 allows the target 10 to mounted on a structure, such as a target stand 300, thereby placing the target in position to allow a shooter to fire a bullet at the target 10. The at least one mount 75 of target 10 may be formed as a single unit 80, such that separating the at least one mount 75 from the target 10 would destroy the structural integrity of the target 10 and make it unsuitable for its intended purpose.
Referring to
Referring to
The at least one mount 75 of target 10 may include slot 150 arranged and constructed to slide over tab 380. The length of slot 150 may be sized so that there is a 1/32 inch clearance between the length of slot 150 and the width of tab 380. Stand 300 further includes a foot plate 370 to serve as a stop and support for the at least one mount 75. Foot plate 370 includes a foot plate front 372 and a foot plate back 374. Foot plate front 372 is located below notch 390. Once at least one mount 75 is slid onto tab 380 of stand 300 via slot 150 of the at least one mount 75, the at least one mount 75 will rest upon foot plate 370.
Foot plate 370 is angled downward from foot plate back 374 to foot plate front 372, such that when the at least one mount 75 is supported on foot plate 370, target 10 and more particularly bullet strike zone 60, is angled downward. More particularly, foot plate 370 may be angled downward from foot plate back 374 to foot plate front 372 at an angle ranging from about 15° to about 40° and more specifically from between about 25° to about 30°.
Slot 150 is sized to not only slide onto tab 380 and come to rest on foot plate 370, but also sized to allow target 10 to move upwardly toward notch 390 when struck by a bullet. When the at least one mount 75 is supported on foot plate 370, the notch 390 in the post 360 allows the target to potentially pivot back and up 5° when the target strike zone is impacted by a bullet.
Referring now to
The method of producing the long-life live fire target further includes the step of making 220 the hardened steel plate into a flat pattern of a target 15, 25, the flat pattern of the target 15, including a bullet strike zone 60 and at least one mount 70, 75, 120, 130. The making the hardened steel plate step 220 may include cutting the hardened steel plate into the flat pattern of the target 15, 25 using any appropriate method of cutting hardened steel plate as would be understood by one of ordinary skill.
Next, the method of producing the long-life live fire target may include the step of annealing 230 the flat pattern of the target 15. The purpose of the annealing step is to improve ductility of the formed flat pattern of the target and more specifically may include taking the material back to its original ductility prior to heat-treating, refine the material's micro structure and improve bending properties of the flat pattern of the target. One of ordinary skin in the art of heat-treating understands the specific annealing process to use based on the material to be annealed and the goals to be achieved by annealing the material. The annealing step 230 must be completed before the next step can be performed.
Next, the method of producing the long-life live fire target may include the step of forming 240 the at least one mount 70, 75, 120, 130 so that the at least one mount is angled away from the bullet strike zone 60 of the target 10 and is located in a position 90 for mounting the target so that the target 10 is ready to be used in live fire shooting. The forming step 240 may include bending the at least one mount 70, 75, 120, 130 so that it is angled away from the bullet strike zone 60. The at least one mount 70, 75, 120, 130 may be bent at any suitable angle that minimizes the chance that a bullet fired at the target 10 would strike the at least one mount 70, 75, 120, 130. For example, the desired angle between the bullet strike zone and the at least one mount may range between 30° and 120°. More specifically, the at least one mount 70, 75, 120, 130 may be bent at a 90° angle to the bullet strike zone 60. The bending of the at least one mount 70, 75, 120, 130 may be accomplished using any device suitable for such bending as would be understood by one of ordinary skill.
Once the forming or bending step 240 is complete, the next step in the method may include reheat-treating 250 the target to a hardened state. Reheating will be accomplished in any manner suitable for returning the target 10 to a hardened steel state as would be understood by one of ordinary skill. Referring to
The reheat-treating step 250 may also include the step of performing cryogenic freezing 570 of the target. The technology of cryogenics—exposing metal parts to temperatures around −320° F.—has tremendous benefits for industrial applications. Cryogenic freezing helps to eliminate the presence of retained austenite in steel that was not transformed during heat treatment which can contribute to part wear and fatigue. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, cryogenic freezing 570 of the target may be followed by the step of performing at least one tempering cycle 580 on the target. Tempering is a heat treatment process that is often used to improve hardness, strength, toughness, as well as decrease brittleness in fully hardened steel.
Referring to
The forming step 430 may include bending the at least one mount. The at least one mount 75, 120, 130 may be bent at any suitable angle that minimizes the chance that a bullet fired at the target 10 would strike the at least one mount 70, 75, 120, 130. For example, the at least one mount 70, 75, 120, 130 may be bent at a 90° angle to the bullet strike zone 60. More generally, the desired angle between the bullet strike zone and the at least one mount may range between 30° and 120°.
The alternate method further includes reheat-treating 440 the target to a hardened state. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the reheat-treating step 440 may include the steps of heating the target to temperature within or above the critical temperature range for the particular steel 540. Holding the temperature for sufficient time to ensure thorough penetration of the heat 550. Cooling by quenching the target in water, oil or brine 560. The reheat-treating step may also include the step of performing deep and cryogenic freezing 570 of the target 10 to eliminate the presence of retained austenite in the steel that was not transformed during heat treatment. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, cryogenic freezing of the target limy be followed by the step of performing at least one tempering cycle 580. The reheat-treating step 440 may increase the hardness of target 10 to a Brinell hardness of between 480 and 550.
Referring not to
The next step in the method 500 may include forming 520 the at least one mount 70, 75, 120, 130 such that it is angled away from the bullet strike zone 60 into its mounting position 90. The forming step 520 may include bending of the at least one mount. The at least one mount 70, 120, 130 may be bent at any suitable angle that minimizes the chance that a bullet fired at the target 10 would strike the at least one mount 70, 75, 120, 130. For example, the at least one mount 75, 120, 130 may be bent at a 90° angle to the bullet strike zone 60, although an angle between and 120° or more may be used.
The alternate method 500 may include the step of heat-treating 530 the target to a hardened state. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the heat-treating step 530 may include the steps of heating the target to temperature within or above the critical temperature range for the particular steel 540. Holding the temperature for sufficient time to ensure thorough penetration of the heat 550. Cooling by quenching the target in water, oil or brine 560. The heat-treating step may also include the step of performing deep and cryogenic freezing of the target 570. Cryogenic freezing 570 of the target 10 may include benefits such as elimination of the presence of retained austenite in the steel that was not transformed during heat treatment. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, cryogenic freezing of the target may be followed by the step of performing at least one tempering cycle 580 on the target. The heat-treating step 530 may increase the hardness of target 10 to a Brinell hardness of between 480 and 550.
The advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure over traditional live fire targets are numerous. Annealing the flat pattern of the target allows the integral mounts to be bent away from and out of the strike zone of the target. Thus, the target is formed without any welding necessary as is required in traditional targets. The present disclosure ensures that the mounting features are unitary, meaning that the target mount and the remainder of the target are made from a single piece of metal, thus resulting in a more robust target that has no weak spots from welded joints or other means of attaching mounting features. Finally, by reheating-treating the target after the mounts are bent into their mounting position, the target hardness is much more uniform than the flat steel hardened plate that was used at the beginning of the method, which again contributes to the reliability and life of the finished target.
It should be understood, that relative positional terms such as, “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom” and the like, are with reference to the normal operational position of the device disclosed herein with respect to its normal intended use in connection with a target assembly. Such positional terms should not be considered otherwise limiting.
The present disclosure has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology that has been employed herein is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than word of limitation. While there have been described herein what are considered to be exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, other modifications of the disclosure shall be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein and, it is, therefore, desired to be secured in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the disclosure.
