1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shoot houses and ballistic training. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for forming shoot houses with modular ballistic walls and/or a modular ballistic ceiling.
2. State of the Art
In conducting training for individuals such as police officers, military personnel, etc., it is desirable to duplicate the conditions which the individual may encounter while working. Thus, training should simulate real life scenarios, with the goal of making the training as realistic as is practical.
Accordingly, it is common to form shoot houses for training purposes. A shoot house is a building which is formed with bullet proof walls such that police officers, military personnel, or the like may train in the building under line of fire conditions. The training may include breaking into a building, sweeping the area to make it secure, finding objects in the building, etc. and targets may be used in the building to represent the threats encountered in the course of duty.
It is desirable to make such shoot houses modular so that they may be constructed in a variety of configurations, and even partially or completely disassembled to move the shoot house or reconstruct it in a different configuration. A modular shoot house is thus more useful as it may be used to train for a variety of different situations.
For similar reasons, it is desirable to form a shoot house which has two or more levels so that the shoot house resembles a building with multiple floors, such as a two story building. It would also be desirable if the shoot house remains modular even with multiple floor levels.
In making shoot houses with multiple levels, individuals have formed a separately supported concrete ceiling over the first level which also forms the floor of the second level. This, however, is a permanent structure that can not be changed without significant difficulty. The concrete ceiling and floor is typically formed on top of permanent walls or pillars and thus may not be changed. The walls, pillars, stair openings, etc. often are not in the proper location for a desired shoot house arrangement. Additionally, if the shoot house is to be moved the concrete ceiling and support structure must either be left behind or demolished at a sizable expense.
Additionally, it has been known to form small catwalks above a shoot house to allow a supervisor to oversee the training occurring in the shoot house. They do not, however, prevent bullets from exiting the shoot house and would not support a second floor of a shoot house. As such they do not present a safe and effective way of forming a two story shoot house. It has also been known to suspend bullet proof ceiling baffles above a shoot house. The baffles may be suspended in an arc above the shoot house, forming a canopy above the shoot house to prevent stray bullets from exiting the training area. The baffles do not form a ceiling, however, being merely suspended from a structure above the shoot house.
There is thus a need for a modular ceiling which may be easily disassembled and which may be easily rearranged when changing the configuration of the shoot house.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for forming shoot houses. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for forming a modular ceiling which is bullet proof. It is a further object to provide a method of forming a modular shoot house having multiple levels.
According to some aspects of the present invention, a modular ceiling may be formed as part of a modular shoot house. The ceiling may thus be formed from standard sized steel panels. The ceiling may thus be rearranged easily when changing the configuration of the shoot house and is less expensive to manufacture. Replacement plates may be obtained or constructed with less machining required.
According to other aspects of the invention, the ceiling may be formed from standard sized bullet proof plate. The steel plate is then easier to replace and requires less machining of the hardened steel, which is difficult and may weaken the steel.
According to other aspects of the invention, the ceiling may be relatively inexpensive. Using standard sized steel panels for the ceiling reduces the machining required to produce the ceiling parts and makes the parts easier to replace. Additionally, parts which require more machining may be formed of a milder steel.
According to other aspects of the invention, the ceiling may be easily constructed. The ceiling may be assembled with readily available tools and without great difficulty. A modular ceiling made of standard pieces is relatively easy to construct.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the ceiling may be easily configured to operate with a variety of different shoot house configurations. Because standard sized steel panels may be used in combination with standard joining and support pieces, the ceiling may easily be arranged in a number of configurations without the hassle of purchasing or acquiring many specialized pieces.
Various embodiments of the present invention are shown and described in reference to the numbered drawings wherein:
a-3e show ceiling brackets according to aspects of the present invention;
a and 4b show end views of a ceiling according to aspects of the present invention;
c and 4d show details of a bullet proof plate according to the present invention;
a shows a side view of another ceiling according to the present invention;
b shows a side view of another ceiling according to the present invention;
a-8f show end views of support members according to the present invention;
a shows a side view of a portion of a shoot house according to the present invention;
b shows a side view of a portion of a shoot house according to the present invention;
a shows a front view of a bracket of the present invention;
b shows a side view of the bracket of
a shows a front view of a bracket of the present invention;
b shows a side view of the bracket of
a shows a top view of a bracket of the present invention;
b shows a side view of the bracket of
c shows an end view of the bracket of
a shows a side view of a bracket of the present invention;
b shows a top view of the bracket of
It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The various embodiments shown accomplish various aspects and objects of the invention. It is further appreciated that it is not possible to show each structure and element of the invention in a single drawing, and as such multiple drawings are presented which each show aspects of the invention in greater detail. The invention thus encompasses all of the drawings.
The drawings will now be discussed in reference to the numerals provided therein so as to enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention. The drawings and descriptions are exemplary of various aspects of the invention and are not intended to narrow the scope of the appended claims.
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Additionally, strips of wood 34 may be attached to the steel wall, with sheets of sheetrock or plywood 38 attached to the wood strips 34, forming a space to contain bullets and also making the surface of the wall look more similar to a conventional wall. Typically, a simple roof, such as a layer of corrugated metal or a tent like canopy, is placed over the shoot house to protect the shoot house from rain or the like if the shoot house is used in a rainy environment.
As mentioned previously, two level shoot houses have been formed by constructing sufficient support pillars or load bearing walls to support a concrete ceiling and then forming a shoot house under the structure. The lower level of the shoot house is built underneath the concrete, and an upper level is built above the concrete. As previously discussed, the concrete ceiling and supports can not be moved, and often do not integrate well into the shoot house. For example, a support column may extend into a room or may partially obstruct a hall.
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A bracket 62 is also attached to the wall 42. The bracket 62 may be attached with bolts 66, or it may be welded to the facing strip or otherwise attached to the facing strip, or formed integrally with the facing strip. The bracket 62 is designed to support the ceiling of the shoot house as will be discussed in the following figures. As the various ceiling pieces are assembled on top of the walls, the ceiling pieces brace the walls and strengthen the structure. It will be appreciated that using a number of bolts 66 not only strengthens the attachment between the wall 42 and the bracket 62, but also provides some flexibility in mounting the bracket. In addition to bolts 66, the bracket may simply be welded or otherwise attached to the facing strip 54 if so desired. For example, facing strips made for a multi-level shoot house may be constructed with brackets permanently attached, as nearly all facing strips can be used to support the ceiling structure. Likewise, the brackets can be formed integrally with the facing strips. It is appreciated that the wall shows in
The structures shown and discussed relative to
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b shows another bracket 74 which has been formed from a strip of steel which is twisted such that one end 78 may attach to the wall and the other end 82 may be attached to the side of a ceiling rail or support. Also, holes 86 have been formed in the bracket 74 so that the bracket may be easily attached to the wall and ceiling. As many holes as are necessary may be formed in the bracket. It will be appreciated that the bracket may be made sufficiently large to be strong enough to support the weight which will be placed on it. One of skill in the art will recognize that the bracket must be sufficiently large so as not to bend or otherwise deform under the weight of the ceiling. Additionally, the attachment means, such as the bolts, must be sufficiently strong to support the weight of the ceiling and any other shoot house structure on top of the ceiling. This may mean that a particular number of bolts must be used, depending on the shear strength of the bolts.
c shows another bracket according to the present invention. The bracket 90 has been formed from steel, and has an upper portion 94 which is attached to the wall. The lower portion 98 attaches to the ceiling members, and has two side arms 102 and 106 which have been bent to form a cradle. The lower portion 98 has been shaped to support a beam or channel which supports the ceiling panels. With the part of the bracket which attaches to the wall 94 being bent up above the part of the bracket which supports the ceiling 98, the upper portion 94 is protected from bullets by the ceiling. It will be appreciated that many different means may be used to attach the bracket to the wall and ceiling, with welding and bolting being the most common methods. In one embodiment, the bracket will be formed with holes similar to the brackets in
d shows a bracket 110 which is similar to the bracket of
e shows another bracket 134 according to the present invention. The bracket 134 may be formed from an L shaped piece of metal which has been bent twice into the shape shown. The bracket 134 is thus simple to form. A lower portion 138 is provided to attach the bracket to a wall, and an upper portion 142 is attached to the ceiling members. A tab 146 is bent as shown to further support the ceiling members. Holes 150 have been formed in the upper portion 142 of the bracket 134 to allow the ceiling members to be bolted to the bracket. Additionally, a number of holes 154 have been formed in the lower portion 138 of the bracket 134 for attachment to the walls of a shoot house. Having a number of holes 154 may allow the height of the bracket 134 relative to the wall to be adjusted if so desired, ensuring that the floor is level and in the correct position. Having a number of holes will also allow more bolts to be used to attach the bracket to the wall, providing a more secure attachment to the walls of the shoot house.
It is appreciated from
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The steel plate may be supported by various support members, such as channels 182. The support members may be sized and spaced according to the strength needed in the ceiling. The support members may typically be attached to the brackets which are attached to the walls. They will then serve to both support and strengthen the ceiling and brace the walls. It will be appreciated that many different shapes of support members may be used, including members with cross sections such as channels, boxes, I beams, C beams, etc. Additionally, many methods of attaching the steel plate 158 to the support members 182, such as welding, bolting, gluing, etc. The more preferred method of attaching the plate to the support members is bolting, as it leaves maximum flexibility in constructing and modifying the shoot house.
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It will be appreciated that a ceiling such as that of
If necessary, additional support members may be placed between the joints to stiffen the ceiling and prevent the steel plate from bending under the weight which may be placed upon it. Such support member may be similar to the supports 206, 210, and may run parallel to or transverse to the support members 206, 210. Additionally, one will realize that many variations may be made without departing from the present invention, such as using washers instead of backing strips, or using a fastener other than bolts. The present invention encompasses such variations.
In addition to ease of assembly, the ceiling may be assembled in a variety of configurations. If the ceiling is assembled with standard sized steel panels, each panel may be placed in any location in the ceiling whereas specially shaped panels must be placed in particular locations in a ceiling. Additionally, the steel panels used may be the same size as the walls of the shoot house. For example, if four foot by eight foot panels are used, the walls of the first level of the shoot house would form joints which are spaced apart every four feet and walls would be spaced apart in four foot increments. All of the joints would be evenly spaced in four foot increments.
Accordingly, ceiling plates which are also four foot by eight foot panels would align with the wall panels such that the ceiling joints and edges would align with the joints of the wall panels. Thus, it is easy to locate the support members and construct the ceiling. Accordingly, support members may be placed in a parallel arrangement between the joints of the wall panels, stretching across the shoot house, and the ceiling panels would line up properly on the support members. Additionally, the support members would only need be provided in four foot increments, and the maximum length of the members needed would be determined by the width of the rooms. Many configurations of shoot houses could be built by having four, eight, and twelve foot support members. If the members all stretch the same direction across the shoot house, rooms with a side longer than twelve feet such as hallways may be oriented perpendicular to the support members.
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Additionally, sheets of a second material have been attached to the ceiling. The sheets 298, 302, 306 may be attached to the support members 274, 278 by bolts 310 and nuts 314, or by screws or any other suitable attachment method. The sheets 298, 302, 306 may be formed of sheetrock, ceiling tile, plywood, etc. The sheets provide an enhanced appearance to the ceiling as viewed from the shoot house beneath. More importantly, the sheets may be designed so as to provide a bullet containment area 318 in the ceiling to prevent bullets from striking the ceiling and ricocheting back towards people in the shoot house. Thus, plywood may be an ideal sheeting material as it is not overly damaged by a bullet and is strong enough to prevent bullets from exiting the containment area. Additionally, the floor sheeting may make the floor less slippery when wet.
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The strips and support members cover the joint between the panels and make it very unlikely that a bullet striking the joint would be able to pass through the joint. It will be appreciated from this figure that a large number of different ceiling configurations are possible with the present ceiling. As shown, the steel plates may be suspended from the support members. Additionally, the support members may have a variety of different shapes. In a preferred embodiment, the shapes may have a flat side for attachment to the steel panels.
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A shoot house which is formed according to the present invention should be sufficiently rigid and strong for most applications. While an open framework of facing strips and ceiling support members may be moved somewhat with relative ease, that same framework is quite stiff with the steel plate panels attached thereto. The steel plates prevent motion of the framework. As the shoot house is built by adding steel plates and either facing strips or ceiling support members in close succession, it is naturally rigid as it is being constructed. It is not, however, beyond the scope of the invention to use bracing members to further strengthen a shoot house where the size or particular configuration necessitates such bracing strips.
The bracing strips primarily prevent the shoot house from swaying side to side, front to back, or from twisting, as may be caused by wind, weather, moving objects within a shoot house, etc. Accordingly, the bracing strips may simply be strips of steel which attach to existing joints within the shoot house, such as facing strips, backing means, ceiling support members, etc. The bracing strips would typically be placed so as to connect two pieces, such as facing strips or ceiling support members, with the bracing strip being at an angle, preferably a 45 degree angle or close thereto, relative to the facing strips or support member. The bracing strip, when placed at an angle relative to the facing strip or support member, substantially inhibits movement of the facing strip or support member.
According to the present invention, multi-story shoot houses may be formed. A shoot house may be formed which has a modular ceiling attached at or near the top of the walls. As discussed, the ceiling members will substantially stiffen the shoot house and inhibit movement of the shoot house. A second story or shoot house level may be constructed on top of the ceiling. Accordingly, the ceiling members may form part of or support for a floor for the second level. The walls for the second level may be attached to the upper portion of the first level walls, or may be attached to ceiling joints. It will be appreciated that if a modular shoot house is formed with each wall panel being a consistent width, such as four feet, the ceiling panels are also in four foot increments and joints may be found every four feet. Thus, virtually any configuration is possible for the second floor of the shoot house as joints between wall and ceiling panels occur every four feet, in each possible location for joints between wall panels for the second floor.
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A bracket 490 has been attached to the ceiling with bolts 494, and used to support a second floor wall. The wall has been formed with bullet proof panels 498, a facing strip 502, and a backing strip 506 held together with bolts 510. The wall is attached to the bracket 490 via the facing strip 502 and is secured with bolts 514. Additionally, a plate or strip 518 may be attached to the walls and used to support the upper level wall alone or in combination with a bracket 490. A second bracket 522 has been attached to the ceiling via the backing strip 482, and has been bolted 526 to the support member 474. The bracket 522 has been used to attach a wall to the ceiling where there is not a lower level wall. The wall is formed with bullet proof panels 530, a facing strip 534, and a backing strip 538, and the facing strip and backing strip are held to the panels with bolts 542. The wall is bolted 546 to the bracket 522 via the facing strip 534.
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A strip or plate 518 may be used to bridge between the lower wall (including steel plate 450, backing strip 454, and facing strip 458) and the ceiling (including the panels 478 and backing strips 482) or an upper wall (including steel plates 498, facing strips 502, and backing strips 506). A plate 518 may be used which partially, substantially, or completely closes the space 516, or a strip may be used to provide a stronger joint. Thus, the shoot house may be formed with spaces 516 which are then closed if desired with plates 516 after installation of all necessary wires, control cables, etc. Substantially closing the space 516 would aid in containing bullets which might otherwise pass through the opening and exit the shoot house. It is appreciated that the areas adjacent the ceiling and floor of a shoot house often may pose increased risk of bullets passing around the ballistic walls, and often “no shoot zones” are designated for these areas.
While omitted for clarity, the walls and ceiling shown in
It is appreciated that
a and 9b show, in cross section, the general joint structure of a modular shoot house according to the present invention. It is appreciated that the specific shape and configuration of the brackets, joiner strips, pieces or plates, etc. may vary according to the use of the joint in the shoot house structure. Thus, different brackets and different resulting joint structures may be necessary where a ceiling support member is parallel to or perpendicular to a wall, or where the ceiling support member is placed above a wall or abutting into a wall. Thus,
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It will be appreciated that in building a shoot house according to the present invention, it is desirable to cover the joints between wall and ceiling panels with a continuous strip of metal. Thus, facing strips have been shown covering the wall joints and ceiling joints. It is also possible to cover the ceiling joints with a flat surface of a support member, as has been shown. Once the joint has been covered by a metal strip, it is not necessary, though it is desirable, to cover the side of the joint opposite the facing strip or support member with a continuous metal strip. Washers or other similarly sized objects are sufficient to secure the bolts and facing strips to the joints, providing an increased support surface for attaching the bolts. Backing means may not be necessary in all situations. It will also be appreciated that whenever bolts are used in this application to fasten objects together, the bolts may be inserted into threaded holes in the appropriate location, or may simply be attached and tightened with nuts. Screws, rivets, welding, or other fastening methods are also equally applicable and within the scope of the invention.
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b shows a side view of the bracket of
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b more clearly shows the first flange 630 and second flange 634. It is again appreciated that the first flange 630 and second flange 634 may be formed as part of the bracket 626, such as being cut from flat sheet and bent into place, or may be welded or attached to the bracket. Holes 638 are formed in the first flange 630 and used to attach the flange to the wall, such as by attachment to a facing strip or to the joint. Similarly, holes may be formed in the second flange 634 and used to attach the bracket to the ceiling support member.
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The bracket 610 is typically bolted to a ceiling support member 662 via flange 618. The ceiling support member 662 is used to support the ceiling structure, shown generally at 666. The ceiling structure 666 is as has been discussed and may include ballistic panels and joints, as well as support rails and flooring sheets such as plywood or subflooring. Another wall section (indicated at 670) may be attached to the ceiling structure 666 as has been shown, such as in
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b shows a side view of the bracket of
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It is appreciated that the various structures and assemblies of the shoot house which have been discussed are each small parts of the invention, which may require a combination of these structures to form a completed shoot house. Various structures of the shoot house, such as ceilings, floors, stairs, etc. will each require different types of brackets, or combinations of the brackets and joints shown.
There is thus disclosed an improved method for forming shoot houses. It will be appreciated that numerous modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. The preceding examples are illustrative of the invention, and do not define the scope of the invention.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/668,708, filed Apr. 5, 2005, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60668708 | Apr 2005 | US |