Claims
- 1. A target projecting apparatus adapted to receive, load, and throw targets such as clay pigeons and the like in a variable path, comprising
- (a) a main support housing assembly;
- (b) a target conveyance assembly mounted to said main support housing assembly including a throwing arm assembly and a crank shaft means which is connected to said throwing arm assembly and includes a shaft;
- (c) a target drive assembly connected to said main support housing assembly and comprising a sprocket support means having a structure defining an aperture wherethrough said shaft rotatably passes, power means secured in said main support housing assembly for rotating said sprocket support means, a drive lug means bound integrally to said sprocket support means, and a means secured to said sprocket support means for latching and tripping the crank shaft means;
- (d) a releasing assembly secured to the main support housing assembly for releasing the means for latching and tripping and for controlling acceleration of a target from the throwing arm assembly; and
- (e) a means secured to said main support housing assembly for interrupting the power means from rotating the sprocket support means.
- 2. The target projecting apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising means secured to said sprocket support means for engaging periodically and activating the means for interrupting the power means from rotating the sprocket support means.
- 3. The target projecting apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for interrupting the power means from rotating the sprocket support means is a micro switch means bound to said main support housing assembly in proximity to said sprocket support means and positioned such as to engage the means for engaging periodically and activating the means for interrupting the power means from rotating the sprocket support means.
- 4. The target projecting apparatus of claim 3 additionally comprising a remote switch means electrically communicating with said power means before said means for interrupting such that said remote switch means may override the micro switch means to start the sprocket support means rotating.
- 5. The target projecting apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means secured to said sprocket support means for engaging periodically and activating the means for interrupting the power means from rotating the sprocket support means comprises an arcuate strip member bound to the sprocket support means.
- 6. The target projecting apparatus of claim 5 wherein said arcuate strip defines an arc of from about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees.
- 7. The target projecting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means secured to said sprocket support means for tripping and latching the crank shaft means comprises a trip latch pivotally secured to said sprocket support means, a stop pin bound to said sprocket support means and a spring means secured to said trip latch and to said sprocket support means for biasing the trip latch against the stop pin.
- 8. The target projecting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said crank shaft means additionally comprises a lever integrally bound to the said shaft that rotatably passes through said aperture, a spring-attaching lug integrally bound to the lever, and a tension spring member secured to said spring-attaching lug and to said main support housing assembly.
- 9. The target projecting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said releasing assembly comprises a trip rod rotatably engaging the main support housing assembly, said trip rod having a structure defining a straight rod section which is partially threaded and terminating in an end section generally normal to said straight rod section.
- 10. The target projecting apparatus of claim 9 wherein said releasing assembly additionally comprising a locking nut means rotably and threadably engaging the threaded section of the trip rod to screw against the main support housing assembly and lock the trip rod from rotating.
- 11. The target projecting apparatus of claim 10 wherein said main support housing assembly has a basic support frame, and said releasing assembly is secured to said basic support frame, and said means for interrupting the power means from rotating the sprocket suport means is secured to said basic support frame.
- 12. The target projecting apparatus of claim 11 wherein said trip rod rotatably engages the basic support frame, and said locking nut screws against an anchor post that is included in the basic support frame.
- 13. A target projecting apparatus adapted to receive, load, and throw targets such as clay pigeons and the like in a variable path, comprising
- (a) a frame means;
- (b) a crank shaft rotatably supported by said frame means;
- (c) a throwing arm means mounted on one end of the crank shaft;
- (d) a lever integrally bound to the other end of the crank shaft;
- (e) a spring-attaching lug integrally bound to the lever;
- (f) a tension spring member secured to the spring attaching lug and to the frame means;
- (g) a sprocket support means having a structure defining an aperture wherethrough said crank shaft rotatably passes and supports said sprocket support means;
- (h) drive means secured to the frame means for rotating the sprocket support means when engaged to a power source;
- (i) a drive lug means bound integrally to said sprocket support means;
- (j) a trip latch pivotally secured to the sprocket support means;
- (k) a stop pin bound to said sprocket support means;
- (l) a spring means secured to said trip latch and to the sprocket support means for biasing the trip latch against the stop pin;
- (m) an arcuate strip member bound to the sprocket support means;
- (n) a micro switch means bound to said frame means in proximity to said sprocket support means; and
- (o) a trip rod rotatably engaging the frame means, said trip rod has a structure defining a straight rod section and terminating in an end section generally normal to said strip rod section.
- 14. A method for throwing targets such as clay pigeons and the like in a variable path comprising the steps of:
- (a) mounting on a sprocket support means a switch actuator strip means and a means for latching and tripping a spring biased crank shaft means rotatably passing through the sprocket support means and having secured thereto a throwing arm assembly;
- (b) placing a target on, the throwing arm assembly;
- (c) rotating the sprocket support means with a drive means engaged to a power source such that said means for latching and tripping latches the spring biased crank shaft means and rotates the same;
- (d) interrupting the power source to the drive means to stop the sprocket support means from rotating; and
- (e) tripping the means for latching and tripping to release the latch on the spring biased crank shaft means such that the throwing arm assembly is propelled by the released spring biased crank shaft to throw the target, said tripping comprises overriding the interrupting of the power source to the drive means to restart the rotation of the sprocket support means causing said means for latching and tripping to rotate into a trip rod means rotatably mounted to a frame means.
- 15. The method of claim 14 additionally comprising controlling the acceleration of the target from the throwing arm assembly.
- 16. The method of claim 15 wherein said controlling comprises rotating the trip rod means to adjust the point of contact of the trip rod means with the means for latching and tripping.
- 17. The method of claim 15 wherein said interrupting comprises the switch actuator strip means being rotated by said sprocket support means into engagement with a micro switch means that is secured to said frame means.
- 18. The method of claim 17 wherein said terminating comprises disengaging the switch actuator strip means from the micro switch means by said sprocket support means being rotated away therefrom.
- 19. The method of claim 15 additionally comprising terminating the overriding causing said drive means to communicate with the power source to start the sprocket support means rotating.
- 20. The method of claim 14 wherein said rotating step (c) comprises biasing the spring biased crank shaft means against a drive lug means, releasing the biasing of the spring biased crank shaft from against the drive lug means, and biasing subsequently
- the spring biased crank shaft means against the means for latching and tripping.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part application of my copending application Ser. No. 889,356, filed July 25, 1986, now abandoned. Benefit of the July 25, 1986 filing date with respect to subject matter common in the copending application and the following application is claimed.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2303262 |
Nov 1976 |
FRX |
2377603 |
Sep 1978 |
FRX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
889356 |
Jul 1986 |
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