Moving target trolley, moving target and target range

Abstract

There is disclosed a target range and mechanisms for use on those target ranges. The mechanisms comprise a trolley for use in shooting ranges wherein the trolley is constructed and arranged to be movable backwards and forwards along a track and including a target moving mechanism adapted, in use, to carry a target and to move the target from an operative shooting position to an inoperative shooting position and wherein the target moving mechanism is adapted to move the target such that in use, the width of the trolley and target across the direction of intended movement of the trolley when the target is in the inoperative shooting position is not substantially greater than the width of the trolley and target across the direction of intended movement of the trolley when the target is in the operative shooting position. Preferably the trolley has a target moving mechanism such that in use, the plane of the target extends parallel with the direction of intended movement of the trolley in both the operative and inoperative shooting positions. Preferably the trolley also has a target moving mechanism which is such as, in use, to move the target from the operative to inoperative shooting positions with the plane of the target swinging in a generally vertical plane extending in the direction of intended movement of the trolley. Alternatively the trolley has a target moving mechanism which is such that, in use, the plane of the target extends transverse to the direction of intended movement of the trolley in both the operative and inoperative shooting positions. The range has a trolley and a track along which the trolley is to move, said track being of a width only sufficiently wide to allow the trolley to pass and being of a depth which when the trolley is in the track the top of the trolley will be below the depth of the track the path further being such that, in use, the trolley and the target, when in the inoperative position, are out of sight of a shooter at a firing position and wherein the path over substantially its whole extent is also out of sight of the shooter at the firing position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A self propelling trolley for use in shooting ranges .[.wherein the.]..Iadd., means carried by said trolley for moving said .Iaddend.trolley .[.is constructed and arranged to be movable.]. backwards and forwards along a track, .[.means carried by said trolley for propelling the same along said track,.]. a target moving mechanism mounted on said trolley, a target mounted for movement on said target moving mechanism, .Iadd.said mounting being such that said target swings in the plane of movement of said trolley, .Iaddend.means for actuating said target moving mechanism for moving said target from an operative shooting position wherein said target is exposed .Iadd.to a shooter .Iaddend.to an inoperative shooting position wherein said target is .[.not exposed.]. .Iadd.completely unexposed to the shooter regardless of whether the trolley and target are approaching or moving away from the shooter, or moving in a direction generally perpendicular or at an angle to the shooter.Iaddend., said target being constructed and arranged on said target moving mechanism so that the width of the trolley and target across the direction of intended movement of the trolley when the target is in the inoperative shooting position is not substantially greater than the width of the trolley and target across the direction of intended movement of the trolley when the target is in the operative shooting position, and wherein the position of mounting the target on the trolley is such that when the target is in its inoperative position the height of the trolley and target is substantially the same as .Iadd.or less than .Iaddend.the height of only the trolley, and wherein in the operative position the height of the trolley and target is greater than the height of only the trolley .Iadd., said trolley moving means and said target actuating means being controlled by radio control means operated by an operator of the range to move said trolley backward or forward along said track without regard to the target being hit, and to selectively signal said target moving mechanism to control movement of said target when hit so that said target either remains in the operative shooting position or is moved to an inoperative position completely out of sight of the shooter, and wherein the track on which the trolley is to be used has a monorailway track therein which has a height greater than its width and wherein the trolley is such that, in use, it is substantially centrally located over the track with the top of the railway track being closer to the top of the trolley than to the bottom and wherein the trolley is provided with motor means and supporting wheels adapted to engage the upper surface of the railway track to suspend the trolley on the railway track: one of the supporting wheels being operatively connected with the motor means for propelling the trolley.Iaddend.. .[.2. The trolley of claim 1 wherein the target moving mechanism is such as, in use, to move the target from the operative to inoperative shooting positions with the plane of the target swinging in a generally vertical plane extending in the direction of intended movement 
     
     
        of the trolley..]. 3. The trolley of claim 1 wherein the target moving mechanism is such that, in use, the plane of the target extends transverse to the direction of intended movement of the trolley in both the operative 
     
     
        and inoperative shooting positions. 4. The trolley of claim 1 wherein a target moving mechanism is mounted at each end of the trolley each for moving such a target as aforesaid. .[.5. The trolley of claim 1 wherein the track on which the trolley is to be used has a monorailway track therein which has a height greater than its width and wherein the trolley is such that, in use, it is substantially centrally located over the track with the top of the railway track being closer to the top of the trolley than to the bottom and wherein the trolley is provided with motor means and supporting wheels adapted to engage the upper surface of the railway track to suspend the trolley on the railway track: one of the supporting wheels being operatively connected with the motor means for propelling the 
     
     
        trolley..]. 6. The trolley of claim 5 wherein the trolley is provided with at least two stabilizing jockey wheels which engage, in use, opposite 
     
     
        sides of a lower part of the railway track. 7. The trolley of claim 5 wherein the trolley is provided with a braking mechanism for braking 
     
     
        movement of the trolley. 8. The trolley of claim 7 wherein said braking mechanism is a disc brake mechanism integral with one of the supporting wheels, a brake release mechanism, and spring biasing means for braking said disc brake mechanism when said brake release mechanism is 
     
     
        inoperative. 9. The trolley of claim 7 wherein the brake release mechanism includes an electrical solenoid brake release mechanism and a manual brake 
     
     
        release mechanism. 10. The trolley of claim 5 wherein another of the supporting wheels is operatively connected with another motor means and 
     
     
        both motor means include electric motors. 11. The trolley of claim 10 wherein both motor means are constructed and arranged to operate at different speeds for propelling the trolley at different speeds as 
     
     
        selected. 12. The trolley of claim 10 wherein electric power for said motor means is obtained from rechargeable battery means carried by the 
     
     
        trolley. 13. The trolley of claim 12 further including electrical contact means on the trolley which is engageable, in use, with bus bar means adjacent the track thereof for supplying current for recharging the 
     
     
        battery means. 14. The trolley of claim 13 wherein the electrical contact means is mounted on the trolley to swing about a pivot and is operatively connected with an operating member so that, in use, when the operating member engages an obstruction member adjacent the bus bar means the electrical contact means are caused to swing as aforesaid to contact the 
     
     
        bus bar means. 15. The trolley of claim 14 wherein said operating member is movable against spring bias so as to not engage the obstruction member when so moved and to thereby prevent the electrical contact means for 
     
     
        contacting the bus bar means. 16. The trolley of claim 13 wherein there are three electrical contacts included in the contact means and there are three bus bars included in the bus bar means, one of the bus bars being common and the other two, in use, being at a battery charging potential constructed and arranged to independently charge each of the battery 
     
     
        means. 17. The trolley of claim 1 wherein there is provided reversing means on the trolley operable to reverse direction of movement of the 
     
     
        trolley when the trolley is at an end of the track. 18. The trolley of claim 17 wherein the reversing means includes a magnetically operable switch which is made operative by magnetic circuit means at the end of the track which when operated, in use, causes reversal of direction of 
     
     
        movement of the trolley. 19. The trolley of claim 1 further including proximity sensing means on the trolley for sensing the proximity of another trolley on the track and for causing the trolley to, in use, reverse direction when said another trolley is within a predetermined 
     
     
        range. 20. The trolley of claim 19 wherein the proximity sensing means comprises a light receiving transducer constructed and arranged such that when light is received thereby which is projected from a light transmitter and, in use, the transducer output consequent thereon is above a predetermined value the trolley is caused to reverse its direction of 
     
     
        travel. 21. The trolley of claim 20 wherein the light receiving transducer is responsive only to pulsed light transmitted from the light transmitter, thereby inhibiting operation by continuous light falling on the light 
     
     
        receiving transducer. 22. The trolley of claim 1 further including trolley position sensing means constructed and arranged to provide an indication 
     
     
        of the position of the trolley along the track. 23. The trolley of claim 22 wherein said trolley position sensing means includes a sensor constructed and arranged to, in use, provide an electrical signal, and a transmitter constructed and arranged, in use, to transmit an electrical signal to a remote receiver capable of providing information as to the 
     
     
        position of said trolley along the track. 24. The trolley of claim 23 wherein the position sensing means, in use, provides an electrical signal pulse as the trolley moves over a given length of track and the position of the trolley is determined by arranging the electrical signal pulses so generated to provide a display representative of each given length of 
     
     
        track. 25. The trolley of claim 24 wherein said electrical signal pulses 
     
     
        are generated at the trolley by photoelectric means. 26. The trolley of claim 24 wherein said electrical signal pulses are generated by 
     
     
        magnetically operable reed switches. 27. The trolley of claim 22 wherein said track has an upper rail part and a lower rail part connected by equally spaced apart spacing webs and wherein the position sensing means is, in use, responsive to count the spacing webs passed by the trolley thus giving an indication of the position of the trolley on the track. 
     
     
            The combination of claim 1 wherein said track is of a width only sufficiently wide to allow the trolley to pass and is of a depth which when the trolley is in the track the top of the trolley will be below the depth of the track, the path of the track further being such that, in use, the trolley and the target, when in the inoperative position, are out of sight of a shooter at a firing position and wherein the path over substantially its whole extent is also out of sight of the shooter at the 
     
     
        firing position. 29. The combination of claim 28 wherein movement of the trolley is radio controlled by a transceiver which in use is operated by 
     
     
        an operator of the range. 30. The combination of claim 29 further including night shooting means on the trolley operable by said 
     
     
        transceiver. 31. The combination of claim 28 wherein there is a shelter shed at a position along the track in which the trolley can be stored. 
     
     
            A self propelled device for use in shooting ranges wherein said device is constructed and arranged to be movable backwards and forwards along a track, means carried by said device for propelling the same along said track, a target moving mechanism mounted on said device, a target mounted on said target moving mechanism, means for actuating said target mounting mechanism for moving said target from an operative shooting position wherein said target is exposed to an inoperative shooting position wherein said target is not exposed, said target being constructed and arranged on said target moving mechanism so that the width of the device and target across the direction of intended movement of the device when the target is in the inoperative shooting position is not substantially greater than the width of the device and target across the direction of intended movement of the device when the target is in the operative shooting position, and proximity sensing means on said device for sensing the proximity of another device on the track and for causing said device to reverse direction when another device is within a predetermined range.