US2586547A - Hand trap - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19, 1952 1.. c. MARLEY ,58

HAND TRAP Filed Oct. 15, 1948 INVENTOR LESLlE C.MARLEY ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,586,547 HAND TRAP Leslie 0. Marley, Milwaukee, Wis. Application October 15, 1948, Serial N 0. 54,731

This invention appertains to traps for the throwing of targets, and more particularly to a novel device for facilitating the accurate and distance throwing of targets or clay birds by hand,

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a hand trap embodying a hand grip and an elongated guide extending forwardly from the hand grip for the target, with novel means located at the inner end of the guide for frictionally gripping an edge of .the target to hold the same in place until the trap is given a rapid, circular motion by the hand and arm and a snap at the end of the motion or stroke; the snap or whip at the end of the stroke functioning to release the target from the holding means, so that the same under influence of centrifugal force will fly from the guide in the desired direction.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide a tapered friction shoe at the inner end of the guide, so that the trap can be cocked by merely pushing the target back against the shoe, the shoe engaging the target at one side thereof and back of its transverse center, so that a spin will be placed on the target as the same leaves the guide.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a hand trap of the above character, which will be durable and efiicient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture and one which can be placed on the market at a reasonable cost and easily manipulated by the user.

A still further important object of my invention is to provide a hand trap in which the use of all mechanical parts, such as springs and the like, is eliminated, and one in which the breakage of clay birds incident to the placing of the birds in the trap and the throwing of the birds is eliminated.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be herein.- after more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Figure l, is a top plan view of my improved hand trap with parts thereof broken away and in section to illustrate structural details.

Figure 2, is a longitudinal sectional view through the hand trap taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3, is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, the trap showing a target in place therein, the view being on a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2.

1 Claim. (Cl. 124-5) 2 Figure 4, is an enlarged fragmentary plan view partly in section, illustrating the engagement of the friction shoe with the edgexof the target.

Figure 5, is a diagrammatical view in top plan illustrating the use of my hand trap.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter H generally indicates my improved novel hand trap for throwing a target T.

The target T is referred to bytrap shooters as clay birds or pigeons. As illustrated, the target T includes a substantially circular body It, having an annular base ll providing an annular shoulder I2.

The hand trap H includes an elongated guideway l3, having a hand grip M at the inner end thereof. The guideway l3 includes a flat base plate l5 carrying on its upper face, at its longitudinal sides, guide rails IS. The guide rails l6 are provided with inturned flanges H.

The hand trap can be constructed in various ways and out of any preferred type of material, but as illustrated, the same includes a flat bottom board, which forms the base plate 5 5 and the side rails 16 are fastened thereto by securing elements l8. If desired, a sheet of anti-friction material l9 can be secured to the top of the base plate l5. This sheet material can be constructed from a smooth plastic film in order to permit the free movement of the target T from out of the trap, as will be later set forth.

One guide rail l6 has secured thereto at its extreme inner end and adjacent to the handle M, a friction shoe 20. This shoe is preferably formed from soft rubber and is tapered from its rear end toward its forward end, as can be clearly seen from Figures 1 and 4 of the drawing.

In use of my hand trap H the target T is slid into the guide l3 from the forward end thereof with the flanges 11 over the annular shoulder l2. The target is moved to the extreme inner end of the guideway [3, after which the same is given a rearward push toward the handle I4, which will bring the target into intimate frictional contact with the shoe. This cocks the trap.

The hand grip I4 is now firmly grasped in the hand of the user (see Figure 5) and the trap is given a circular motion substantially in a horizontal plane, but with the forward end of the guideway elevated to a desired pitch. As the end of the stroke is reached, at the point Where the target is to be discharged, a whip or snap is given to the trap. This dislodges the target from the friction shoe and the target is rapidly discharged a desired spin to-thentarget. Thiswill: increase the distanceof travel of the target and give othe advantages such as directness of flight, which is also aided by the elongated guide.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided an exceptionally simple form of hand trap, which can be placed 'FupQmthes market at a reasonable cost and which will effec:

tively permit the convenient and -acc'urateplac ing of targets by hand, and one in whichthe use of mechanical springs and the like is eliminated and. the breakage of birds is prevented;

Changes in details may be made without idea parting from. the A spirit or U the scope of mg; in-

vention, but what I .claim as new is;

A hand trap .for throwingetargets comprising an. elongated guideway extending for a length'of at least twice the diameter of the target includinga fiat baseplate and longitudinally extend-f ingguide rails having inturnedflanges for receiving the opposite sides of attargetga hand grip onthe rear end of the guideway; Said guide rails openinggout -at the: front end of the guideway, and a resilient frictionshoe at the vextreme-- rear end of the guideway arranged within one of said rails, whereby to frictionally contact an edge of the target when said target is pushed rearwardly into the guideway toward the handle, said shoe being tapered downwardly and forward- 1 from the rear end of the guideway toward the front end of the guideway, said shoe being in rear of the transverse center of the target, when the target is in the extreme rear end of the guideway and: inf-its -cockedlposition; said hand grip closing therear end of the guideway andhaving its central longitudinal axis aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the guideway, whereby at the end of the throwing motion the longitudinal axis of the guideway and the throwers arm are sub'stantially aligned to aid in controliingethedirectionof the flight of the target.

LESLIE C. MARLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The-following references are of record in:the fiie of this-"patent: v

UNITED SIJA'I'ES"PATENTS Number. Name Date 281,183. Fischer July: 10, 1883 766,997 Horst Aug.,.9, 1904, 780,882 Hardy Jan. 24, 1905' 1,607,874 Dar-ton: Nov. 23, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Numberv Country, Datel 4 755,443 France Sept.'11,]1933.'

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