Projectile backstop assembly

• US 6,173,956 B1
• Filed: 09/27/1996
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arthur Fransen
• Original Assignee: O.M.F., Inc.
• Inventors: OʼNeal, Kerry Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US08/721,806
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 273/410, 273/422-429, 89/360.2
• US Class Current: 273/410
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 13/00 Bullet catchers

Abstract

A backstop assembly for receiving projectiles, such as bullets. The assembly includes a plate inclined relative to the floor. The plate is covered with loose resilient particles such as rubber, but the rubber is not contained within another medium, nor is it enclosed within a box. A bullet entering the loose particles does not fragment because it is so much harder than the particles. Because the particles move out of the way of the bullet, rather than receive it, the bullets may be separated from the particles, and no lead dust is created by a fragmenting bullet.

Claims

1. A backstop assembly for receiving a projectile shot by a shooting instrument spaced a distance from a shooting area floor, comprising:

a horizontally extending, solid shooting area floor;

a substantially planar member having a front face, a rear face, a top end and a bottom end, the planar member being inclined at a predetermined non-normal angle to the shooting area floor with the bottom end engaging the shooting area floor directly with no intervening structure between the bottom end of the planar member and the shooting area floor;

the shooting area floor projecting forwardly from the bottom end of the planar member to provide a solid, stationary horizontal support portion extending directly from the bottom end of the planar member;

a stationary deflection plate projecting upwardly from said support portion at a location spaced forwardly from the bottom end of said planar member;

loose resilient particles for receiving, slowing down, and capturing the projectiles, the loose particles being distributed over the front face of the inclined planar member and being accumulated to a predetermined height to form a generally stationary pile along the length of the planar member which stays in place and resists flowing down the inclined planar member, the pile having a lower end located between said deflection plate and the bottom end of said planar member, said deflection plate comprising means for holding the pile in place;

wherein the assembly is a conveyorless system and has no moving parts, and the loose particles are self-agitating under the influence of the projectiles, thereby requiring no external agitating devices in the conveyorless system;

an upper, substantially flat and planar deflection member located adjacent the top end of the planar member, the deflection member being oriented at a predetermined, non-perpendicular deflection angle projecting forwardly from said planar member, the upper deflection member having a front face forming a deflection plate for deflecting any projectile hitting the plate downward into the pile of particles, and a rear face forming a tapered inlet at the same angle as said deflection member front face for feeding particles onto the pile; and

a rubber mat covering the front face of said deflection plate.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, including a vertical surface projecting upwardly from the shooting-area floor at a location spaced rearwardly from the bottom end of the planar member to a location spaced above the top end of the planar member, the top end of the planar member being located adjacent said vertical surface and the planar member being inclined forwardly from said vertical surface.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, including a vertical member extending upwardly from the top end of the planar member and facing said rear face of said upper deflection member to define an inlet hopper between said inclined rear face and vertical member, the resilient particles extending upwardly from the top end of the planar member to fill at least part of said inlet hopper, whereby the pile is kept full of particles at all times.

4. The backstop assembly of claim 1, wherein the loose resilient particles are made of substantially non-contaminated rubber.

5. The backstop assembly of claim 1, wherein the loose resilient particles are made of substantially non-contaminated rubber comprising cut tires which have been purified to remove substantially all contaminating fibrous material including steel and nylon from the rubber.

6. The backstop assembly of claim 5, wherein the loose resilient particles include a variety of different sized and shaped resilient particles.

7. The backstop assembly of claim 6, wherein the largest of the different sized resilient particles is larger than the projectile.

8. The backstop assembly of claim 6, wherein the largest of the different sized resilient particles is about one inch in length and about one-half inch in thickness.

9. The backstop assembly of claim 6, wherein the resilient particles are coated with a powder material.

10. The backstop assembly of claim 9, wherein the powder material is calcium carbonate.

11. The backstop assembly of claim 1, wherein the substantially planer member is made of steel.

12. The backstop assembly of claim 1, wherein the deflection plate is made of steel.

13. The backstop assembly of claim 11, and further comprising a steel support frame fixedly-coupled with the bottom face of the substantially planer member for holding the substantially planer member at the predetermined angle of inclination.

14. The backstop assembly of claim 13, wherein the steel support frame is further fixedly-coupled with the shooting-area floor.

15. The backstop assembly of claim 1, wherein the substantially planer member is made of concrete.

16. The backstop assembly of claim 1, wherein the predetermined non-normal angle is about 35 degrees.

17. The backstop assembly of claim 1, wherein the height of said particles is at least 18″

.

18. The backstop assembly of claim 17, wherein the height is in the range from 18″

to 48″

.

19. The backstop assembly of claim 1, wherein the height of the pile is at least 24″

.