SHOOTING TARGET STAND ADJUSTABLE BASE

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a non-provisional filing from and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/728,490, filed on Dec. 5, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to shooting targets for guns, and more specifically to a target stand base with a height adjustable upright member mount that does not require moving the base from its installed position on the ground, or the use of tools to alter the height. Furthermore, the target stand base has a leg that allows for angle adjustment to compensate for varying terrain and for full retraction to improve portability.

BACKGROUND

Shooting target stand upright members are used to set a target at specific heights. Height adjustment of the target would normally require the upright member be changed out for another one, which requires multiple length members to be on hand. There is a desire to easily change the target height without requiring multiple upright members, and also make the change without the use of hand or power tools.

Target stands are frequently used in remote areas, so any extra materials required to adjust the height would have to be packed and taken along to the shooting location. Adjustment and reassembly in the field without the requirement for packing hand or power tools is also a desirable feature.

Prior art shooting target stands have the ability to change the target height by replacing the upright member for one with a different length. One example is using multiple length fence post sections. Another example is using multiple length dimensional lumber sections. Those replacement upright members must be removed and reattached to the base either using some type of fastening means, which commonly requires tools.

Shooting locations may also be very remote and require the stand to be transported over long distances. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to adjust the leg angle to fit the terrain and allow angle adjustment of the target upright member. It is also desirable to collapse the stand into a smaller package for transport. In these remote locations tools may not be readily accessible, therefore it is desirable that the assembly and/or adjustment of the stand be accomplished without tools in the shooting environment.

Prior art shooting target stands utilize fixed angle legs that attach with fasteners which frequently require the use of hand tools. Some prior art stands can be assembled without tools, but the components are not securely retained and may come off easily if the stand is lifted off the ground. Prior art stands also use varying methods for adjusting to the terrain, with some using tools and others are driven into the ground with a hammer.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a shooting target stand base with upright height adjustability that improves upon prior art offerings. The upright member height adjustment of the present disclosure allows for setting changes without the need for tools, while also keeping the base of the target in place on the ground. The present disclosure also allows for multiple height settings to be chosen by the user.

The upright member holder of present disclosure is able to be adjusted in height without hand tools to allow for adjustment of the target height. The base is left in position to maintain the proper distance from the shooter and allow the upright to remain at the desired angle to the ground.

The construction of the holder of the present disclosure utilizes hook and slot construction to receive the holder to the base. To adjust the height, the user simply lifts the upright member holder to disengage the hooks from slots in a vertical panel of the base. The reverse process allows for reattachment to the base, and gravity serves to keep the assembly engaged with the base.

The disclosed shooting target stand base also allows for adjustment to varying terrain by angle adjustment of at least one leg, and for portability by breaking down to a smaller size without the need for tools. The construction of the present disclosure utilizes pin and hole interaction to locate the adjustable leg in the proper position and angle.

In one embodiment a leg of the shooting target stand has multiple discrete assembly positions to adjust for terrain and to provide certain shooting characteristics. The multiple positions may account for unlevel terrain and allow the user to angle the targets downward toward the ground to help control ricochet and bullet fragment splash. In other embodiments more or less than six installation positions may be offered, or all legs may have discrete angle adjustment. Other embodiments may also utilize a hand inserted pin or a nut and bolt for locating the pivot axis of the angle adjustable leg.

In one embodiment three legs are used to provide a stable support envelope for the stand and allow the user to choose appropriate ground contact points for stable positioning. In this embodiment two fixed legs are installed on one end of the base, and the other end receives a single leg. The single leg is a flat member and is capable of angle adjustment by removing and reinstalling a hand inserted pin. The remaining legs may have a bend near the assembly interface to widen the support envelope for the stand.

In other embodiments more legs may be added if a specific use case requires more ground contact points. The additional legs may be flat or have bends in them as required to control the support envelope for the stand.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a shooting target stand according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the base of the shooting target stand shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the shooting target stand of FIG. 1 shown in an assembled configuration with the legs extended and an upright member holder in a maximum adjustment position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the shooting target stand of FIG. 3, shown with the upright member holder in a minimum adjustment position.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shooting target stand of FIG. 3, shown with the angle adjustable leg set at a nominal setting parallel to the ground.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the shooting target stand of FIG. 3, shown with the angle adjustable leg set at the maximum upward setting to account for rising terrain.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the shooting target stand of FIG. 3, shown with the angle adjustable leg set at the full downward setting to account for dropping terrain.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the shooting target stand of FIG. 3, shown with the angle adjustable leg set at a retracted position between the fixed legs to make the assembly more compact for carrying.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An adjustable shooting target stand 50, shown in FIG. 1, includes a base 51 formed by a pair of side panels 52 that provide a generally rectangular frame to support two stationary legs 70, an angle adjustable leg 80 and an upright member holder 90. One end 52a of the side panels includes a pair of engagement tongues 55 that are spaced apart to receive an engagement end 81 of the angle adjustable leg 80. The side panels can be attached at the interior of the engagement tongues 55. The opposite ends 52b of the side panels 52 are connected by mounting panels 60 that extend generally horizontally between the two panels. Two such mounting panels 60 can be provided that are vertically spaced apart, as shown in FIGS. 1-2. Each mounting panel defines a pair of engagement slots 61 that are open at the end of the base for engagement to the stationary legs, as described herein. The mounting panels can be attached to the side panels by a tab and slot configuration, to allow the base 51 to be disassembled. The side panels can be fixed at the engagement tongues and to the mounting panels by welding or by other means to permanently fix the components of the base.

The target stand 50 includes a pair of stationary legs 70 that can be removably fastened to the base 51. Each leg includes an engagement plate 71 at one end that defines mating slots 72 arranged to interlock with the engagement slots 61 of the mounting panels 60. It can be appreciated that the engagement plates 71 of each leg is slid into engagement with the upper and lower mounting panels of the base until the two slots 61 and 72 are fully interlocked. The side panels 52 include bores 63 and the engagement plates 71 of the stationary legs 70 include bores 73 that are aligned when the engagement plates are fully interlocked with the mounting panels. A pin 76 extends through the aligned bores 63, 73 to fix the stationary legs 70 to the base 52. When the legs are interlocked with the base, the legs are fixed relative to the base to define a stationary longitudinal axis L between the legs and through the base 51, as best shown in FIG. 2.

The legs 70 diverge from each other relative to the longitudinal axis L from the engagement plate 71 to the spike end 74 of each leg. The spike end 74 is configured to pierce the ground to anchor the target stand 50 on the ground. A pressure plate 75 is positioned above each spike end 74 that can be contacted by the shoe of the user to push the spike end into the ground. The divergent stationary legs 70 separate the spiked engagement with the ground to provide lateral stability for the target stand 50.

The target stand 50 includes an angle adjustable leg 80 at the opposite end of the base from the stationary legs 70. The adjustable leg 80 includes an engagement end 81 that is configured to be sandwiched between the engagement tongues 55 of the two side panels 52. The engagement tongues define mounting bores 56 and the engagement end 81 of the adjustable leg 80 defines a pivot bore 82 that are aligned with each other when the adjustable leg is engaged to the base. Likewise, the engagement tongues define alignment bores 57 and the engagement end 81 of the adjustable leg 80 defines a plurality of bores 83, in which the bores 57 and 83 are defined at a radius from the pivot bore so that a selected one of the bores 83 can be aligned with the alignment bores 57 of the base when the adjustable leg is engaged to the base. A bolt 86 extends through the aligned mounting bores 56 and pivot bore 82 and a nut 87 is threaded onto the bolt to fix the bolt on the base. The bolt 86 thus acts as an axle for pivoting the adjustable leg 80 relative to the base 51. A pin 88 extends through the alignment bores 57 and one of the plurality of bores 83 in the adjustable leg 80 to hold the leg at a particular angle relative to the base 51.

FIGS. 5-8 show the target stand 50 with the angle adjustable leg 80 in different orientations. In the position shown in FIG. 5, the adjustable leg 80 and fixed legs 70 are essentially colinear, with the pin 88 passing through one of the bores 83 in the middle of the plurality of bores at the engagement end 81 of the leg. In this orientation, the target stand is suited for placement on generally level ground, with the spiked ends 74, 84 pushed into the ground. As described above, the stationary legs diverge so that the three legs form a tripod to stably support a target supported by the stand. In FIG. 6, the adjustable leg 80 has been pivoted upward relative to the base 51, so that the leg 80 is at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis L defined by the stationary legs 70. The leg position in FIG. 6 represents the maximum angular position of the leg 80, in which the pin 88 is engaged in the lowermost one of the bores 83 of the adjustable leg. In one embodiment, this maximum angular position can orient the adjustable leg 80 at a 60 degree angle relative to the longitudinal axis L. It can be appreciated that the maximum upward angle can be modified, and that the adjustable leg can be oriented at angles less than 60 degrees by engaging the pin 88 in an intermediate one of the plurality of bores 83.

As shown in FIG. 7, the adjustable leg 80 can be pivoted downward relative to the longitudinal axis L and the stationary legs 70. In the illustrated embodiment, the adjustable leg is at 90 degrees to the horizontal stationary legs. But, like the upward angles, the leg 80 can be oriented at different angles by engaging the pin 88 is a different one of the plurality of bores 83. In one embodiment, the plurality of bores 83 can include one central bore that is generally colinear with the stationary legs 70 and three bores angularly above the central bore and three or four additional bores angularly below the central bore.

The engagement end 81 of the adjustable leg 80 includes a storage bore 89 that can hold the adjustable leg in the stowed configuration shown in FIG. 8. In this position, the adjustable leg 80 is pivoted about 180 degrees from the position of FIG. 5 so that the spiked end 84 extends between the two stationary legs 70. In this configuration, the target stand is in a stowed configuration 50′that makes it easier to carry the target stand without having to completely disassemble the stand or without having to negotiate carrying the stand with its legs fully deployed, as shown in FIG. 5. An additional benefit is that the spiked ends 74, 84 are all at one end of the stand, leaving the end 52a of the side panels of the base 51 free to be grasped by a human to lift and carry the target stand. Accordingly, it will be recognized that the end 52a provides a convenient handle that may be used to carry the target stand. In at least some embodiments, the legs are all shorter than the typical length of a human leg, thus allowing the target stand to be carried at the side of a human with the human's hand holding the end 52a near his or her hip and without the spiked ends of the legs dragging the ground. It is noted that the bottom of the base 51 is open and the lowermost one of the mounting panels 60 is offset from the bottom edge of the side panels 52 to provide clearance for the adjustable leg 80 to pivot to the position shown in FIG. 8.

As described above, the target stand 50 includes an upright member holder 90 that is engaged to the base 51. The holder 90 is a generally tubular body, such as a rectangular tube, that can receive a post supporting a target. A clamping screw 91 is threaded into an associated threaded bore in the holder so that the end of the screw, or a clamping plate engaged by the screw, can press against the target post, clamping it within the holder 90. Although the holder shown in FIG. 1 is rectangular, other cross-sections are possible that correspond to the cross-section of the target post. The holder 90 includes a bottom surface (not shown) on which the foot of the target post can rest.

In one feature, the vertical position of the holder 90 is adjustable. In particular, the base 51 includes a vertical panel 65 fastened between the side walls 52. In one embodiment, the vertical panel can include slots in which the side panels are seated, so that the vertical panel can be removed from the base 51. Alternatively, the vertical panel can be affixed to the side panels, such as by welding or by other means to permanently fix the vertical panel to the base. The vertical panel includes parallel rows of engagement slots 66, that are uniformly vertically spaced. The holder 90 includes two rows of two engagement hooks 92, spaced apart to coincide with the parallel rows of engagement slots, with the two rows of hooks vertically spaced by the same distance as the engagement slots. The four engagement hooks 92 can be seated into corresponding slots 66 so that the upright member holder 90 can be positioned at a maximum height, as shown in FIG. 3, or at a minimum height, as shown in FIG. 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the vertical panel 65 can include five rows of engagement slots 66 so that the four engagement hooks 92 can support the holder at four vertical heights. In the illustrated embodiment the holder includes four engagement hooks 92 engaging four slots 66 to prevent accidental disengagement of the holder from the base while the target stand is being positioned, or when the target is hit by a projectile. However, in some embodiments the holder can include other hook and slot arrangements.

The components of the shooting target stand 50, including the base 51, stationary legs 70, adjustable leg 80 and upright member holder 90 are all formed from a relatively stiff and rigid material, such a steel, or another strong metal. However, in at least some embodiments, one or more components of the shooting target stand 50 may be formed from a relatively stiff and strong polymer material such as PAI, PEEK, PPS, Nylon, or any number of other polymers.

The shooting target stand 50 can be sized to support a 2×4 wood post with the top of the shooting target at a height of 5 feet. The legs 70, 80 can have a length of 18-24 inches, with the stationary legs 70 each diverging at 30 degree angles to provide stability to the target stand, even as the target is struck by a projectile. The upright member holder 90 and vertical panel 65 can be configured for incremental vertical adjustments of about one inch. It can be appreciated that larger components can be provided for taller target posts, with the legs and base sized as needed to stably support the larger target post.

In the illustrated embodiment, the stand includes two stationary legs and one angle adjustable leg. It is contemplated that the angle adjustable leg can be configured with two leg portions extending from a common engagement end, such as engagement end 80. In an alternative embodiment, the base is modified to include two sets of engagement tongues, each set of engagement tongues sandwiching a corresponding angle adjustable leg like the engagement tongues 55. In this modification, an additional is introduced between the side panels to provide the laterally spaced sets of engagement tongues. The two legs can share a common axle, such as the pivot bolt 86, while the angle of each leg can be independently adjusted with a separate pin, such as pin 88, associated with each set of engagement tongues.