A projectile catcher as a mobile module

Abstract

The invention relates to a projectile catcher as a mobile module comprising a sheet metal back plate (5), two side plates of sheet metal (4), an openable roof sheet, a front structure (2) mounted internally to the side plates (4) between a floor plate and a roof plate, made of a plurality of elements of bent plate profiles assembled into one or more plates in height and with openings for projectile passage in the form of hexagons, squares or rectangles Further, a dense fabric (12) is positioned on the side of the front structure (2) facing the back plate (5) forms a dense space for a projectile stopping material (13) which is in the form of granules. The mobile module houses the projectile stopping material in a sealed container with a floor plate (7) with an emptying hatch a distance from the floor.

Description

[0001] A PROJECTILE CATCHER AS A MOBILE MODULE

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The invention relates to a catcher for projectiles from shooting with handguns and with gunpowder-powered ammunition, where the projectiles are slowed down and stored in the stopping material, which is enclosed in a space in the catcher with a bottom hatch with a space below it for lifting and transport.

[0004] A front holds back the granulate pressure via horizontally oriented tubular elements, which together with a sealing rubber cloth are attached in front of the space. The invention also describes a method of producing a module of such a projectile catcher intended for indoor use.

[0005] BACKGROUND

[0006] The invention is advantageously used for a projectile catcher as a mobile module, suitably intended for indoor use.

[0007] Vertical pellet bullet traps are usually built with a rear load-bearing wall, which together with a floor, supports partition walls that are attached to these perpendicularly and at equal distances from each other, so that a number of booths are formed. In front of the booth and at the edges of the partition walls, a wall is attached that runs parallel to the rear wall. The wall is usually made of hollow profiles, in lengths that are the center dimensions of the partition walls and made of polymer. The space in the booth is then filled with rubber granules as a stopping material.

[0008] Vertically built pellet bullet traps with stopping material that are built in this way require a lot of service because the parts of the front quickly break and need to be replaced. Cleaning stopped projectiles from the granules is laborious and takes place on site, which means that shooting activities are stopped with rebookings and loss of income. Both of the above-mentioned service measures are carried out by removing the front of the bullet trap and the contaminated granules are released onto the floor. The separation of projectiles and granules takes place next to the bullet catcher, using a method that is labour-intensive and creates unhealthy dust. The cleaning is a completely open process, with granules being lifted up with a shovel onto a screening unit, with the cleaned granules passing through the screen onto the floor, shoveled back into the bullet catcher, which is reset with new front parts fitted as it is refilled. The separated projectiles are manually removed from the screening cloth into a storage container.

[0009] Other alternative methods for emptying granulate are vacuum suction or transporting the granulate with a grain auger, but since it has been shown that granulate and projectiles have been mixed with sand and broken front parts, it is no longer possible to clean the granulate, but everything is instead taken to a heating plant where it becomes fuel. Cleaning granulate from projectiles is important, to avoid accumulations of projectiles that can cause ricochets. However, the work is only done when accumulation of projectiles has already occurred.

[0010] The slide-through front of the pellet bullet trap, which is commonly used today, is made of a smooth wall made of profiles that are intended to hold the pellet in place, but also be able to be penetrated by a variety of projectiles for a long time, without losing its function. Existing pellet traps can have a front made of wood, which is subject to significant wear and tear and loose pieces that contaminate the pellet, which is why the front is usually made of polymer as solid planks, or as extruded hollow profiles. Solid polymer planks bend when fired upon and projectiles cannot penetrate the material completely but stop, thus posing a ricochet risk. Bending of the planks occurs inwardly into the pellet trap and causes pellet leakage. The hollow polymer profiles that are commonly used are provided with tongue and groove, or made as rectangular tubes with polymer material. The hollow profiles are significantly better than solid profiles, and projectiles pass easily with small holes from projectiles in the first profile wall, but get large holes with extended cones of molten polymer in the rear profile wall, which melt from the frictional heat of the projectile obtained after the first pass. This causes the hollow profile to bend inward and can no longer hold back the pressure from the granulate.

[0011] Existing bullet traps are open structures and have a simple roof, only to avoid splashing of granules, which entails a risk of increased fire load because the granules have a high energy content, comparable to fuel oil. The granules are difficult to ignite, but can burn if exposed to open fire and given access to oxygen. The fire service therefore usually recommends sprinkler systems, with placement over the currently existing granulate bullet traps at a high cost.

[0012] EP 0683375A1 describes a bullet catcher with cladding inside a commercial container with walls of ballistic sheet metal, and a front of ballistic steel placed between double flexible sheets, and behind the front a filling with granules as a stopping agent for projectiles. A bullet catcher designed in this way is only suitable for outdoor use due to its size and weight and is not easily movable and in rooms that are similarly lined become stationary. None of these options can be handled with hand lifting equipment or transported on normal distribution trucks. Furthermore, it cannot be assembled with multiple units and does not have an easy emptying of granules. The support which is made of ballistic steel poses a risk of ricochets and alternatives with granulate blocks tear apart or fall out and always have ricochet problems when projectiles are stopped and get stuck in them.

[0013] The problems as above can be summarized as there is a need for a new design of a granulate projectile catcher with a design that solves the above problems.

[0014] SUMMARY

[0015] An object of the invention is to improve a conventional granulate projectile catcher.

[0016] The objects are achieved by a projectile catcher as a mobile module arrangement according to claim 1. Thus, the objects are achieved by a projectile catcher comprising a sheet metal back plate that stands on the floor. Two side plates of sheet metal provided to stand on the floor and having a distance between them and that are mounted with the rear edges against the sheet metal back plate so that it has protruding edges on both side plates of sheet metal. The projectile catcher is further provided with an openable roof sheet in two parts with a fixed part mounted to the upper edges of the side plates and the back plate. A front structure is mounted internally to the side plates between a floor plate and a roof plate, made of a plurality of elements of bent plate profiles assembled into one or more plates in height and with openings for projectile passage in the form of hexagons, squares or rectangles with the width of the plate profiles in depth. A covering of the free edges of the side plates, floor plate and the front part of the roof plate are made of a polymer and has a slot that is passed over the edges. A dense fabric is positioned on the side of the front structure facing the back and is attached with flat profiles to the side plates, floor plate, and roof plate and forms a dense space for the projectile stopping material which is in the form of granules. The projectile catcher is further provided with recesses in the back plate and side plates from floor level to the bottom edge of an emptying hatch for lifting and transporting the projectile catcher with a forklift. The mobile module houses the projectile stopping material in a sealed container with the floor plate designed with the emptying hatch mounted on the inside of the back plate and the sides and with a distance from the floor, and has protruding edges on the side plates on both sides for connection with other modules and with the front structure designed with the openings for projectile passage in the form of hexagons, squares or rectangles.

[0017] As a result, an improved projectile catcher as a mobile module arrangement can be provided.

[0018] According to an aspect of the invention, the back plate and side plates as well as the floor plate and roof plate are made of steel plates with quality and material thickness that vary for the use, the impact energy of the projectiles, wear, impact angles and safety for penetration, the metal for the front structure and for attaching the dense fabric made of alloyed aluminium, joining of steel plates with strips of sheet metal bent into an angle for the vertical walls and the same design but as composite frames for attaching the floor plate and roof plate and that the steel profiles are provided with rubber sealing strips. Providing the front structure made of alloyed aluminium, which is a non-ricochet causing material, decrease the risk for ricochet problems.

[0019] According to a further aspect of the invention, the dense fabric is an elastic fabric of rubber with a hardness of 40-80 Shore A with a sparse "scrim" fabric as an insert to resist abrasion forces and abrasion also with flexibility when penetrating projectiles, where the fabric can preferably be of self-extinguishing quality. According to yet a further aspect of the invention, wherein the improved projectile catcher as a mobile module is assembled, with an adjacent module, with a flat profile of ballistic steel that covers the protruding parts of the back plate with modules placed next to each other and secures against penetration in the event of a misdirected shot, the profile is provided with at least two screws mounted on the back that are passed through the gap between the protruding parts and a connecting plate is threaded onto each screw that is attached to the back of the modules and the connecting plate is then clamped with the screw on the flat profile.

[0020] According to an aspect of the invention, the projectile catcher is provided with a hardened plate of ballistic steel, attached at an angle down towards the granulate, which prevents penetration when the granulate is set.

[0021] Yet further, the projectile catcher as a mobile module, according to an aspect of the invention, is provided with a plate of ballistic steel which is retracted from a distance from the front side as protection against penetration.

[0022] Furthermore, the projectile catcher as a mobile module, according to an aspect of the invention, is provided with a box comprising equipment for tracking with GPS, a hit counter with sensors for vibration and sound, and sensors for temperature and smoke gas, all values are sent from the box to a host computer and to software over the internet and the registration of data shall be able to be shared to be able to verify the status of the number of shots and the applicable times, service intervals can be programmed for planning, and service is carried out for individual modules that can be sent out or confirmed to be in stock.

[0023] The invention solves the problems with the known technology by having the features specified in the following claims. By using the invention as a mobile module, stops in shooting operations can be avoided as only module replacement takes place and other service / maintenance is carried out with adapted equipment in other premises intended for this.

[0024] Further advantages and advantageous features of the invention are disclosed in the following description and in the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Below, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0026] Fig. 1 shows the finished projectile catcher from the front, according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0027] Fig. 2 shows the finished projectile catcher in Fig.1 from below,

[0028] Fig. 3 shows the finished projectile catcher in Figs 1-2 from above,

[0029] Fig. 4 shows the finished projectile catcher in Figs 1-3 from one side,

[0030] Fig. 5 shows the finished projectile catcher in Figs 1-4 from the back, and

[0031] Fig. 6 shows the finished projectile catcher in Figs 1-5 in perspective from above with the roof plate removed.

[0032] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0033] The front of the projectile catcher is defined as the side the shooter is facing and the back is defined as the opposite side. End plates are the sides that are on either side of the front and extend between the front surface and the back.

[0034] Figure 1 shows a front view of the projectile catcher, in which the height can vary from 0.6 m to approximately 3 m. An edge guard 1 as a polymer ricochet protection keeps front elements in a front structure 2 in place in the side plates. The front elements are preferably made of thin metal strips that are bent into hexagons, square or rectangular tubes that are assembled with metal rivets or by welding. Preferably, the front elements in the front structure 2 are made of alloyed aluminium, which is a non-ricochet causing material. This decrease the risk for ricochet problems.

[0035] Figure 2 shows a frame made of sheet steel 3 in which side plates 4, a back plate 5 and a floor plate 7 are mounted with screw connections. The frame has recesses on all sides for forklifts. An emptying hatch 8 is made of sheet steel for emptying granulate, and is attached with hinges to the underside of the floor plate, and is provided with reinforcement with hollow profiles welded to the hatches and has supports 9 with a height equal to the underside of the base and which keep the hatches closed.

[0036] The side plates 4 are made of steel sheet and are dimensioned according to the energy of the selected ammunition and the need to be robust and flexible when handling, lifting, transporting and servicing.

[0037] The back plate 5 is made of sheet steel with protruding edges on both vertical sides which constitute connection points between several modules. A hardened steel connecting strip is placed between the modules on the inside of the protruding edges and covers the opening between the modules and two or more clamp joints are mounted in the gap and also secured to the projectile catcher modules.

[0038] The rectangular base of the projectile catcher can be designed to fit the width of commercial distribution trucks, e.g. 80x120 cm or 110x110 cm. The weight of the ready-to-use module varies with the size but rarely exceeds 1200 kg, which is manageable with a hand-operated forklift.

[0039] The steel roof sheet is made in split form 10, 11 , as shown in Fig. 3, and is mounted to a frame 14 as shown in Fig. 6, which in turn is attached to the side plates 4 and back plate 5. The frame has a sealing strip against the hatch made of, for example, rubber. A rubber sheet 12 is attached with screws to the fixed part of the roof sheet with a metal profile and also to the side plates and floor plate. The rubber sheet preferably has a sparse vulcanized weave with the rubber which becomes semi-flexible with a hardness of approximately 50-90 Shore A. Alternatively, sheets of various polymers with or without reinforcement can be made.

[0040] The rubber sheet 12 in this example is of self-extinguishing quality and has a thickness between 3 mm and 8 mm and presses against the ends of the front elements 2, such as tubes, that are part of the load-bearing front and closes the space for granules and resists a large number of projectiles without loosening from its attachment. A guard 15 made of hardened sheet metal intended to compensate for the settling of granules that may occur during rough transport and is attached at an angle down to the granules and ensures that projectiles cannot hit the back plate directly. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A projectile catcher as a mobile module comprising:- a sheet metal back plate (5) that stands on the floor,- two side plates of sheet metal (4) that stand on the floor and have a distance between them and are mounted with the rear edges against the sheet metal back plate (5) so that it has protruding edges on both side plates of sheet metal (4),- an openable roof sheet in two parts (10,11) with a fixed part mounted to the upper edges of the side plates (4) and the back plate (5),- a front structure (2) mounted internally to the side plates (4) between a floor plate and a roof plate, made of a plurality of elements of bent plate profiles assembled into one or more plates in height and with openings for projectile passage in the form of hexagons, squares or rectangles with the width of the plate profiles in depth,- a covering (1) of the free edges of the side plates, floor plate and the front part of the roof plate are made of a polymer and has a slot that is passed over the edges,- a dense fabric (12) positioned on the side of the front structure (2) facing the back (5) and is attached with flat profiles to the side plates, floor plate, and roof plate and forms a dense space for the projectile stopping material (13) which is in the form of granules,- recesses in the back plate (5) and side plates (4) from floor level to the bottom edge of an emptying hatch (8) for lifting and transporting the projectile catcher with a forklift,- characterized in that the module houses the projectile stopping material in a sealed container with the floor plate (7) designed with the emptying hatch (8) mounted on the inside of the back plate (5) and the sides (4) and with a distance from the floor, and has protruding edges on the side plates (4) on both sides for connection with other modules and with the front structure (2) designed with the openings for projectile passage in the form of hexagons, squares or rectangles.

2. Projectile catcher as a mobile module according to claim 1, wherein the back plate (5) and side plates (4) as well as the floor plate (7) and roof plate are made of steel plates with quality and material thickness that vary for the use, the impact energy of the projectiles, wear, impact angles and safety for penetration, the metal for the front structure (2) and for attaching the dense fabric (12) made of alloyed aluminium, joining of steel plates with strips of sheet metal bent into an angle for the vertical walls and the same design but as composite frames for attaching the floor plate and roof plate and that the steel profiles are provided with rubber sealing strips.

3. Projectile catcher as a mobile module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dense fabric is an elastic fabric of rubber with a hardness of 40-80 Shore A with a sparse "scrim" fabric as an insert to resist abrasion forces and abrasion also with flexibility when penetrating projectiles, where the fabric can preferably be of selfextinguishing quality.

4. A projectile catcher as a mobile module according to any one of the above claims, wherein it is assembled, with an adjacent module, with a flat profile of ballistic steel that covers the protruding parts of the back plate with modules placed next to each other and secures against penetration in the event of a misdirected shot, the profile is provided with at least two screws mounted on the back that are passed through the gap between the protruding parts and a connecting plate is threaded onto each screw that is attached to the back of the modules and the connecting plate is then clamped with the screw on the flat profile.

5. Projectile catcher as a mobile module according to any of the above claims, wherein it is provided with a hardened plate of ballistic steel (15), attached at an angle down towards the granulate, which prevents penetration when the granulate is set.

6. Projectile catcher as a mobile module according to any of the above claims, wherein it is provided with a plate of ballistic steel which is retracted from a distance from the front side as protection against penetration.

7. A projectile catcher as a mobile module according to any of the above claims, wherein the module is provided with a box comprising equipment for tracking with GPS, a hit counter with sensors for vibration and sound, and sensors for temperature and smoke gas, all values are sent from the box to a host computer and to software over the internet and the registration of data shall be able to be shared to be able to verify the status of the number of shots and the applicable times, service intervals can be programmed for planning, and service is carried out for individual modules that can be sent out or confirmed to be in stock.

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