Unitary Live-Fire Target with Angled Mount
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional live-fire targets made from mill hardened steel plates have limited life due to non-uniform hardness and are weakened by welding or bolting, leading to frequent cracking and replacement, as well as increased manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A live-fire target design where the mount is formed as a single unit with the target, annealed, and then heat-treated to a hardened state, ensuring the mount is angled away from the strike zone, eliminating the need for welding or bolting and achieving uniform hardness across the strike zone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If welding or bolting is used to attach the mount to the target, then the target can be securely mounted, but the target structural integrity is weakened and cracking occurs more frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The mount is formed as an integral part of the target plate through a single heat treatment process, eliminating the need for separate welding or bolting operations. The mount and target plate are created as one unified structure, ensuring continuous material flow and eliminating weak points at joints.
Solution Approach 2:
The mount is formed in its final configuration during the initial heat treatment process before the target is put into service. This preliminary formation ensures that the mount is already in the correct position and orientation to avoid interference with bullet strikes, eliminating the need for subsequent modifications.
2Strength
If mill hardened steel plate is used for the target, then the target has sufficient hardness for withstanding bullet strikes, but the hardness is non-uniform across the strike zone leading to premature failure
Solution Approach 1:
The heat treatment process parameters are carefully controlled and adjusted to achieve uniform hardness distribution across the entire target plate, including the strike zone. By modifying temperature, time, and cooling rates during heat treatment, the patent ensures consistent material properties throughout the target.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat treatment process is specifically optimized to ensure uniform hardness in the strike zone while maintaining appropriate properties in other areas. The mounting features are formed in locations that do not interfere with the uniform hardness distribution in the bullet strike area.
3Ease of operation
If welding or bolting features are added to the target, then the target can be mounted and secured, but the manufacturing cost increases due to additional steps
Solution Approach 1:
The mount formation is integrated into the target plate manufacturing process as a single heat treatment operation, eliminating the need for separate welding or bolting steps. This consolidation reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining secure mounting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The target plate itself provides the mounting functionality through its own material properties and integrated mount structure, eliminating the need for separate attachment components. The target serves its own mounting needs without requiring additional parts or assembly operations.
4Ease of operation
If the mount is positioned in the strike zone to facilitate mounting, then the target can be securely attached, but the mount becomes susceptible to bullet strikes reducing target life
Solution Approach 1:
The mount is formed at an angle relative to the target plate surface, creating an asymmetric configuration that directs bullet strikes away from the mount. This angular positioning ensures that the mount remains accessible for mounting operations while being positioned out of the primary bullet strike zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The mount is formed extending from the target plate surface at an angle, utilizing the third dimension (vertical orientation) to position the mount away from the horizontal strike zone. This dimensional arrangement allows the mount to be accessible for attachment while placing it outside the bullet impact area.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in a longer-lasting target with reduced likelihood of cracking, increased structural integrity, and lower manufacturing costs due to the absence of welding or bolting, while maintaining high hardness uniformity across the strike zone.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one mount and target are formed as a single unit... the mounting position of the at least one mount is formed when the ferrous steel of the target is in an annealed state
Implementation Method 2
After the at least one mount is formed into its mounting position, the target is heat-treated to a hardened state
Implementation Method 3
the target is heat-treated to a hardened state... hardness of targets processed according to the present disclosure are much more uniform, with Brinell hardness varying less than 30 Brinell points across the entire strike zone of the target
Data Source
AI summary
A long life live-fire target having a front, back, top, and bottom, the front including a bullet strike zone, the target constructed of a ferrous steel material. The target further includes at least one mount, the at least one mount and target formed as a single unitary structure, the at least one mount extending angularly away from the front into a mounting position, such that the at least one mount is positioned so that a bullet fired at the bullet strike zone is not likely to strike the at least one mount. The mounting position is formed when either the target is in an annealed state or the target is constructed of a soft ferrous steel. After the mounting position is formed, the target is heat treated to a hardened state. Cryogenic freezing of the target may also be performed followed by a tempering cycle.