US 11,959,732 B2Granted

Shooting target turner

AssigneeAOB Products Company

InventorsMichael Cottrell, Adam J. Birk, Dennis W. Cauley, Jr., Timothy S. Kinney, Michael Poehlman, James Gianladis

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Abstract

A target turner and associated components and methods. The target turner is configured to hold a target to be shot by a shooter. The target turner is configured to hold the target in a shooting orientation for being shot by the shooter and in a non-shooting orientation for hiding a face of the target from the user. A turning assembly of the target turner includes a crank wheel and two turning wheels. The crank wheel drives the first turning wheel for turning the target toward the non-shooting orientation and drives the second turning wheel for turning the target toward the shooting orientation. A target support of the target turner is configured to disconnect from the turning assembly to avoid damage to the turning assembly if outside force is applied to the target support.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A target turner comprising:

a target support including a target holder configured to hold a target;
a base including a housing, the base being configured to engage a support surface and to support the target with respect to the support surface, the target support being rotatable with respect to the base about a target turning axis;
and
a turning assembly supported by the base and operatively connectable to the target support for turning the target support about the target turning axis, the turning assembly including a motor and a drive train, the motor including an output shaft operatively connected to the drive train, the motor configured to rotate the output shaft about a first axis of rotation in a first direction of rotation, the drive train configured to, in response to rotation of the output shaft in the first direction of rotation, turn the target support in a first turning direction about the target turning axis from a non-shooting orientation to a shooting orientation and to, in response to further rotation of the output shaft in the first direction of rotation, turn the target support in a second turning direction opposite the first turning direction about the target turning axis from the shooting orientation to the non-shooting orientation, wherein the target turning axis extends into the housing and a portion of the turning assembly in the housing pivots about the target turning axis in response to rotation of the output shaft;
wherein the drive train includes a crank, a first turning member, and a second turning member, the crank being rotatable about a second axis of rotation responsive to rotation of the output shaft, the second turning member being rotatable about a third axis of rotation responsive to rotation of the crank, the crank including an actuator configured to turn the second turning member responsive to turning of the crank, wherein the first, second, and third axes of rotation are different from each other;
wherein the second turning member is configured to turn intermittently while the output shaft rotates in the first direction of rotation, the second turning member including a first set of gear teeth and the first turning member including a second set of gear teeth arranged to mesh with the first set of gear teeth so that the first and second sets of gear teeth move in mesh responsive to the output shaft rotating in the first direction of rotation.

3 more elements

A target turner comprising:

a target support including a target holder configured to hold a target;
a base including a housing, the base being configured to engage a support surface and to support the target with respect to the support surface, the target support being rotatable with respect to the base about a target turning axis;
and
a turning assembly supported by the base and operatively connectable to the target support for turning the target support about the target turning axis, the turning assembly including a motor and a drive train, the motor including an output shaft operatively connected to the drive train, the motor configured to rotate the output shaft in a first direction of rotation, the drive train configured to, in response to rotation of the output shaft in the first direction of rotation, transmit force from the output shaft to the target support so that force from the output shaft turns the target support in a first turning direction about the target turning axis from a non-shooting orientation toward a shooting orientation and the drive train is configured to, in response to further rotation of the output shaft in the first direction of rotation after the target support is in the shooting orientation, transfer force received from the output shaft after the target support is in the shooting orientation to the target support to turn the target support in a second turning direction opposite the first turning direction about the target turning axis from the shooting orientation toward the non-shooting orientation, wherein the target turning axis extends into the housing and a portion of the turning assembly in the housing pivots about the target turning axis in response to rotation of the output shaft;
wherein the drive train includes a first turning body, the first turning body being arranged with respect to the output shaft such that force from the output shaft is transmitted to the first turning body so that force from the output shaft turns the first turning body in a first turning body direction to turn the target support in the first turning direction, and the first turning body being arranged with respect to the output shaft such that force from the output shaft is transmitted to the first turning body so that force from the output shaft turns the first turning body in a second turning body direction opposite the first turning body direction to turn the target support in the second turning direction.

2 more elements

A target turner comprising:

a target support configured to hold a target, the target support including a post having a lower end;
a base configured to engage a support surface and to support the target support for supporting the target with respect to the support surface;
a turning driver supported by the base and operatively connectable to the target support to apply a turning force to the target support to turn the target support about a target turning axis, the turning driver including a target support connector for connecting the target support to the turning driver;
and
at least one of the lower end of the post and the target support connector of the turning driver comprising a protrusion, and the other of the at least one of the lower end of the post and the target support connector of the turning driver comprising a recess, the protrusion receivable in the recess to form a joint for connecting the target support to the turning driver for conjoint turning of the protrusion and recess in response to the turning force applied by the turning driver, the recess and protrusion configured to dislocate the joint to disconnect the target support and turning driver in response to a force applied to the target support in opposition to the turning force;
wherein the protrusion extends along a protrusion axis to a free end of the protrusion, the protrusion including at least first and second planar side surfaces extending in different planes, the first and second planar side surfaces tapering toward the protrusion axis as the protrusion extends toward the free end.

3 more elements

A target turner comprising:

a target support including a target holder configured to hold a target;
a base including a housing, the base being configured to engage a support surface and to support the target with respect to the support surface, the target support being rotatable with respect to the base about a target turning axis;
and
a turning assembly supported by the base and operatively connectable to the target support for turning the target support about the target turning axis, the turning assembly including a motor and a drive train, the motor including an output shaft operatively connected to the drive train, the motor configured to rotate the output shaft about a first axis of rotation in a first direction of rotation, the drive train configured to, in response to rotation of the output shaft in the first direction of rotation, turn the target support in a first turning direction about the target turning axis from a non-shooting orientation to a shooting orientation and to, in response to further rotation of the output shaft in the first direction of rotation, turn the target support in a second turning direction opposite the first turning direction about the target turning axis from the shooting orientation to the non-shooting orientation, wherein the target turning axis extends into the housing and a portion of the turning assembly in the housing pivots about the target turning axis in response to rotation of the output shaft;
wherein the drive train includes a first turning body, a crank and a lock, the crank being arranged to rotate about a crank axis of rotation responsive to rotation of the output shaft in the first direction of rotation to transmit force from the output shaft to the target support to turn the target support, the crank including an actuator configured to rotate about the crank axis to transmit force from the crank to the target support for turning the target support, the first turning body being arranged with respect to the crank such that force from the output shaft is transmitted to the first turning body via the actuator of the crank so that force from the output shaft turns the first turning body to turn the target support, the lock being connected to the crank and arranged to rotate with the crank about the crank axis of rotation, the lock arranged to selectively block the target support from moving out of at least one of the non-shooting orientation or the shooting orientation via engagement of the lock with the first turning body, the lock being different from the actuator,
wherein the crank axis of rotation is different from and spaced apart from the target turning axis;
wherein the crank axis of rotation is different from and spaced apart from the first axis of rotation.

4 more elements

A target turner comprising:

a target support including a target holder configured to hold a target;
a base configured to engage a support surface and to support the target with respect to the support surface, the target support being rotatable with respect to the base about a target turning axis;
and
a turning assembly supported by the base and operatively connectable to the target support for turning the target support about the target turning axis, the turning assembly including a motor and a drive train, the motor including an output shaft operatively connected to the drive train, the motor configured to rotate the output shaft in a first direction of rotation, the drive train configured to, in response to rotation of the output shaft in the first direction of rotation, transmit force from the output shaft to the target support so that force from the output shaft turns the target support in a first turning direction about the target turning axis from a non-shooting orientation toward a shooting orientation and the drive train is configured to, in response to further rotation of the output shaft in the first direction of rotation after the target support is in the shooting orientation, transfer force received from the output shaft after the target support is in the shooting orientation to the target support to turn the target support in a second turning direction opposite the first turning direction about the target turning axis from the shooting orientation toward the non-shooting orientation;
wherein the drive train includes first and second turning bodies configured to turn intermittently while the output shaft rotates in the first direction of rotation, the first turning body being rotatable about a first axis of rotation responsive to rotation of the output shaft, the second turning body being rotatable about a second axis of rotation responsive to rotation of the output shaft, the first and second axes of rotation being different from each other,
wherein the first and second turning bodies engage one another when the target support is in the shooting orientation and the non-shooting orientation.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.