US 12,352,543 B2Granted

Moving target trainer

AssigneeBullseye Target Systems LLC

InventorsAaron Lawrence Edwards, Lynn Earl Gooch

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Abstract

A system for moving a practice target includes a capstan winch assembly including a drive wheel; a target sled; a rope that connects the target sled to the drive wheel in an endless loop, wherein a first end of the rope is connected to a first end of the target sled and a second end of the rope is connected to a second end of the target sled; a sensor configured to detect a location of the sled; a motor configured to control rotation of the drive wheel bi-directionally, wherein the rope is provided on the drive wheel so as to move by rotation of the drive wheel; a user input unit located remotely from the capstan winch assembly and the target sled; and a processor including a memory programmed to control rotation of the drive wheel, thereby controlling movement of the target sled.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A system for moving a practice target, comprising:

a capstan winch assembly including a drive wheel and a tensioner system at opposing first and second sides of the drive wheel;
a target sled;
a rope that connects the target sled to the drive wheel in an endless loop, wherein a first end of the rope is connected to a first end of the target sled and a second end of the rope is connected to a second end of the target sled;
a motor configured to control rotation of the drive wheel bi-directionally, wherein the rope is provided on the drive wheel so as to move by rotation of the drive wheel;
a user input unit located remotely from the capstan winch assembly and the target sled;
and
a processor including a memory programmed to:
receive a start command based on an input of a user from the user input unit;
based upon receiving the start command, control rotation of the drive wheel to move the rope thereby causing the target sled to travel at a predetermined speed until the target sled reaches a predetermined location;
detect a position of the target sled based on a rotation count of the drive wheel;
and
when the target sled reaches the predetermined location, control the motor to stop rotation of the drive wheel thereby causing the target sled to stop traveling,
wherein the drive wheel comprises two drive wheels configured to counter-rotate and move the rope in a figure-8 pattern and feed the rope to the tensioner system,
wherein the tensioner system receives the rope from the two drive wheels and is configured to maintain a predetermined tension of the rope during rotation of the two drive wheels as the target sled moves across ground surfaces over at least one mile at a speed of at least 40 miles per hour, and
wherein the tensioner system includes two sets of pulleys, including an upper set of pulleys and a lower set of pulleys, with the rope disposed in contact with each of the upper set of pulleys and the lower set of pulleys in an alternating configuration, wherein one of the upper set of pulleys or the lower set of pulleys is movable towards and away from the other one of the upper set of pulleys and the lower set of pulleys so as to increase or decrease a distance therebetween and adjust a slack in the rope.

12 more elements

A method of controlling a moving target system, wherein the system includes a capstan winch assembly including a drive wheel and a tensioner system at opposing first and second sides of the drive wheel;

a target sled;
a rope that connects the target sled to the drive wheel in an endless loop, wherein a first end of the rope is connected to a first end of the target sled and a second end of the rope is connected to a second end of the target sled;
a motor configured to control rotation of the drive wheel, wherein the rope is provided on the drive wheel so as to move by rotation of the drive wheel;
a user input unit located remotely from the capstan winch assembly and the target sled;
and a processor including a memory programmed to control the motor, comprising:
receiving a start command based on an input of a user from the user input unit;
based upon receiving the start command, controlling rotation of the drive wheel to move the rope thereby causing the target sled to travel at a predetermined speed until the target sled reaches a predetermined location;
detecting a position of the target sled based on a rotation count of the drive wheel;
and
when the target sled reaches the predetermined location, controlling the motor to stop rotation of the drive wheel thereby causing the target sled to stop traveling,
wherein the drive wheel comprises two drive wheels configured to counter-rotate and move the rope in a figure-8 pattern and feed the rope to the tensioner system,
wherein the tensioner system receives the rope from the two drive wheels and maintains a predetermined tension of the rope during rotation of the two drive wheels as the target sled moves across ground surfaces over at least one mile at a speed of at least 40 miles per hour, and
wherein the tensioner system includes two sets of pulleys, including an upper set of pulleys and a lower set of pulleys, with the rope disposed in contact with each of the upper set of pulleys and the lower set of pulleys in an alternating configuration, the method further comprising:
moving one of the upper set of pulleys or the lower set of pulleys towards and away from the other one of the upper set of pulleys and the lower set of pulleys so as to increase or decrease a distance therebetween and adjust a slack in the rope.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.