Target pigeon and launching apparatus therefor

An apparatus for throwing a target pigeon, said apparatus comprising:

• a base,
• a support pivotal on said base about an upright axis, a launch axis inclined upwardly to the horizontal,
• drive means including a motor connected to said support and to said launch head for oscillating said support about said upright axis and for spinning said head simultaneously about said launch axis,
• means responsive to solenoid operation for securing a target pigeon on said head and for pushing same off said head when said head is spinning to launch said pigeon into the air,
• a slide vertically displaceable on said base between an up position and a down position,
• a handle on said slide permitting manual vertical displacement thereof from said down position to said up position,
• a retaining hook engageable with said slide to maintain same in said up position,
• a drop solenoid connected to said hook to pull same out of the path of said slide and allow same to drop from said up position into said down position,
• a launch solenoid connected to said head for releasing said pigeon thereon,
• a switch engageable by said slide on displacement thereof from said up position to said down position, and
• circuit means interconnecting said switch, said motor, and said solenoids for releasing said slide with said drop solenoid and thereafter actuating said launch solenoid to release said pigeon.

A practice shooting system comprising:

• a target pigeon having a hub centered on a pigeon axis and formed at said axis with a bore, and a plurality of radially extending flat wings on said hub each lying generally in a respective plane lying at an acute angle to said pigeon axis and inclined propeller-fashion oppositely to the plane of the other wing;
• a base;
• a support pivotal on said base about an upright axis;
• a launch head on said support rotatable thereon about a launch axis inclined upwardly to the horizontal and formed with a generally cylindrical tip centered on said launch axis and engageable in said bore, said tip being formed with an oblique end surface and a laterally extending hook;
• drive means including a motor connected to said support and to said launch head for oscillating said support about said upright axis and for spinning said head simultaneously about said launch axis to spin a pigeon on said head about said launch axis;
• and
• means responsive to solenoid operation for securing said target pigeon on said head with said tip in said bore and for pushing said pigeon off said head along said launch axis and over said hook to launch said pigeon into the air, whereby the spinning pigeon is deflected laterally by said hook and follows a trajectory skew to said launch axis as a result of this deflection.

An apparatus for throwing a target pigeon, said apparatus comprising:

• a base;
• a housing on said base;
• a support pivotal on said housing about an upright axis;
• means for tipping said housing and said support relative to said base about a substantially horizontal axis;
• a launch head on said support rotatable thereon about a launch is inclined upwardly to the horizontal;
• drive means including a motor connected to said support and to said launch head for oscillating said support about said upright axis and for spinning said head simultaneously about said launch axis;
• and
• means responsive to solenoid operation for securing a target pigeon on said head and for pushing same off said head when same is spinning to launch said pigeon into the air.

A practice shooting system comprising:

• a target pigeon having a hub centered on a pigeon axis and formed at said pigeon axis with a bore, and a plurality of radially extending flat wings on said hub each lying generally in a respective plane lying at an acute angle to said pigeon axis and inclined propeller-fashion oppositely to the plane of the other wing;
• a base;
• a support pivotal on said base about an upright axis;
• a launch head on said support rotatable thereon about a launch axis inclined upwardly to the horizontal and formed with a tip centered on said launch axis and engageable in said bore;
• drive means including a motor in said support and connected to said support and to said launch head for oscillating said support about said upright axis and for rotating said head simultaneously about said launch axis to spin a pigeon on said head about said launch axis;
• means responsive to solenoid operation for securing target pigeon on said head with said tip in said bore and including a ball in said tip radially displaceable of said inclined axis, a link, and a remotely operable solenoid connected via said link to said ball;
• and
• means for pushing said pigeon off said head along said launch axis to launch said pigeon into the air.