Collapsible Shooting Target Stand

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/640,751, filed Apr. 30, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

The present disclosure generally relates to shooting targets for guns, and more specifically to a target with a base that allows for easy assembly and disassembly without the use of tools.

The present disclosure relates to a shooting target stands. Shooting targets are used in open country environments with varied terrain and conditions. These locations may also be very remote and require the stand to be transported over long distances. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to pack and transport the stand in a small package. In these remote locations tools may not be readily accessible either. It is also desirable that the components of the assembled stand be securely retained to allow movement of the stand in the shooting environment.

Prior art shooting target stands have been made to be disassembled and reassembled for transport, but they require the use of multiple tools in order to do so. In other embodiments, prior art stands exist that are assembled without at least some components that may be removed and added without tools, but these components are not securely retained on the stand and result in a flimsy stand that is not sturdy and is of generally low quality. At least some conventional shooting target stands have also included mechanisms to at least partially account for adjustments based on terrain-some using tools and others that are driven into the ground.

In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to produce a sturdy and stable shooting target stand that is configured for quick and easy assembly and disassembly. It would be of further advantage if such shooting target stand were capable of adjustments to account for terrain. It would also be advantageous if such stand were relatively easy and inexpensive to produce and could be sold in compact form.

The present disclosure relates to a shooting target stand base that improves upon prior art offerings. In at least one embodiment, the shooting target stand comprises a base, at least one first leg, at least one second leg, and an upright. The base includes a first leg coupling, a second leg coupling, and an upright coupling, the upright coupling including a plurality of catches. The at least one front leg is configured to releasably engage the first leg coupling. The at least one second leg is configured to releasably engage the second leg coupling. The upright includes a lower support configured to engage one of the plurality of catches in the base, wherein each of the plurality of catches in the base is configured to hold the upright at a different angle relative to the base. At least one shooting target is coupled to the upright.

In another embodiment, the shooting target stand comprises an upright with at least one target, the upright including a lower support with a tongue and at least one locking plate including a pin hole. The shooting target stand further comprises a base configured to releasably receive the upright. The base includes a first side plate, a second side plate, a forward plate, and a rearward plate. The first side plate includes at least three upright slots, each of the upright slots of the first side plate configured to receive the tongue of the lower support and each of the upright slots extending along different angles on the first side plate, the first side plate further including at least three pin holes associated with each of the upright slots of the first side plate. The second side plate is parallel to the first side plate and includes at least three upright slots, each of the upright slots of the second side plate configured to receive the tongue of the lower support and each of the upright slots extending along different angles on the second side plate, the second side plate further including at least three pin holes associated with each of the upright slots of the second side plate. The forward plate is perpendicular to and extends between the first side plate and the second side plate. The rearward plate is perpendicular to and extends between the first side plate and the second side plate. At least one forward leg is releasably coupled to the forward plate. At least one rearward leg releasably coupled to the rearward plate. At least one pin is configured to slide through (i) one of the at least three pin holes of the first side plate, (ii) one of the pin hole of the at least one locking plate, and (iii) one of the at least three pin holes of the second locking plate such that the upright is locked in place relative to the base.

In at least some embodiments, the shooting target stand of the present disclosure allows for portability by breaking down without the need for tools, while also positively retaining the assembled members to allow movement or repositioning of the stand. The construction of the present disclosure utilizes tab and slot interaction to locate the components in the proper position, and a retaining pin is installed at each location to retain the members.

In one embodiment the upright member of the shooting target stand has three discrete assembly positions in order to adjust for terrain and to provide certain shooting characteristics. The multiple positions may account for unlevel terrain and allow the user to angle the targets downward toward the ground to help control ricochet and bullet fragment splash. In other embodiments more or less than three installation positions may be offered.

In one embodiment there are three legs that insert into the base and are retained with a hand installed pin. Three legs provide a stable support envelope for the stand and allow the user to choose appropriate ground contact points for stable positioning. In this embodiment two legs are installed on one end of the base, and the other end receives a single leg. The single leg is made from flat material, and the remaining legs have a bend near the assembly interface to widen the support envelope for the stand.

In other embodiments more legs may be added if a specific use case requires more ground contact points. The additional legs may be flat or have bends in them as required to control the support envelope for the stand.

The various embodiments of the shooting target stand further result in a method of assembling and disassembling a target shooting stand.

The above described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. While it would be desirable to provide a shooting stand target and related method for assembly that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features as may be apparent to those reviewing this disclosure, the teachings disclosed herein extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they include or accomplish one or more of the advantages or features mentioned herein

The following description of embodiments of a shooting target stand makes use of relative terms that are dependent on an orientation of the stand at a given time (e.g., while the stand is in use and on level ground of the earth). Accordingly, it will be recognized that many terms of orientation and position as used herein are defined with reference to what may be shown in the drawing and/or other common positions. While efforts have been made herein to reference portions of the shooting target stand with respect to non-changing features (e.g., “axial,” “elongated,” etc.), it will be recognized that other terms are relative terms that depend on the position of the shooting target stand. For example, the terms “top” (or “upper” or “above”), “bottom” (or “lower” or “below”), “left” or “right” (or “side”), “front” (or “forward”), “back” (or “rearward”), “vertical” and “horizontal” may all be used herein in association with what is shown in a drawing and/or the intended configuration of components when the shooting target stand is fully assembled, but such positions may switch or change if the shooting target stand is disassembled or placed in a different position other than that of the intended use.

With reference now to the figures, a shooting target standincludes an upright memberthat extends from a base. A plurality of legsare releasably coupled to the base. A plurality of targetsare coupled to the upright memberand hang from features on the upright member. The upright memberis configured to be secured to the baseat one of a plurality of different angular orientations relative to the base. Quick release pinsare used to secure the upright memberand the legsto the base.

With particular reference now to, the upright member(which may also be referred to herein as simply and “upright”) includes a towerthat extends upwardly from a lower support. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the toweris a post having a triangular cross-section. In this embodiment, the towerincludes a rear paneland two angled front panels that meet in a front vertex. The front vertexis arranged on a front of the tower pointing toward the front of the shooting target stand, and the other two vertices are arranged on a rear of the tower, pointing toward a left and right rear of the shooting target stand.

The towermay be any number of different heights as are common for firearm targets. For example, in at least one embodiment, the towerextends about 36″-58″ above the base. A plurality of target mountsare arranged along the length of the tower. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the target mountsare provided as small cut-out panels that define recesses in the towerconfigured to receive mounting tabson the targets. In at least some embodiments, the target mountsprovide cylindrical bearings configured to receive the mounting tabsand facilitate rotation thereof when one of the targets is struck.

The lower supportof the uprightincludes a downwardly extending tongueand two locking plates. The tonguemay be provided by an extension of a rear panelof the towerthat extends further downward than the two angled front panels of the tower. The locking platesare small plates that are arranged perpendicular to the tongue. In at least one embodiment, the locking plates are fitted into slots in the tongueand welded or otherwise adhered thereto. A pin holeis formed in each locking plate. As explained in further detail below, each pin holeis configured to receive a locking pinand lock the upright in position relative to the base.

As shown in, the targetsare arranged above the lower support on an upper side of the upright member. The targets may be provided in any number of different forms and/or shapes. In the embodiment disclosed herein, each targetis provided as a paddle including a target bladeand a tab. The tabsare configured to be inserted into the target mountson the upright. When a tabis inserted into a target mount, the targetsecurely hangs from the upright. When the targetis struck with a sufficient force (e.g., when struck by a bullet), the target mountallows the target to swing from one side of the upright to another.

With reference now to, the base member(which may also be referred to herein as simply a “base”) includes a plurality of plates that are coupled together to provide a support for the upright. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the base memberincludes two side plates, two front plates, and two rear plates. Each of the plates includes features that provide couplings for other components of the target shooting stand.

The two side platesare arranged in parallel and extend along the left and right sides of the base. The side platesare spaced apart from one another by the two front platesand the two rear plateswhich are arranged in perpendicular planes with respect to the two side plates. The two front platesinclude an upper plate and a lower plate. The two rear platesalso include an upper plate and a lower plate. The two front platesand the two rear platesare identically sized and shaped, and the two front platesare arranged symmetrically on the base in relation to the two rear plates. Each of the two front platesand the two rear platesincludes a plurality of slotspositioned along an outer edge. Each slotis provided by a long narrow notch that extends inwardly from an outer perimeter of the associated plate. The slots of the two front platesare open to the front of the base, and the slots of the two rear platesare open to the rear of the base. These slotsserve as leg couplings for the legsof the base, as described in further detail below. Side tabsare included on each side of the two front platesand the two rear plates. The side tabsare inserted into apertures in the side platesand secured thereto.

Each side plateis generally elongated from front to back and includes two feetarranged on the front and rear of the side plate. The feetare configured to contact the ground or other solid surface on which the base rests. Each side plateextends upward from the feetwith an outer face and an inner face. An upright couplingis provided at an upper central location on each side plate. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the upright couplingis provided by a group of angled slots.

Each slotof the upright couplingis provided by a long narrow notch that extends downwardly from an upper perimeter of the plate and terminates in a middle region of the plate (e.g., halfway down the height of the plate). Three slotsare included on each side platein the embodiment disclosed herein, including a forward slot, a middle slot, and a rearward slot. The forward slotextends downwardly and toward a rear portion of the base. The middle slotextends directly downward. The rearward slotextends downwardly and toward a front portion of the base. As illustrated by the dotted lines in, each slotis arranged at an angle, co, relative to the other slots. This angle, ∞, is typically between 10° and 45°. In at least one embodiment, the angle, co, is approximately 15° (i.e., 15°+/−5°).

Each of the slotsprovides a catch in the basethat is configured to receive the upright. As a result, a plurality of catches for the uprightare arranged in the base. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the slotsconfigure the upright couplingas a receptacle that receives the tongueof the upright. Specifically, the tongueof the uprightmay be inserted into one of the slots,,of each side plate. Because the side platesare arranged in parallel and are identical in form, the slots are configured as slot sets, with each slot set including a left slot and a right slot wherein the tongue is selectively positioned in one of the slot sets (i.e., in one of the two forward slots, the two middle slots, or the two rearward slots). When the uprightis arranged in the forward slots, the upright is held by the base along a forward angle (i.e., parallel to the forward angle defined by the forward slots). When the uprightis arranged in the rearward slots, the upright is held by the base along a rearward angle (i.e., parallel to the rearward angle defined by the rearward slots). When the uprightis arranged in the middle slots, the upright is held by the base along an angle that is perpendicular to the length of the base (and level ground when the base rests on level ground) (i.e., parallel to the perpendicular angle with the length of the base defined by the middle slots). When the upright is in the middle slots, it may also be considered to extend along a “neutral” angle defined as an angle between the forward angle and the rearward angle.

In addition to the slots, each of the side platesalso includes a plurality of plate aperturesand a plurality of pin holes. The plate aperturesare laterally extending slots on the side plates that are configured to receive the side tabson the two front platesor the two rear plates. The side tabson the two front platesand the two rear plates are inserted into the plate aperturesand secured with an adhesive, welding, or other connection means.

The pin holeson the side platesinclude three central pin holes,,, one forward pin hole, and one rearward pin hole. Each of the three central pin holes,,is associated with one of the three slot sets,,of the upright couplingon the side plates. As illustrated in, each of the pin holesis configured to slidably receive a pin. The forward pin holeis configured to receive a pinthat locks one or more legsto the front of the base. The central pin holes,,are configured to receive a pinthat locks the uprightto the basein one of three positions, based on the lower support being inserted into the forward slot, the middle slot, or the rearward slot. The rearward pin holeis configured to receive a pinthat locks one or more legsto the rear of the base. Each of the pin holes-is similarly sized such that the pinsare interchangeable between the different pin holes.

The pinsof the basemay be any type of pin that will readily slide in and out of the pin holesand provide a locking mechanism for the various components of the shooting target standto the base. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the pinsare quick release pins including a shaft, a handle, and a locking mechanismsuch as a spring loaded ball. The diameter of the shaftis slightly less than the diameter of the pin holes,,(e.g., 1 mm+/−0.5 mm). This allows the pinsto easily slide in and out of the pin holeswhile keeping the components tightly together with little play between the components. The length of the shaftis sufficient to extend completely across the base, from side-to-side, with the handleon one side of the base and the locking mechanismon the opposite side of the base. While the pinshave been described herein as quick release pins, it will be recognized that a different type of pin may be used, such as cotter pins, provided such pin is configured as complementary to the shape and size of the pin holes,,.

With particular reference now to, the plurality of legsare releasably coupled to the base. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the plurality of legs include a forward legand two rear legs. The forward legmay be slightly shorter in length than the two rear legs (e.g., about 75-85% of the length of the rear legs). Each legincludes a tongueand a pin holepositioned on a proximal end of the leg. Each leg also includes a footpositioned on a distal end of the leg. The footof each leg is configured to rest on the ground when the shooting target standis in use.

The tongueof each leg is configured for insertion in the leg couplings provided by the slotsin the two front platesand two rear plates. The forward leg coupling is provided by the forward set of slotsconfigured to receive the tongueextending from a proximal end of the forward leg. The rearward leg coupling is provided by the rearward set of slotswhich are configured to receive the tongueextending from a proximal end of the rear legs. Once inserted into the slots, the pin holesalign with the pin holesandin the side plates, thus allowing for insertion of a pininto the pin holes and thereby locking the legs to the base.

The components of the shooting target stand, including the upright, the base, and the legsare all formed from a relatively stiff and rigid material, such a steel, or another strong metal. However, in at least some embodiments, one or more components of the shooting target standmay be formed from a relatively stiff and strong polymer material such as PAI, PEEK, PPS, Nylon, or any number of other polymers.

It will be recognized from the foregoing disclosure that a method of assembling a shooting target stand is also contemplated herein. The method includes coupling at least one forward leg to the base by engaging the at least one forward leg with the base such that a forward pin hole in the base is aligned with a pin hole in the forward leg and then inserting a forward leg pin through the pin hole in the side plates and the pin hole in the forward leg. With the pin inserted through the side plates and the forward leg, the forward leg is locked in position on the base. The method further includes coupling at least one rearward leg to a base by engaging the at least one rearward leg with the base such that a rearward pin hole in the base is aligned with a pin hole in the rearward leg and then inserting a rearward leg pin through the pin hole in the base and the pin hole in the rearward leg. With the pin inserted through the side plates and the rearward leg, the rearward leg is locked in position on the base. In at least one embodiment, coupling the rearward leg to the base involves inserting a single pin through two rearward legs coupled to the leg coupling provided at the rear plates. Additionally, the method includes selecting one of a plurality of slots (or slot sets) on the base to receive a support of an upright, each of the plurality of slots associated with one of a plurality of support pin holes, wherein said plurality of slots include at least one forward leaning slot, a vertical slot, and a rearward leaning slot. When the forward leaning slot (or slot set) is selected the upright is positioned at a forward angle relative to the base. When the vertical slot (or slot set) is selected the upright is positioned at a vertical angle (i.e., perpendicular relative to the base and ground). When the rearward leaning slot (or slot set) is selected the upright is positioned at a rearward angle relative to the base. Thereafter, the method includes coupling the upright to the base by inserting the support of the upright into the selected one of the plurality of slots in the base and then inserting an upright pin through a pin hole in the support and the one of the plurality of support pin holes associated with the selected one of the plurality of slots.

The foregoing description of one or more embodiments of the shooting target stand has been presented herein by way of example only and not limitation. Accordingly, while the foregoing discloses one embodiment of a shooting target stand, it will be recognized that other embodiments are also contemplated herein. For example, in at least some embodiments, the base may be a monolithic component that does not include two side plates, two front plates and two rear plates, or only includes a subset of these plates. As another example, in other embodiments, the upright couplings and the leg couplings may be differently configured, including embodiments with additional slots, or embodiments that are free of slots and include other coupling features.

Additionally, it will be recognized that there are advantages to certain individual features and functions described herein that may be obtained without incorporating other features and functions described herein. Moreover, it will be recognized that various alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements of the above-disclosed embodiments and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different embodiments, systems or applications. Presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by any appended claims. Therefore, the spirit and scope of any appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.