PORTABLE BULLET TRAP

Abstract

A portable bullet trap includes a trailer having a hitch. A bullet trap box is removably placed on the trailer. The bullet trap box is formed by a pair of spaced side walls interconnected by a back wall and having a front face. A bottom wall is below the side walls and the front face and back wall. A top wall is hinged to the back wall and is movable from a closed position covering the interior of the box and to an open position exposing the interior of the box. Baffles made from energy absorbing material, such as rubber, are detachably mounted within the box.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based on provisional application Ser. No. 61/844,033, filed Jul. 9, 2013, all of the details of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

One of the concerns in target shooting is that a bullet might hit the target and then penetrate and continue its motion until it strikes an unintended object or person. Some attempts have been made to provide some structure for trapping a bullet. U.S. Pat. No. 7,475,880, for example, discloses a ballistic target which includes a bullet stopping plate with a bullet trapping panel. U.S. Published Application US2012/0038110 discloses a bullet decelerating medium and bullet trapping system which includes a support frame and flowable material disposed on an upper surface of the support frame. The support frame has an upper surface configured to support associated material. The flowable material includes a plurality of sheets of substantially rectangular material with each sheet configured for deflecting the associated bullet from its linear path and absorbing energy from the associated bullet by the deflecting, thereby slowing the traveling of the associated bullet through the flowable material.

It would also be desirable if some form of bullet trap could be provided which would contain the bullet so that the spent bullet could be retrieved.

One of the difficulties with known devices is the relatively heavy weight of such device which makes transporting the device from one location to another difficult.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

An object of this invention is to provide a bullet trap which is readily portable and which minimizes the risk of the bullet passing through a target and then hitting an unintended person or object.

In accordance with this invention a support member, which is preferably a trailer mounted on wheels, is provided for holding the bullet trap box. The bullet trap box comprises a pair of spaced side walls interconnected by a back wall and having a recessed front face or wall. A bottom wall is below the side walls and the front and back walls, while a top wall is above the side walls and the front and back walls. The top wall is selectively movable from a closed position covering the interior of the box and to an open position exposing the interior of the box. Preferably, this is accomplished by hinging the top wall to the back wall. Baffle structure, preferably a plurality of spaced baffles lined with or made from energy absorbing material, is provided in the interior of the box extending from side wall to side wall so as to absorb the impact of a bullet shot through the front wall.

In a preferred practice of this invention there is a decrease in thickness of the baffles from the back wall toward the front wall. Preferably, the baffles are removably mounted in place by the provision of slots created by rubber strips extending down the opposite side walls.

THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable bullet trap which comprises a bullet trap box mounted on a wheeled trailer in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bullet trap box shown in FIG. 1 with the top moved to an open position;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 2 along the line 3-3; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bullet trap box of FIGS. 1-3 showing the insertion/removal of one of the baffles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a portable bullet trap 10 in accordance with this invention. As shown therein, bullet trap 10 comprises a support member 12 mounted on wheels 14 so as to be readily movable from one location to another. Preferably the support member 12 is a trailer having its wheels 14 on each side of the trailer and having a front hitch 16.

A bullet trap box 18 is placed on the upper surface 22 of trailer 12 within the upstanding three sided peripheral wall 20. Box 18 could be oriented in any preferred manner on the upper surface 22 of trailer 12. FIG. 1 illustrates the target side or front side of the box located at a side of the trailer. If desired, the front side could be at the rear of the trailer and the back side located near the front of the trailer toward the hitch 16.

FIGS. 2-3 illustrate the details of bullet trap box 18. As illustrated, the bullet trap box 18 comprises a pair of spaced side walls 24,24 interconnected by a back wall 28 and an open front face or wall 26. Box 18 also has a bottom wall 30 and a top wall 32. Top wall 32 is selectively movable from a closed position which covers the interior of the box, such as shown in FIG. 1, to an open position exposing the interior of the box, such as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4. The movement to and from the closed and open positions may be done in any manner such as by completely removing the top wall or preferably, as illustrated, by securing the top wall 32 to the back wall 28 by hinges 34.

A key feature of this invention is the provision of a plurality of baffles. In the illustrated embodiment there are four baffles 36, 38, 40 and 42. The front most baffle 42 is shown as being spaced inwardly from the open front 26 of box 18. See FIG. 3. If desired, however, the baffle 42 or a different baffle may be located at and act as the front wall of box 18. Baffles 40, 38 and 36 may be considered as a first interior baffle and a second interior baffle and a third interior baffle, respectively. A larger or smaller number of baffles could also be used. Where box 18 is used for target practice a target 44 could be located on the front face of baffle 42 or could be otherwise secured to the open front 26 of box 18.

Preferably, baffles 36, 38, 40 and 42 are removably mounted within the interior of box 18. This removable mounting can be done in any suitable manner. As illustrated in FIGS. 2-4 slots are created by securing blocks or strips 46 vertically down the opposite sides 24,24. The spacing of strips 46 is selected to snuggly fit each respective baffle in the sets of slots.

In accordance with this invention the baffles are made from an energy absorbing material, preferably rubber, or are made from any suitable material lined with the energy absorbing material or rubber. Additionally, the strips or blocks 46 are also made from energy absorbing material and the inner side of each wall in box 18 may be lined with energy absorbing material, such as rubber.

As best shown in FIG. 3, and also with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, the thickness of baffles 36, 38 and 40 decreases from back to front. The front most baffle 42 may be of the same thickness or of a different thickness from the first interior baffle 40. In a preferred practice of this invention each of baffles 40 and 42 is one inch thick, while baffle 38 is 2 inches thick and baffle 36 is 3 inches thick. The spacing between baffles 36 and 38 and between baffles 38 and 40 and between baffles 40 and 42 is preferably 3 inches, while the spacing between baffle 36 and back wall 28 is preferably 10 inches. Each side 24,24 is preferably 36 inches wide. The width of the front and sides of box 18 may also be 36 inches wide. Preferably, box 36 includes a plurality of feet 48 at each corner which would be placed directly on the upper surface 22 of trailer 12. Feet 48 elevate box 18 so that there is a space between the bottom wall 30 of box 18 and the upper surface 22 of trailer 12 to facilitate a user's hands being inserted in that open space to manipulate the box when placing it on or removing it from the trailer. Preferably, the overall height of box 18 including feet 48 is 30 inches.

In use, a bullet would be shot toward target 44 and would pass through the target and into front most baffle 42. By being made of energy absorbing material the impact of the bullet would be absorbed by front baffle 42 to slow down the bullet. The bullet would continue through baffle 42 and strike second baffle 40 where more of its energy would be absorbed. This process would continue until the impact of the bullet is completely absorbed and the bullet would either be trapped in one of the baffles or would drop to the bottom wall 30 of trap box 18. After the target shooting session is finished, top wall 32 would be hinged open and the bullets could be retrieved. If the bullet is lodged in one of the baffles, that baffle could be removed by lifting the baffle upwardly out of box 18. FIG. 4, for example, illustrates baffle 36 in its removed condition out of box 18. The bullet could then be removed from the baffle. Similarly, if it is desired to replace one or more of the baffles because of the bullet holes through the baffle, any or all of the baffles could be similarly removed. A new baffle could then be inserted.

After the target practice has been completed, bullet trap box 18 could be moved for storage or for use at a different location by coupling hitch 16 of trailer 12 to a vehicle or by even using hitch 18 to manually pull the trailer 12.

Claims

1. A portable bullet trap comprising a support member, said support member being mounted on wheels for movability of said support member, a bullet trap box mounted on said support member, said bullet trap box comprising a pair of spaced side walls interconnected by a front face and a back wall, a bottom wall below said side walls and said front face and said back wall, a top wall above said side walls and said front face and said back wall, said top wall being selectively movable from a closed position covering the interior of said box and to an open position exposing said interior of said box, baffle structure in said box extending from one of said side walls to the other of said side walls, and said baffle structure being made from energy absorbing material to absorb the impact of a bullet shot through said front face.

2. The portable bullet trap of claim 1 wherein said baffle structure comprises a plurality of spaced baffles.

3. The portable bullet trap of claim 2 wherein at least some of said spaced baffles decrease in thickness from back to front of said box.

4. The portable bullet trap of claim 3 wherein said baffle structure comprises a front most baffle and a first interior baffle and a second interior baffle and a third interior baffle, said front most baffle being located at, but spaced inwardly, from said front face of said box, and the thickness of said interior baffles decreasing from back to front.

5. The portable bullet trap of claim 3 wherein each of said baffles is made of a rubber material which comprises said energy absorbing material.

6. The portable bullet trap of claim 5 wherein said walls of said box are lined with rubber.

7. The portable bullet trap of claim 3 wherein said baffles are detachably mounted in said box by being inserted in sets of spaced slots located at said side walls.

8. The portable bullet trap of claim 7 wherein said slots are created by spaced parallel strips of rubber mounted to said side walls.

9. The portable bullet box of claim 8 wherein said top wall is hinged to said back wall.

10. The portable bullet box of claim 9 wherein said support member is a trailer having a hitch.

11. The portable bullet trap of claim 10 wherein said trailer includes an upstanding wall around at least a portion of its periphery, said box having feet extending downwardly below said bottom wall, and said feet being mounted within the peripheral upstanding wall of said trailer.

12. The portable bullet trap of claim 2 wherein said top wall is hinged to said back wall.

13. The portable bullet trap of claim 2 wherein said baffles are detachably mounted within said box by being 20 inserted in sets of spaced slots at said side walls.

14. The portable bullet trap of claim 13 wherein said support member is a trailer having a hitch.

15. The portable bullet trap of claim 14 wherein said energy absorbing material is rubber, said walls having a rubber lining, and said top wall being hinged to said back wall.