TARGET HANGER
A target hanger, comprising an L-shaped body having a first elongate portion and a second elongate portion, the first elongate portion having a first end and a second end, a first side edge and a second side edge, the second elongate portion extending perpendicularly outward from the first side edge at the second end of the first elongate portion. A first target receptacle is positioned on the first side edge of the first elongate portion and a second target receptacle is positioned on the second side edge of the first elongate portion. The first and second target receptacles being spaced from the second elongate portion by at least a distance that is greater than a thickness of a target board; the first and second target receptacles each being sized and shaped to receive and retain an outer edge of the target sufficiently to support the weight of the target.
This relates to a hanger used to hang targets, such as “clay pigeons” for target shooting, on a target backer board or on a horizontal line.
BACKGROUNDWhen target shooting, it is common to hang the target, such as a clay pigeon, on a target board or on a suspended line. U.S. Pat. No. 7,681,887 (Hensley) entitled “Target Hanger and Target Support System” describes a hanger that grips a target and allows it to be hung from a suspended line.
SUMMARYThere is provided a target hanger comprising an L-shaped body having a first elongate portion and a second elongate portion, the first elongate portion having a first end, a second end, a first side edge and a second side edge, the second elongate portion extending perpendicularly outward from the first side edge at the second end of the first elongate portion. The target hanger has a first target receptacle positioned on the first side edge of the first elongate portion and a second target receptacle positioned on the second side edge of the first elongate portion. The first and second target receptacles are spaced from the second elongate portion by at least a distance that is greater than a thickness of a target board. The first and second target receptacles are each sized and shaped to receive and retain an outer edge of the target sufficiently to support the weight of the target.
According to another aspect, each target receptacle may comprise an upper portion, a lower portion, a front portion, and a back portion, with the space between the upper and lower portions approximating the thickness of the edge of the target and the space between the back and front portions approximating the depth of the depth of the edge of the target. Each target receptacle may have an opening between the front portion and the bottom portion for receiving the edge of a target.
According to another aspect, the edge of the target may be generally rectangular and the first and second target receptacles retain the target edge in an orientation that is parallel to the first elongate portion.
According to another aspect, the first target receptacle and the second target receptacles may be spaced along the first elongate portion from the second elongate portion at different distances.
According to another aspect, the first elongate portion and the second elongate portion of the target hanger may be connected by a radiused portion.
According to another aspect, there is provided a method of hanging a target, comprising the steps of providing a target hanger comprising the features described above; determining whether a target support is a horizontal support or a hole in a backer board; if the target support is a horizontal support, engaging the outer edge of the target by the first target receptacle and placing the target hanger over the horizontal support such that the second elongate portion is on a first side of the horizontal support and the target is on a second side of the horizontal support; if the target support is a hole in a backer board, engaging the outer edge of the target by the second target receptacle, inserting the second elongate portion through the hole and rotating the L-shaped body until the second elongate portion extends upward along a back surface of the backer board and the target is adjacent to a front surface of the backer board.
According to an aspect, the horizontal support may be a suspended line or the horizontal edge of a backer board.
These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting, wherein:
A target hanger generally identified by reference numeral 10, will now be described with reference to
Target hanger 10 has two target receptacles. A first target receptacle 24 is positioned on first side edge 20 of first elongate portion 12 and a second target receptacle 34 is positioned on second side edge 22 of first elongate portion 12. Each target receptacle 24 and 34 has an upper portion 26, a lower portion 28, a front portion 30 and a back portion 32. In this example, the edges of target hanger 10, including first side edge 20, second side edge 22, the edges of first target receptacle 24, and the edges of second target receptacle 34, are generally rectangular such that it generally matches the cross-section of the target being retained.
As can be seen, the space between upper portion 26 and lower portion 28 of first and second target receptacles 24 and 34 is approximately the thickness of the edge of the target 50 while the space between front portion 30 and back portion 32 of first and second target receptacles 24 and 34 is approximately the same as the depth of the edge of the target such that receptacles 24 and 34 generally approximate the size and shape of the edge of the target being retained. Both target receptacles 24 and 34 have an opening between front portion 30 and lower portion 28 for receiving the edge of a target. The space between front portion 30 and back portion 32 of first and second target receptacles 24 and 34 is large enough to receive the edge of a target. If target receptacles 24 and 34 are made from a resilient material, it is not necessary that the space be larger than the thickness of the edge of the target. First target receptacle 24 and second target receptacle 34 are each sized and shaped to receive and retain the outer edge of the target in such a way as to support the target while target anchor 10 is anchored to a support surface, such as a target board or horizontal support.
The distance between first target receptacle 24 and second end 18 is greater than the distance between second target receptacle 34 and second end 18. However, there may be other embodiments where the distances between the target receptacles and the second end will be different from the example shown in
In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.
The following claims are to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, and what can be obviously substituted. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples above.
Claims
1. A target hanger, comprising:
- an L-shaped body having a first elongate portion and a second elongate portion, the first elongate portion having a first end, a second end, a first side edge and a second side edge, the second elongate portion extending perpendicularly outward from the first side edge at the second end of the first elongate portion; and
- a first target receptacle positioned on the first side edge of the first elongate portion and a second target receptacle positioned on the second side edge of the first elongate portion, the first and second target receptacles being spaced from the second elongate portion by at least a distance that is greater than a thickness of a target board; the first and second target receptacles each being sized and shaped to receive and retain an outer edge of the target sufficiently to support the weight of the target.
2. The target hanger of claim 1, wherein each target receptacle comprises an upper portion, a lower portion, a front portion and a back portion, the space between the upper and lower portions approximating the thickness of the edge of the target and the space between the back and front portions approximating the depth of the depth of the edge of the target, the target receptacle having an opening between the front portion and the bottom portion for receiving the edge of a target.
3. The target hanger of claim 1, wherein the target edge is generally rectangular and the first and second target receptacles retain the target edge in an orientation that is parallel to the first elongate portion.
4. The target hanger of claim 1, wherein the first target receptacle and the second target receptacles are spaced along the first elongate portion from the second elongate portion at different distances.
5. The target hanger of claim 1, wherein the first elongate portion and the second elongate portion are connected by a radiused portion.
6. A method of hanging a target, comprising:
- providing a target hanger, comprising: an L-shaped body having a first elongate portion and a second elongate portion, the first elongate portion having a first end, a second end, a first side edge and a second side edge, the second elongate portion extending perpendicularly outward from the first side edge at the second end of the first elongate portion; a first target receptacle positioned on the first side edge of the first elongate portion and a second target receptacle positioned on the second side edge of the first elongate portion, the first and second target receptacles being spaced from the second elongate portion by at least a distance that is greater than a thickness of a target board, the first and second target receptacles each being sized and shaped to receive and retain an outer edge of the target sufficiently to support the weight of the target;
- determining whether a target support is a horizontal support or a hole in a backer board;
- if the target support is a horizontal support, engaging the outer edge of the target by the first target receptacle and placing the target hanger over the horizontal support such that the second elongate portion is on a first side of the horizontal support and the target is on a second side of the horizontal support; and
- if the target support is a hole in a backer board, engaging the outer edge of the target by the second target receptacle, inserting the second elongate portion through the hole and rotating the L-shaped body until the second elongate portion extends upward along a back surface of the backer board and the target is adjacent to a front surface of the backer board.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein each target receptacle of the target hanger comprises an upper portion, a lower portion, a front portion and a back portion, the space between the upper and lower portions approximating the thickness of the edge of the target and the space between the back and front portions approximating the depth of the depth of the edge of the target, the target receptacle having an opening between the front portion and the bottom portion for receiving the edge of a target.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the outer edge of the target is generally rectangular and the first and second target receptacles retain the target edge in an orientation that is parallel to the first elongate portion.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first target receptacle and the second target receptacles of the target hanger are spaced along the first elongate portion from the second elongate portion at different distances.
10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first elongate portion and the second elongate portion of the target hanger are connected by a radiused portion.
11. The method of claim 6, wherein the horizontal support is a suspended line.
12. The method of claim 6, wherein the horizontal support is a horizontal edge of a backer board.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 4, 2013
Publication Date: Oct 9, 2014
Inventor: Donald PAPP (Edmonton)
Application Number: 13/856,715
International Classification: F41J 1/10 (20060101);