US 12,467,724 B1
Biodegradable and edible disc target
Brendan Herrmann, San Antonio, TX (US); Blake Burke, San Antonio, TX (US); and Richard N. Azar, San Antonio, TX (US)
Assigned to KECS, LLC, San Antonio, TX (US)
Filed by KECS, LLC, San Antonio, TX (US)
Filed on Jul. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/377,600.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/054,445, filed on Jul. 21, 2020.
Int. Cl. F41J 1/01 (2006.01); A23K 10/33 (2016.01); A23K 20/179 (2016.01); A23K 30/20 (2016.01); A23K 40/20 (2016.01)
CPC F41J 1/01 (2013.01) [A23K 10/33 (2016.05); A23K 20/179 (2016.05); A23K 30/20 (2016.05); A23K 40/20 (2016.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for manufacturing a target for use in shooting sports, comprising:
a) producing a mixture comprising of a grain or a legume and one or more binding agents, wherein said grain or legume comprises at least 50% by weight of said mixture, and said binding agents are biodegradable, non-toxic, and edible to wildlife;
b) compressing said mixture into a disc shaped mold to form the mixture in the shape of a disc, wherein the mold comprises a first piece defining a top of the shape of the disc, a second piece defining a bottom of the shape of the disc, and third piece defining a middle portion of the shape of the disc;
c) temperature curing said mold with said mixture within until sufficiently dehydrated enough to remove the mixture from said mold entirely, thereby producing a solid disc from the mixture; and
d) removing said solid disc from said mold, thereby producing a disc shape target, wherein said disc shaped target is geometrically compatible with the dimensions of common launching devices or methods used for shooting sport applications, and is capable of withstanding the primary stresses induced by common launching methods yet sufficiently fractures into fragments upon contact with a shot projectile, and wherein said fragments are biodegradable and both edible and digestible for wildlife.