# US 2014/0360070 A1 · Dart gun

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0360070 A1
- Document ID: US20140360070A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/948,964
- Filed: 2013-07-23
- Published: 2014-12-11
- Earliest claimed: 2013-06-05
- Assignees: Blackpowder Products, Inc.
- Applicants: Blackpowder Products, Inc.
- Inventors: Mark D. HENDRICKS; Larry N. TREADAWAY
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140360070A1

## CPC

- F41B 11/60: characterised by the supply of compressed gas
- F41A 21/10: Insert barrels, i.e. barrels for firing reduced calibre ammunition and being mounted within the normal barrels
- F41A 35/00: Accessories or details not otherwise provided for
- F41B 7/08: Toy guns {, i.e. guns launching objects of the gliding type, e.g. airplanes, parachute missiles (F41B7/006 and F41B7/02 take precedence)}
- F41B 11/85: for launching hypodermic projectiles
- F41B: WEAPONS FOR PROJECTING MISSILES WITHOUT USE OF EXPLOSIVE OR COMBUSTIBLE PROPELLANT CHARGE; WEAPONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (projectiles for fishing, e.g. fish-spears, A01K81/00; sports implements for throwing A63B65/00, e.g. boomerangs A63B65/08; stationary apparatus for projecting sports balls, e.g. tennis balls, A63B69/40; throwing or slinging toys A63H33/18; knives, axes B26B; projectiles or missiles other than those incorporating springs as projecting means F42B6/00)
- F41A: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE

## Abstract

A dart gun for medicating or tranquilizing animals, which includes a barrel and a breech plug, the barrel including a bore defining a longitudinal axis extending from a muzzle end to a breech end, and the breech end including a breech plug chamber and a notch. The breech plug is removably engageable with the breech plug chamber and includes a plug member, an extractor, and a baffle member. The extractor provides convenient loading, firing and ejecting of a blank firing cartridge that is used to fire the dart from the barrel. The baffle rod provides for muffling the sound of the explosion of the blank firing cartridge, and reduces the amount of heat and flames that are exposed to the dart when firing the blank firing cartridge.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A dart gun comprising:
a barrel comprising a bore defining a longitudinal axis extending from a muzzle end to a breech end, the breech end comprising a breech adapter receiving chamber; and
a breech adapter for removable engagement with the breech adapter receiving chamber, the breech adapter comprising:
a plug comprising a first chamber portion at a proximal side thereof for receiving a cartridge, and a second chamber portion at a distal side thereof for delivering a propellant charge from the cartridge to the barrel;
an extractor movable between a first position wherein the cartridge is engaged with the extractor and seated in the first chamber portion of the plug, and a second position wherein the cartridge is engaged with the extractor and retracted out of the first chamber portion of the plug; and
a baffle member extending from the distal side of the plug.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The dart gun of claim 1, wherein the first chamber portion of the plug is eccentrically offset from the longitudinal axis of the barrel bore.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The dart gun of claim 1, wherein the first chamber portion of the plug is transversely offset from the second chamber portion of the plug.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The dart gun of claim 1, further comprising a notch extending transversely from the breech adapter receiving chamber and a contact face adjacent the notch, wherein a body portion of the extractor is received in the notch with the extractor in its first position in a first rotational orientation of the breach adaptor relative to the breech end of the barrel, and wherein the body portion of the extractor abuts the contact face in a second rotational orientation of the breach adaptor relative to the breech end of the barrel to retract the extractor into its second position.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The dart gun of claim 1, wherein the baffle member comprises a plurality of transversely oriented baffles, each baffle defining a propellant passage between the baffle and the bore of the barrel.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The dart gun of claim 5, wherein the propellant passages defined by adjacent baffles are transversely offset in an alternating array to define a serpentine propellant path.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The dart gun of claim 1, further comprising a biasing member biasing the extractor toward its first position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The dart gun of claim 1, wherein the barrel is pivotally mounted to a stock, and further comprising a break-action mechanism for maintaining the barrel in a fixed position relative to the stock when engaged, and allowing the barrel to pivot relative to the stock when disengaged.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The dart gun of claim 1, wherein the first chamber is adapted to receive a blank cartridge, and to prevent loading of a bullet cartridge therein.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The dart gun of claim 1, wherein the first chamber is adapted to receive a .22 caliber blank cartridge.

### Claim 11

A breech adapter for removable engagement with a barrel of a firearm to allow the firearm to fire a dart, the breach adaptor comprising a generally cylindrical body having a proximal end and a distal end, and defining a first chamber extending from the proximal end toward the distal end and a second chamber extending from the distal end toward the proximal end, the first and second chambers at least partially intersecting within the generally cylindrical body of the breech adaptor to allow fluid communication between the first and second chambers, the first chamber defining a first axis and the second chamber defining a second axis that is transversely offset by an offset distance from the first axis.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The breech adaptor of claim 11, wherein the first chamber defines a diameter and a depth configured to receive a blank cartridge but to prevent loading of a bullet cartridge therein.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The breech adaptor of claim 11, wherein the first chamber is configured to receive a .22 caliber blank cartridge therein.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The breech adaptor of claim 11, wherein the first chamber is eccentrically offset relative to a central axis of the generally cylindrical body of the breech adaptor.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The breech adaptor of claim 14, wherein the first chamber is eccentrically offset relative to a central axis of the generally cylindrical body by a distance selected to position a rim portion of the first chamber at the central axis of the generally cylindrical body, whereby a center-fire firing pin of the firearm will impact a rim of a cartridge loaded in the first chamber.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The breech adaptor of claim 11, further comprising an extractor translationally mounted to the generally cylindrical body to move between a first position allowing a cartridge to be received in the first chamber and a second position extracting the cartridge from the first chamber.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The breech adaptor of claim 16, wherein the extractor comprises a body portion axially slidable within a channel along the generally cylindrical body, and a flange extending transversely from the body portion.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The breech adaptor of claim 16, further comprising a spring for biasing the extractor toward its first position.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The breech adaptor of claim 11, further comprising a baffle member extending from the distal end of the generally cylindrical body.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The breech adaptor of claim 19, wherein the baffle member comprises a plurality of transversely oriented baffles, each baffle defining a propellant passage between the baffle and a bore wall of the barrel when the breech adapter is installed in the firearm.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The dart gun of claim 20, wherein the propellant passages defined by adjacent baffles are transversely offset in an alternating array to define a serpentine propellant path.

### Claim 22

A breech adapter for removable engagement with a barrel of a firearm to allow the firearm to fire a dart, the breach adaptor comprising a first chamber for receiving a propellant cartridge, and an extractor movable between a first position allowing the propellant cartridge to be received in the first chamber and a second position extracting the propellant cartridge from the first chamber, the extractor comprising a body and a flange extending transversely from the body, wherein at least a portion of the body is positioned external of the breech adaptor, whereby engagement of the flange against the cartridge extracts the cartridge from the first chamber as the extractor moves toward its second position upon pressing the external portion of the body against a contact surface.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The breech adaptor of claim 22, wherein the body of the extractor is mounted to translate axially within a channel along a side of the breech adaptor.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The breech adaptor of claim 22, further comprising a spring biasing the extractor toward its first position.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The breech adaptor of claim 22, further comprising a second chamber that is transversely offset from and in fluid communication with the first chamber.

### Claim 26 (depends on 22)

The breech adaptor of claim 22, wherein the first chamber is eccentrically offset from a central axis of the breech adaptor.

### Claim 27 (depends on 22)

The breech adaptor of claim 22, further comprising a baffle member extending distally opposite the first chamber.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The breech adaptor of claim 27, wherein the baffle member comprises a plurality of transversely oriented baffles, each baffle defining a propellant passage between the baffle and a bore wall of the barrel when the breech adapter is installed in the firearm.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The dart gun of claim 28, wherein the propellant passages defined by adjacent baffles are transversely offset in an alternating array to define a serpentine propellant path.

### Claim 30

A breech adapter for removable engagement with a barrel of a firearm to allow the firearm to fire a dart, the breach adaptor comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end configured to be received within a breech end of the barrel, the breech adaptor further comprising a baffle member extending from the distal end, the baffle member comprising a baffle rod and at least one baffle extending transversely from the baffle rod, each baffle having an edge defining a propellant passage between the baffle and a bore wall of the barrel when the breech adapter is installed in the firearm.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The breech adaptor of claim 30, comprising a plurality of baffles spaced axially along the baffle rod, wherein the propellant passages defined by adjacent baffles are transversely offset in an alternating array to define a serpentine propellant path.

### Claim 32 (depends on 30)

The breech adaptor of claim 30, wherein the proximal end of the breech adaptor comprises a first chamber for receiving a propellant cartridge.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The breech adaptor of claim 32, further comprising an extractor movable between a first position allowing the propellant cartridge to be received in the first chamber and a second position extracting the propellant cartridge from the first chamber.

### Claim 34 (depends on 32)

The breech adaptor of claim 32, further comprising a second chamber in fluid communication with the first chamber to define a propellant conduit, the second chamber being transversely offset from the first chamber.

### Claim 35 (depends on 32)

The breech adaptor of claim 32, wherein the baffle member defines at least one transversely directed propellant port in fluid communication with the propellant conduit.