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US 2026/0043637 A1Published application
Hand-held powder launcher
AssigneeUnited Tactical Systems, LLC
InventorsScott Quarles, Gary Gibson, David Zupan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher having a reusable body assembly and a replaceable barrel assembly. The body assembly has a handle with a cavity to house a replaceable pneumatic cartridge, a puncture tip in the cavity, a trigger movable between a normal position and a launch position, and a safety to prevent the trigger from being accidentally actuated. The barrel assembly removably secures to the body assembly and has a first cavity that houses a burst cap, and an adjacent powder chamber. After the cartridge is pierced, gas builds up until the burst cap bursts, allowing the high-pressure gas to propel the payload out of the barrel.
Claims20
A hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher, comprising:
- a reusable body assembly, comprising:
- a handle body having a first end and a second end, an outer surface, an opening adjacent the first end leading to an internal cavity to house a pneumatic cartridge, the internal cavity extending from the first end of the handle body to the second end of the handle body and having a conical taper leading to a first end of a bore distal the first end of the handle body, the bore having a second end, the second end of the bore being adjacent a reverse conical taper portion of the cavity, the second end of the handle body having a male thread extending therefrom, and a transverse opening in the handle body adjacent the second end of the handle body;
- a puncture tip having a portion in the bore;
- a trigger extending through the transverse opening in the handle body, the trigger having a stop extending from a sidewall of the trigger, the trigger further having a transverse opening extending through the sidewall of the trigger, the trigger movable between a normal position and a launch position;
- a bias member in the handle body biasing the trigger to the normal position;
- a safety comprising a collar wall with a first opening in the collar wall for the trigger and a second opening in the collar wall for the stop extending from the trigger sidewall, and a trigger cover extending from the collar wall, wherein the safety is rotatable from a first position wherein the trigger cover covers the trigger to a second position where the trigger cover does not cover the trigger;
- a safety guard stop connected to the handle body and engaging the safety;
- an end cap removably secured to the handle body at the first end of the handle body to close the cavity at the first end of the handle body;
- and,
- a compression spring connected to the end cap and residing in the internal cavity of the handle body;
- a glass breaker connected to the end cap and residing outside the internal cavity of the handle body;
- and,
- a replaceable barrel assembly removably connected to the second end of the handle body, comprising:
- a barrel having an outer surface, a first end, a second end, and a cavity extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the cavity has an internal female thread at the first end of the barrel, wherein the cavity has a first section with a first diameter at the first end, a powder chamber with a second diameter adjacent the second end, and bore joining the first section and the powder chamber, the bore having a diameter smaller than the first diameter and the second diameter;
- a burst cap in the first section of the cavity distal the first end of the barrel and adjacent the bore in the cavity, the burst cap being made of a thin sheet of plastic material having a thickness of between 0.003 inches and 0.005 inches;
- a locking nut in the first section adjacent the burst cap to retain the burst cap adjacent the bore;
- a powder payload in the powder chamber;
- and,
- a plug in the powder chamber adjacent the second end of the barrel.
16 more elements
A hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher, comprising:
- a reusable body assembly, comprising:
- a handle body having a first end and a second end, an outer surface, an opening adjacent the first end leading to an internal cavity to house a pneumatic cartridge, the internal cavity extending from the first end of the handle body to the second end of the handle body, the second end of the handle body having a male thread extending therefrom, and a transverse opening in the handle body adjacent the second end of the handle body;
- a puncture tip in the internal cavity;
- a trigger extending through the transverse opening in the handle body, the trigger having a transverse opening extending through the sidewall of the trigger, the trigger movable between a normal position and a launch position;
- a bias member in the handle body biasing the trigger to the normal position;
- a safety comprising a collar wall with a first opening in the collar wall for the trigger, and a trigger cover extending from the collar wall, wherein the safety is rotatable from a first position wherein the trigger cover covers the trigger to a second position where the trigger cover does not cover the trigger;
- an end cap removably secured to the handle body at the first end of the handle body to close the cavity at the first end of the handle body;
- and,
- a compression spring connected to the end cap and residing in the internal cavity of the handle body;
- and,
- a replaceable barrel assembly removably connected to the second end of the handle body, comprising:
- a barrel having an outer surface, a first end, a second end, and a cavity extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the cavity has an internal female thread at the first end of the barrel, wherein the cavity has a first section with a first diameter at the first end, a powder chamber with a second diameter adjacent the second end, and bore joining the first section and the powder chamber, the bore having a diameter smaller than the first diameter and the second diameter;
- a burst cap in the first section of the cavity distal the first end of the barrel and adjacent the bore in the cavity, the burst cap being made of a thin sheet of plastic material;
- and,
- a locking nut in the first section adjacent the burst cap to retain the burst cap adjacent the bore.
12 more elements
A hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher, comprising:
- a reusable body assembly, comprising:
- a handle body having a first end and a second end, an outer surface, an opening adjacent the first end leading to an internal cavity to house a pneumatic cartridge, the internal cavity extending from the first end of the handle body to the second end of the handle body, the second end of the handle body having a first mating member, and a transverse opening in the handle body adjacent the second end of the handle body;
- a puncture tip in the internal cavity;
- a trigger extending through the transverse opening in the handle body, the trigger movable between a normal position and a launch position;
- a bias member in the handle body biasing the trigger to the normal position;
- a safety to prevent the trigger from being actuated;
- and,
- an end cap removably secured to the handle body at the first end of the handle body to close the cavity at the first end of the handle body;
- and,
- a replaceable barrel assembly removably connected to the second end of the handle body, comprising:
- a barrel having an outer surface, a first end, a second end, and a cavity extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the cavity has a second mating member to mate with the first mating member at the first end of the barrel, wherein the cavity has a first section with a first diameter at the first end, a powder chamber with a second diameter adjacent the second end, and bore joining the first section and the powder chamber, the bore having a diameter smaller than the first diameter and the second diameter;
- and,
- a burst cap in the first section of the cavity distal the first end of the barrel and adjacent the bore in the cavity, the burst cap being made of a thin sheet of plastic material having a thickness of between 0.003 inches and 0.005 inches.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.