# US 5,343,849 A · Rapid fire ball gun

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- Number: US 5,343,849 A
- Document ID: US5343849A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/930,634
- Filed: 1992-08-17
- Granted: 1994-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 1992-08-17
- Inventors: Michael Steer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5343849A

## CPC

- F41B 11/55: the projectiles being stored in stacked order in a removable box magazine, rack or tubular magazine
- F41B 11/68: the gas being pre-compressed before firing (F41B11/62 takes precedence)
- 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)

## Abstract

A rapid fire ball gun includes a hollow body supporting a pressurizable air vessel and an air pump coupled thereto through a check valve. An elongated cylindrical barrel is supported by the body and defines a cylindrical ball chamber having a plurality of spaced intermediate fields forming ball spaces therebetween and a final seal at the extending end of the cylindrical barrel. A plurality of compressible foam balls are received within the ball spaces between the intermediate seals with the outermost ball being received in a ball spaced defined between the final seal and the most forward intermediate seal. The cylindrical barrel is coupled to the pressurizable air vessel by a trigger valve mechanism which responds to trigger pressure by coupling the pressurized air within the air vessel to the barrel thereby expelling one or more of the compressible foam balls from the barrel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A ball gun for firing a plurality of ball projectiles, said ball gun comprising:
a body;
an air vessel supported by said body;
a barrel supported by said body and defining a generally cylindrical ball chamber having an inner end, an outer end, a plurality of spaced apart intermediate seal constrictions and a final seal constriction proximate said outer end;
means for pressurizing said air vessel; and
trigger means, actuatable by said user, for selectively coupling said air vessel to said inner end of said ball chamber,
said barrel chamber receiving a plurality of ball projectiles between said intermediate seal constrictions and between said final seal constriction and its most proximate intermediate seal constriction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A ball gun as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for pressurizing includes:
an air pump; and
a check valve coupling said air pump to said air vessel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A ball gun as set forth in claim 2 wherein said barrel further defines a generally cylindrical muzzle portion extending beyond said final seal constriction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A ball gun as set forth in claim 3 wherein said trigger means includes a trigger actuating button and a valve operated by said trigger actuating button coupling said air vessel to said ball chamber.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A ball gun as set forth in claim 4 wherein said final seal constriction defines an inner diameter less than those of said intermediate seal constrictions.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A ball gun as set forth in claim 5 wherein said intermediate and final seal constrictions are generally rigid.

### Claim 7

A ball gun for shooting a plurality of ball projectiles comprising:
a barrel defining a generally cylindrical ball chamber having first and second ends and a diameter at least as large as said ball projectiles and defining a plurality of generally annular inwardly extending intermediate seal constrictions and a generally annular inwardly extending final seal constriction proximate said second end; and
air pressure means coupled to said first end of said ball chamber for applying air pressure thereto for a selected time interval to expel one or more ball projectiles outwardly from said second end.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A ball gun as set forth in claim 7 wherein said barrel further defines a muzzle portion having a diameter approximately equal to that of said ball chamber extending from said final seal constriction to said second end.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A ball gun as set forth in claim 8 wherein said ball projectiles are compressible and wherein said seal constrictions are generally rigid.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A ball gun as set forth in claim 9 wherein said final seal constriction defines a smaller inner diameter than said intermediate seal constrictions.