US 5,771,875 A · Gas powered repeating gun

Abstract

A gas powered repeating gun capable of firing projectiles with compressed gas comprising a stock section; a central section attached to the stock section; a barrel section attached to the central section; a barrel disposed within the barrel section; the barrel having a proximal and a distal end; a breech disposed proximate to the proximal end of the barrel; a primary reservoir capable of retaining at least about 50 projectiles, the reservoir being at least about 80% disposed within the stock section, the central section, the barrel section, an appendage disposed below the stock section, disposed below the barrel section, disposed below the central section or combinations thereof; a conveyance mechanism capable of delivering projectiles from the primary reservoir to the breech at a rate greater than about 300 per minute; and a firing mechanism capable of delivering discrete bursts of compressed gas to the breech and thereby firing projectiles at a rate greater than about 300 per minutes.

Drawings

Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO

Drawings

Claims10

Dependent claims

A gas powered repeating gun capable of firing projectiles with compressed gas, the gun having a forward end and a rearward end and comprising:

(a) a central section having a proximal end and a distal end;
(b) a stock section disposed below and attached to the central section proximate to the proximal end of the central section;
(c) a barrel section attached to the distal end of the central section;
(d) a barrel disposed within the barrel section, the barrel having a longitudinal axis, a central bore, a proximal end and a distal end;
(e) a breech disposed proximate to the proximal end of the barrel;
(f) an appendage disposed below the central section forward of the stock section;
(g) a primary reservoir capable of retaining at least about 50 projectiles wherein the primary reservoir is disposed within the appendage;
(h) a conveyance mechanism capable of delivering projectiles from the primary reservoir to the breech at a rate greater than about 300 per minute;
(i) a firing mechanism capable of delivering discreet bursts of compressed gas to the breech and thereby firing projectiles at a rate greater than about 300 per minute;
(j) a forestock section disposed below the barrel section;
and
(k) a secondary reservoir capable of retaining projectiles, wherein the secondary reservoir is disposed within the forestock section;
wherein the conveyance mechanism is disposed within the appendage, and wherein the projectiles within the primary reservoir and the conveyance mechanism are under atmospheric pressure.

10 more elements

A gas powered repeating gun capable of firing projectiles with compressed gas, the gun having a forward end and a rearward end and comprising:

(a) a central section having a proximal end and a distal end;
(b) a stock section disposed below and attached to the central section proximate to the proximal end of the central section;
(c) a barrel section attached to the distal end of the central section;
(d) a barrel disposed within the barrel section, the barrel having a longitudinal axis, a central bore, a proximal end and a distal end;
(e) a breech disposed proximate to the proximal end of the barrel;
(f) an appendage disposed below the central section forward of the stock section;
(g) a primary reservoir capable of retaining at least about 50 projectiles, wherein the primary reservoir is disposed within the appendage;
(h) a firing mechanism capable of delivering discrete bursts of compressed gas to the breech and thereby firing projectiles at a rate greater than about 300 per minute, the firing mechanism comprising:
(i) a bolt disposed within the central section rearward of the barrel, the bolt having a forward end, a rearward end, and central bore having a longitudinal axis which is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the barrel;
(ii) a hammer slidably disposed within the central section immediately rearward of the bolt, the hammer having a forward end, a rearward end and a central bore, the central bore having a longitudinal axis which is coaxial with the central bore of the barrel;
(iii) cocking means for attaching the hammer to the bolt;
(iv) trigger means for detaching the hammer from the bolt;
(v) a source of pressurized gas disposed within the central section;
(vi) the source having a valve for releasing a discrete burst of pressurized gas from the source to the breech and thereby firing projectiles through the central bore of the barrel;
(vii) gas release actuation means responsive to the hammer for actuating the valve and releasing a discrete burst of gas;
(viii) spring means for urging the hammer away from the bolt and into contact with the gas release actuation means;
(ix) a piston assembly disposed in the central section for automatically cocking the gun, the piston assembly comprising:
(1) a hollow sleeve having an open end and a closed end, a first aperture formed in the sleeve proximate the closed end, and a second aperture formed in the sleeve proximate the open end, wherein the first and the second apertures are sized to receive a flow of gas redirected to the apertures in sequence;
(2) a piston slidably disposed within the sleeve in between the apertures;
and (3) a connecting arm having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to the piston, and the second end extending out of the second open end of the sleeve and being in communication with the bolt, wherein the open end of the sleeve is sized to snugly fit around the connecting arm while allowing the connecting arm to slide through the open end;
wherein that pressure from said sequentially redirected flow of gas causes the piston to move and, via the connecting arm, urge the bolt toward the cocking means to cock the gun by attaching the hammer to the bolt, whereby the gun can repeatedly fire projectiles without the need for repeated manual cocking of the hammer in between firing of the projectiles;
and
(i) a conveyance mechanism capable of delivering projectiles from the primary reservoir to the breech at a rate greater than about 300 per minute, the conveyance mechanism comprising a revolving conveyer belt having a plurality of conveyer lugs each sized to receive and retain a projectile, and a drive mechanism powered by the firing mechanism for revolving the conveyer belt, wherein the conveyance mechanism is disposed within the appendage and wherein the projectiles within the primary reservoir and the conveyance mechanism are under atmospheric pressure.

20 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description9,122 words

Summary1,826 words

#This invention relates generally to gas powered guns suitable for projecting light weight projectiles, and, specifically, to gas powered repeating guns suitable for projecting paint balls.

#Gas powered guns suitable for projecting light weight projectiles have been in existence for some time. Within the last 15 years, gas powered guns adapted to project a semi-solid ball of paint have become very popular for playing out simulated combat games among adults. Typically, the "paint balls" used in such games weigh about 0.11 ounces and are about 0.7 inches in diameter. Such simulated combat games have become highly sophisticated, organized affairs. The number of adults who regularly participate in such paint ball competitions number in the hundreds of thousands.

#To store projectiles, existing gas powered guns typically utilize hopper-like containers suspended above the guns where the containers are filled with projectiles which are fed into the gun for filing. The containers are separate units from the guns.

Brief description of the drawings18 figures

#These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become understood with reference to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the gas powered repeating gun of the present invention with partial cutout sections;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the forestock section of the gun of FIG. 1;

Detailed description6,943 words

#Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of a gas powered repeating gun 10 capable of firing projectiles with compressed gas according to the present invention is described. In this embodiment, the gun 10 comprises: (a) a stock section 12; (b) a central section 14 attached to the stock section 12; (c) a barrel section 16 attached to the central section 14; (d) a barrel 18 disposed within the barrel section 16, the barrel 18 having a longitudinal axis, a central bore 20, a proximal end 22 and a distal end 24; (e) a breech 26 disposed proximate the proximal end 22 of the barrel 18; (f) a primary reservoir 28 capable of retaining at least about 50 projectiles, the reservoir being at least 80% disposed within the central section 14; (g) a conveyance mechanism 30 capable of delivering projectiles from the primary reservoir 28 to the breech 26 at a rate greater than about 300 per minute; and (h) a firing mechanism 32 capable of delivering discrete bursts of compressed gas to the breech 26 and thereby firing projectiles at a rate greater than about 300 per minute.

#The stock section 12 can be of any shape suitable for gripping by a user. It can have a longitudinal axis substantially parallel with or transverse to that of the central section 14. The stock section 12 can be made out of any suitable material, including metals, plastics and woods.

#Preferably, the gun 10 can further comprise an appendage 34 disposed below and attached to the central section 14 forward of the stock section 12. In this embodiment, the primary reservoir 28 and the conveyance mechanism 30 are disposed within the appendage 34. The appendage 34 is attached to the gun 10 such that the appendage 34 can be detached and re-attached without use of tools. As such, the appendage 34 can be quickly detached and replaced with another appendage as desired. Similarly, because the conveyance mechanism 30 is disposed within the appendage 34, the conveyance mechanism 30 can be easily detached from the gun 10. Although in the embodiment shown in the drawings the primary reservoir 28 and the conveyance mechanism 30 are both disposed within the appendage 34, the present invention contemplates embodiments of the gun 10 in which the primary reservoir 28 and the conveyance mechanism 30 are separately attached to the gun 10 whereby either or both may be attached or re-attached. Further, the conveyance mechanism 30 can also be a permanent part of the gun 10 where it cannot be detached from the gun 10 without use of tools. The appendage 34 can be of any desired shape, but preferably it is rectangular and emulates ammunition clips of real guns in dimension and appearance.

Facts

Application

08/433,248Filed 28 Apr 1995

Granted

30 Jun 1998

Term ended

30 Jun 2015

Estimated · how

Pre-1995 term; greater of 17 years from grant or 20 years from filing when eligible. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification3 codes

F41B 11/54
Magazines for compressed-gas guns; Arrangements for feeding or loading projectiles from magazines: the projectiles being stored in a rotating drum…
F41B 11/721
Valves; Arrangement of valves: for controlling gas pressure for both firing the projectile and for loading or feeding
F41B
Weapons for projecting missiles without use of explosive or combustible propellant charge

Gas powered repeating gun

Life of this patent

Gas powered repeating gun

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims10

Description9,122 words

Drawings

Classification3 codes

Life of this patent

Description9,122 words