Claims
- 1. A paint ball gun comprising:
an actuator coupled to the paint ball gun configured to advance in coordination with the paint ball gun being fired; a paint ball advance assembly coupled to the actuator that moves in response to movement by the actuator; a bias member engageable with the actuator to create a return force on the actuator to move the actuator opposite the direction of the advance; and a paint ball feed assembly in operable communication with the paint ball advance assembly and which engages the paint ball to feed the paint ball into the paint ball gun when the bias member moves the actuator opposite the advance which moves the paint ball advance assembly.
- 2. The paint ball gun of claim 1, wherein an engaging member extends from the paint ball gun and is caused to move by firing the paint ball gun, the engaging member also being engageable with the actuator to advance the actuator as the engaging member moves.
- 3. The paint ball gun of claim 1, wherein the paint ball feed assembly comprises a priming member attached to the paint ball advance assembly.
- 4. The paint ball gun of claim 3, wherein the paint ball feed assembly comprises a load member assembly attached to the paint ball advance assembly such that the load member assembly loads a paint ball into the paint ball gun.
- 5. The paint ball gun of claim 4, wherein the load member assembly comprises a plurality of spaced apart coaxially aligned extending members.
- 6. The paint ball gun of claim 1, wherein the paint ball advance assembly being a ratchet assembly.
- 7. The paint ball gun of claim 6, wherein the ratchet assembly comprises a wheel in communication with paint ball fee assembly, a first pawl to communicate motion from the piston to the wheel, and a second pawl to selectively prevent motion of the wheel.
- 8. A paint ball gun comprising:
a chamber attached to the paint ball gun; a piston disposed in the chamber; a spring member in communication with the piston to bias the piston in a first direction; a fluid source to provide a force against the piston in a second direction that opposes the first direction; a reciprocating lever coupled to the piston, the lever comprising a pawl; a wheel having a plurality of teeth disposed thereon configured to receive the pawl of the reciprocating lever such that as the piston moves in the second direction the pawl engages one of the plurality of teeth to cause the wheel to rotate in a first rotational direction; a spring pawl that engages another of the plurality of teeth to prevent rotation of the wheel in a second rotational direction, which is opposite the first rotational direction, when the piston is moving in the second direction; a paint ball guide member coupled to the wheel, the paint ball guide configured to feed a paint ball into the paint ball gun; wherein fluid from the fluid source enters the chamber moving the piston in the second direction causing the pawl of the reciprocating lever to engage one of the plurality of teeth of the wheel; and wherein the bias of the spring member moves the piston in the first direction such that the engagement between the pawl and one of the plurality of teeth moves the wheel in the first rotational direction to cause the guide member to move to feed the paint ball into the paint ball gun.
- 9. A paint ball gun, the paint ball gun comprising an automatic paint ball feed mechanism, the automatic paint ball feed mechanism comprising:
a chamber attached to the paint ball gun; a piston disposed in the chamber and being movable within the chamber in first and second directions, the second direction being opposite the first direction; a ratchet mechanism in coupled with the piston; and a paint ball guide member coupled to the ratchet mechanism, the paint ball guide configured to feed a paint ball into the paint ball gun; wherein a force acts on the piston moving the piston in the second direction to engage the ratchet mechanism and after depletion of the force the piston moves in the first direction to cause the paint ball guide member to move and feed the paint ball into the paint ball gun.
- 10. The paint ball gun of claim 9, wherein the paint ball guide member comprises a priming member coupled to the ratchet assembly.
- 11. The paint ball gun of claim 10, wherein the paint ball guide member comprises a load member assembly.
- 12. The paint ball gun of claim 11, wherein the load member assembly comprises a plurality of spaced apart paddles.
- 13. The paint ball gun of claim 9, wherein the ratchet mechanism comprises a wheel in communication with the paint ball feed assembly, a first pawl to communicate motion from a piston to the wheel, and a second pawl to selectively prevent motion of the wheel.
- 14. A paint ball gun, the paint ball gun comprising an automatic paint ball feed mechanism, the automatic paint ball feed mechanism comprising:
a magazine attached to the paint ball gun and configured to contain at least one paint ball; wherein the magazine is in operable communication with a firing mechanism portion of the paint ball gun by an opening adjacent both the magazine and the firing mechanism; and a ball guide member coupled to the gun and extending therefrom and into the magazine to direct the paint ball into the firing mechanism through the opening.
- 15. The paint ball gun of claim 14, wherein the magazine comprises a plurality of paddle assemblies, the assemblies being coaxially aligned.
- 16. The paint ball gun of claim 14, wherein the magazine comprises a plane flooring at its lowermost extent.
- 17. The paint ball gun of claim 15, wherein the plurality of paddles having a space between at least a pair of the plurality of paddles, the space configured to receive the ball guide member.
- 18. A paint ball gun, the paint ball gun comprising an automatic paint ball feed mechanism, the automatic paint ball feed mechanism comprising:
a magazine having a paddle wheel assembly configured to move at least one paint ball into the paint ball gun; wherein the paddle wheel assembly comprises a plurality of coaxially aligned paddle members; wherein each of the plurality of paddle members comprises at least two paddle blades; and wherein the paint ball gun comprises a ball guide member that guides a paint ball moved by the paddle wheel assembly.
- 19. The paint ball gun of claim 18, wherein the magazine comprises a plane flooring adjacent one of the plurality of paddle members.
- 20. The paint ball gun of claim 18, wherein the plurality of paddle members have a space between at least a pair of the plurality of paddle members, the space configured to receive the ball guide member.
- 21. A paint ball gun, the paint ball gun comprising an automatic paint ball feed mechanism, the automatic paint ball feed mechanism comprising:
a reciprocating lever comprising a pawl; a wheel having a plurality of teeth disposed thereon to receive the pawl of the reciprocating lever such that as the lever moves in a second direction the pawl engages one of the plurality of teeth to cause the wheel to rotate in a first rotational direction; a spring pawl that engages another of the plurality of teeth to prevent rotation of the wheel in a second rotational direction, which is opposite the first rotational direction; a center post extending from the wheel; a paint ball guide member coupled to the center post, the paint ball guide configured to feed a paint ball into the paint ball gun.
- 22. A misfed paint ball clearing apparatus operable to clear a misfed paint ball in a paint ball gun by allowing the misfed paint ball to be deposited in a firing chamber of the paint ball gun, the misfed paint ball clearing apparatus comprising:
an advance assembly; an actuator; wherein motion of the actuator drives the advance assembly; and a feed assembly; wherein driving of the advance assembly causes concurrent movement of the feed assembly; and wherein concurrent movement of the feed assembly affects the misfed paint ball's position with respect to the paint ball gun to cause the misfed paint ball to deposit in the firing chamber of the paint ball gun.
- 23. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the actuator further comprises a piston arm.
- 24. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the advance assembly is a ratchet system.
- 25. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 24, wherein the ratchet system comprises a wheel having a plurality of notches disposed thereon, a pawl engageable with the wheel to rotate the wheel, and a stop selectively engageable with the wheel to prevent rotation of the wheel.
- 26. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus claim 25, wherein the pawl further comprises a tooth that extends from the pawl.
- 27. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least one of the plurality of notches has a detent disposed therein.
- 28. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 27, wherein the tooth selectively engages the detent.
- 29. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the feed assembly further comprises at least one paddle which affects the misfed paint ball's position with respect to the paint ball gun to cause the misfed paint ball to deposit in the firing chamber of the paint ball gun.
- 30. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a trigger mechanism that selectively engages the actuator to initiate motion of the actuator.
- 31. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 30, wherein motion of the actuator is in a first linear direction, and concurrent movement of the feed assembly is in a first rotational direction.
- 32. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 31, wherein concurrent movement of the feed assembly in the first rotational direction affects the misfed paint ball's position with respect to the paint ball gun
- 33. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 32, wherein a movement of the feed assembly in a second rotational direction causes the misfed paint ball to deposit in the firing chamber of the paint ball gun.
- 34. A paint ball gun having a misfed paint ball clearing apparatus which comprises:
a container positioned adjacent an opening disposed in the paint ball gun; wherein the opening provides operable communication between the container and an interior portion of the paint ball gun; an extending member positioned within the container; wherein the extending member is movable in a first direction to affect a paint ball's position relative to the container, wherein the paint ball would otherwise be prevented from entering the opening disposed in the paint ball gun; and wherein the extending member is movable in a second direction to deposit the paint ball into the opening disposed in the paint ball gun.
- 35. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 34, wherein the first direction in which the extending member is movable is a first rotational direction.
- 36. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 35, wherein the second direction in which the extending member is movable is a second rotational direction.
- 37. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 34, wherein the first and second rotational directions are opposed directions.
- 38. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus of claim 35, wherein the extending member engages the paint ball, which is misfed relative to the opening, to move the paint ball to another position relative to the container, and re-engage the paint ball to deposit the paint ball into the opening.
- 39. A method for clearing a misfed paint ball in a paint ball gun wherein the paint ball is misfed relative to a feed mechanism attached to the paint ball gun and is prevented from entering a firing chamber of the paint ball gun, wherein the feed mechanism otherwise deposits a paint ball into the firing chamber, the method for clearing the misfed paint ball comprising the steps of:
powering an actuator; engaging the advance assembly by the actuator to cause the advance assembly to move; driving the feed mechanism by engagement with and movement of the advance assembly; and clearing the misfed paint ball by driving the feed mechanism which affects a positional adjustment of the misfed paint ball relative to the firing chamber to reposition the paint ball to a location that allows the misfed paint ball to be deposited into the firing chamber.
- 40. The method of claim 39, further comprising the steps of activating a trigger mechanism to initiate powering of the actuator.
- 41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the steps of moving the advance assembly in a first direction.
- 42. The method of claim 41, further comprising the steps of moving the feed mechanism in the first direction concurrently with moving the advance assembly in the first direction.
- 43. The method of claim 42, further comprising the steps of affecting the positional adjustment of the misfed paint ball by moving the feed mechanism in the first direction, wherein the misfed paint ball is repositioned to a location that allows the misfed paint ball to be deposited into the firing chamber.
- 44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the steps of moving the advance assembly in a second direction.
- 45. The method of claim 44, further comprising the steps of moving the feed mechanism in the second direction concurrently with moving the advance assembly in the second direction.
- 46. The method of claim 45, further comprising the steps of moving the misfed paint ball that is able to enter the firing chamber by moving the feed assembly in the second direction, and depositing the misfed paint ball into the firing chamber.
- 47. A method for clearing a misfed paint ball in a paint ball gun wherein the paint ball is misfed relative to a feed assembly attached to the paint ball gun and is prevented from entering a firing chamber of the paint ball gun, wherein the feed mechanism otherwise deposits a paint ball into the firing chamber, the method for clearing the misfed paint ball comprising the steps of:
activating a trigger mechanism; powering an actuator to cause linear movement of the same by activation of the trigger mechanism; engaging an advance assembly by the linear movement of the actuator; rotating a portion of the advance assembly by translating the linear movement of the actuator into rotational movement; and clearing the misfed paint ball by rotating the feed assembly concurrently with rotating the advance assembly which affects a positional adjustment of the misfed paint ball relative to the firing chamber to reposition the paint ball to a location that allows the misfed paint ball to be deposited into the firing chamber.
- 48. The method of claim 47, wherein the advance assembly is a ratchet assembly.
- 49. The method of claim 48, wherein the ratchet assembly comprises a wheel having a plurality of notches disposed thereon, a pawl engageable with at least one of the notches disposed on the wheel to effect rotation of the wheel, and a stop selectively engageable with the wheel to selectively prevent rotation of the wheel.
- 50. The method of claim 49, wherein the pawl selectively engages at least one of the plurality of notches to rotate the wheel in a forward direction.
- 51. The method of claim 50, wherein the pawl further comprises a tooth that extends from the pawl.
- 52. The method of claim 51, wherein at least one of the plurality of notches has a detent disposed therein.
- 53. The method of claim 52, wherein the tooth selectively engages the detent.
- 54. The method of claim 53, further comprising the steps of rotating the wheel in a reverse direction by the tooth which engages the detent.
- 55. The method of claim 54, wherein the reverse direction is opposite the forward direction.
- 56. The method of claim 54, wherein rotation of the wheel in the forward direction causes movement of the feed assembly in the forward direction which affects a positional adjustment of the misfed paint ball relative to the firing chamber to reposition the paint ball to a location that allows the misfed paint ball to be deposited into the firing chamber.
- 57. The method of claim 55, wherein rotation of the wheel in the reverse direction causes movement of the feed assembly in the reverse direction to deposit the paint ball into the firing chamber.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Serial No. 60/345,249, filed on Jan. 3, 2002, entitled AUTOMATIC FEED MECHANISM FOR PAINT BALL GUN. The subject matter disclosed in that provisional application is hereby expressly incorporated into the present application.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60345249 |
Jan 2002 |
US |