Claims
- 1. A valve assembly adapted to be removably installed in a pneumatic gull in which a compressed gas is released both to propel a projectile and to recock the pneumatic gun, said valve assembly comprising:
(a) a main valve that is normally closed and selectively opened during a firing sequence; (b) a main passage disposed in the valve assembly, in fluid communication with the main valve, said main passage providing a fluid path for conveying a compressed gas that flows through the main valve when the main valve is selectively opened; (c) a recocking gas flow passageway fully disposed within the valve assembly, in fluid communication with the main passage, so that a portion of a compressed gas flowing through the main valve when selectively opened, flows through the recocking gas flow passageway for use in recocking a pneumatic gun; (d) a threaded bore formed within said valve assembly, adjacent to the recocking gas flow passageway; and (e) an adjustable flow control, said adjustable flow control externally threaded and rotatably disposed in the threaded bore adjacent to the recocking gas flow passageway, the adjustable flow control being movable to change an extent by which a flow of the portion of the compressed gas through the recocking gas flow passageway is restricted, said adjustable flow control being thereby selectively adjustable to control a force applied by the portion of the compressed gas in recocking a pneumatic gun.
- 2. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjustable flow control has a restricting portion, and wherein rotation of the adjustable flow control moves the restricting portion of the adjustable flow control to change the extent by which the flow of the portion of the compressed gas through the recocking gas flow passageway is restricted.
- 3. The valve assembly of claim 2, wherein the restricting portion extends at least partially into the recocking gas flow passageway when the flow of the portion of the compressed gas is limited thereby.
- 4. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising a seal disposed around the adjustable flow control to prevent the compressed gas from leaking past the adjustable flow control.
- 5. The valve assembly of claim 4, wherein said seal impinges upon the adjustable flow control, producing a friction that prevents an unintended change in a setting of the adjustable flow control.
- 6. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjustable flow control is configured to engage a tool to enable the adjustable flow control to be adjusted in situ within a pneumatic gun.
- 7. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising a bypass path within the valve assembly, said bypass path being generally parallel to the recocking gas flow passageway, but unrestricted by the adjustable flow control.
- 8. A main valve assembly that is adapted to be installed in a pneumatic gun for controlling a flow and a distribution of a compressed gas supplied from a reservoir, wherein a portion of the compressed gas is employed to propel a projectile from the pneumatic gun and another portion is employed to recock the gun for a subsequent firing, said main valve assembly comprising:
(a) a main valve body; (b) a main valve seat disposed in the main valve body and a main valve seal that is movable to an open state from a normally closed position, said main valve seal being biased in a sealing relationship against the main valve seat when in the normally closed position, and moved away from the main valve seat when in the open state; (c) a main valve passage that extends through the main valve assembly from the main valve seat and which is adapted to convey a compressed gas that has flowed past the main valve seat when the main valve seal is in the open state; (d) a recocking flow passage fully disposed in the main valve body and coupled in fluid communication with the main valve passage, said recocking flow passage being adapted to convey a portion of a compressed gas that has flowed past the main valve seat when the main valve seal is in the open state, for use in recocking a pneumatic gun; (e) a threaded bore disposed within said valve assembly adjacent to the recocking flow passage; and (f) an adjustable recocking flow control rotatably disposed in the threaded bore adjacent to the recocking flow passage, said adjustable recocking flow control having a restricting portion that adjustably limits a flow of a compressed gas through the recocking flow passage to a desired level as the adjustable recocking flow control is rotated.
- 9. The main valve assembly of claim 8, further comprising a seal disposed around a periphery of the main valve body, for use in preventing a compressed gas from flowing past the periphery of the main valve body when installed in a pneumatic gun.
- 10. The main valve assembly of claim 8, further comprising a tool receptacle disposed in an outer end of the adjustable recocking flow control, for receiving a tool used to adjust the adjustable recocking flow control in situ, to change the flow of a compressed gas through the recocking flow passage to the desired level.
- 11. The main valve assembly of claim 8, further comprising an elastomeric seal disposed around the adjustable recocking flow control to prevent a compressed gas from leaking past the adjustable recocking flow control from the recocking flow passage.
- 12. The main valve assembly of claim 11, wherein the elastomeric seal impinges upon the adjustable recocking flow control, producing a frictional drag that prevents an unintended change in a setting of the adjustable recocking flow control.
- 13. The main valve assembly of claim 8, further comprising a bypass path for a compressed gas to flow in parallel with the recocking flow passage without being limited by the adjustable recocking flow control.
- 14. The main valve assembly of claim 8, wherein the adjustable flow control is elongate and includes a tapered end that is moved relative to the recocking flow passage to variably limit the flow of a compressed gas into the recocking flow passage.
- 15. A method for adjusting a flow of a compressed gas through a main valve body that is removably inserted within a pneumatic gun, comprising the steps of:
(a) interrupting the flow of the compressed gas through a main passage formed in the main valve body with a main valve that is normally closed and which is opened when the pneumatic gun is fired, said main passage being in fluid communication with a firing chamber into which a major portion of the compressed gas is delivered to propel a projectile from the pneumatic gun when the main valve is opened; (b) diverting a minor portion of the compressed gas through a recocking passage fully formed in the main valve body and into a recocking chamber, when the main valve is opened; (c) positioning a recocking flow control so that a restricting portion thereof is disposed adjacent to the recocking passage, said recocking flow control including threads around an outer surface thereof, said threads mating with corresponding threads within a bore in the main valve body, so that rotation of the recocking flow control moves the recocking flow control longitudinally; and (d) enabling a user to adjust the recocking flow control in situ by rotating it to position the restricting portion of the recocking flow control so as to achieve a desired level of flow of the minor portion of the compressed gas through the recocking flow passage and into the recocking chamber.
- 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the recocking flow control is rotatable to adjust the flow of the minor portion of the compressed gas into the recocking passage.
- 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the restricting portion of the recocking flow control comprises a tapered distal end thereof, so that rotation of the recocking flow control varies an extent by which the tapered distal end limits the flow of the minor portion of the compressed gas into the recocking chamber through the recocking passage.
- 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of sealing around the recocking flow control to prevent the compressed gas from leaking past the recocking flow control.
- 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of providing a bypass path that is in fluid communication with the main passage and the recocking chamber and which conveys at least some of the compressed gas from the main passage into the recocking chamber in parallel with the minor portion of the compressed gas that flows through the recocking passage and into the recocking chamber.
- 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of enabling a user to adjust the recocking flow control in situ comprises the step of providing an opening in the pneumatic gun that is disposed adjacent an end of the recocking flow control, so that the end of the recocking flow control can be engaged with a tool used to adjust the recocking flow control.
- 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of forming the end of the recocking flow control to be readily engage by the tool.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on a prior co-pending provisional patent application, Ser. No. 60/388,913, filed on Jun. 14, 2002, the benefit of the filing date of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e).
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60388913 |
Jun 2002 |
US |