Claims
- 1. A pneumatic gun, said gun adapted for firing of projectiles by use of compressed gas as a propellant, said gun comprising:
(a) a frame, said frame comprising a bolt chamber and a recock chamber, each of said chambers having a forward end and a rearward end; (b) a barrel; (c) a bolt, said bolt mounted for sliding movement within said bolt chamber, said bolt movable between an open projectile loading position, and a closed firing position; (d) a firing chamber, said firing chamber holding a projectile for receipt of compressed gas for propulsion of said projectile outward through said barrel; (e) a loading port in said bolt chamber, said loading port providing a passageway for entry of a projectile into a position in front of said bolt for transport of said projectile to said firing chamber; (f) a gas reservoir, said gas reservoir adapted to contain compressed gas therein; (g) a normally closed valve, said valve situated to control release of gas fro said gas reservoir; said valve including a seat and a seal member displaceable from said seat, wherein said valve prevents the flow of gas therethrough when said seal member is sealed against said seat; (h) a recock piston, said recock piston moveable in said recock chamber from a forward, ready to fire position to a rearward, recocking position, and wherein said recock chamber is in fluid communication with said valve and adapted to receive compressed gas therefrom; (i) an impacter, said impacter comprising an impact imparting face, said impacter located in said recock chamber, said impacter slidable in said recock chamber from a cocked position to a valve opening position, said impacter biased toward said valve opening position, said impacter responsive to rear ard movement of said recock piston, and forwardly slidable toward said valve opening position independently from said recock piston; (j) said valve seal member responsive, directly or indirectly, to an impact fro said impact imparting face to move from (1) a closed, sealed position to (2) an open, gas release position wherein (A) gas is released to propel a projectile, and (B) gas is released into said recock chamber to move said recock piston rearward, which (i) directly or indirectly moves said bolt rearward, and (iii) directly or indirectly moves said impacter rearward.
- 2. A firing mechanism for a pneumatic gun, said gun comprising a frame and a barrel, said firing mechanism comprising:
(a) a gas reservoir for holding compressed air, said gas reservoir having a gas inlet and a gas outlet (b) a recock chamber, said recock chamber having a forward end and a rearward end; (c) a recock piston slidingly mounted in said recock chamber, said recock piston comprising
(i) a piston face disposed within said recock chamber, (ii) a momentum transfer portal through said piston face, (iii) a gas passageway defined by interior sidewalls extending rearwardly from said momentum transfer portal; (iv) a recock piston contact face portion, (v) said recock piston directly or indirectly forwardly biased in said recock chamber; (d) an impacter slidingly mounted in said recock chamber, said impacter
(i) comprising an impact imparting face (ii) adapted for direct or indirect engagement with said recock piston contact face portion of said recock piston, (iii) adapted for independent sliding movement in said recock chamber separate from said recock piston; (e) a valve, said valve having a normally closed position wherein gas in said gas reservoir is prevented from flowing, and an open position wherein said valve permits flow of gas out of said gas reservoir and flow of a portion of said gas into said recock chamber; (f) said impact imparting face of said impacter operable to actuate said valve from said closed position to said open position.
- 3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said impacter further comprises a nose portion, and wherein said nose portion includes said impacter impact imparting face.
- 4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said impact imparting face of said nose portion acts directly on said valve seal member.
- 5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or in claim 2, wherein said valve comprises (i) a seat and (ii) a valve stem having a seal and a valve pin having an impact receiving face, and wherein said impacter impact imparting face directly or indirectly impacts said valve pin impact receiving face.
- 6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or in claim 2, wherein said apparatus further comprises a bolt, said bolt further comprising a contact bar having forward and rearward contact face portions, and wherein said rearward contact face portion directly engages said impacter, and wherein said forward contact face portion directly engages said recock piston.
- 7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or in claim 2, wherein said apparatus further comprises a bolt, said bolt further comprising a gas passageway defined by interior walls, said gas passageway adapted to receive pressurized gas and direct the same toward a projectile being fired.
- 8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said valve further comprises a seat and a valve stem having a seal, said valve stem having a valve pin portion having a preselected length and an impact receiving face, wherein said impact receiving face is disposed to receive an impact from said impact imparting face of said impacter.
- 9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a transfer pin, said transfer pin situated interposed between said valve pin impact receiving face, and said impact-imparting face of said impacter, said transfer pin adapted to transfer motion of said impacter to said valve seal member, so as to displace said seal member from said valve seat and open said valve.
- 10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said transfer pin is sized and shaped for close fitting engagement with, and slildingly translatable movement within, said momentum transfer portal.
- 11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said apparatus further comprises a bolt and a connecting rod, said connecting rod connecting said bolt to said recock piston, so as to constrain said bolt to move in concert with said recock piston.
- 12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein said connecting rod comprises an elongated generally U-shaped link-like member having an extended body portion and relatively short first end and second end members, said first and said second end members affixed to said bolt and said recock piston, respectively.
- 13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, or in claim 2, further comprising a trigger mechanism, said trigger mechanism comprising:
(a) a trigger, said trigger moveable between a forward, free, unfired position and a rearward, fired position; (b) an impacter sear, (c) an impacter power spring, said impacter power spring biasing said impacter for movement toward said valve upon release of said impacter sear; (d) said trigger adapted to release, upon actuation of said trigger toward said fired position, said impacter sear to allow said impacter to
(1) move under bias of said impacter power spring toward, and (2) to engage said impacter, directly or indirectly, with said impact receiving face of said valve, thereby releasing gas through said valve.
- 14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said impacter power spring comprises a compression spring.
- 15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14, further comprising a bolt compression spring, said bolt compression spring biasing said bolt, and said recock piston connected thereto, to ard said closed bolt position.
- 16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a recock sear, said recock sear adapted to secure said recock piston and said bolt in said recocking position, wherein said recock sear holds said recock piston and accompanying bolt in an open bolt position for a time interval sufficient for a projectile to enter the gun breech before said bold and said recock piston are returned to a forward, ready to fire position.
- 17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bolt further comprises a propulsion gas passageway therethrough defined by gas passageway sidewalls, and wherein said gas passageway comprises a propulsion gas inlet and a propulsion gas exit.
- 18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein said bolt is oriented for sliding movement along a longitudinal axis, and wherein said bolt has a bottom portion, and wherein said gas inlet is located along said bottom portion of said bolt.
- 19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein at least a portion of said compressed gas released upon actuation of said valve passes through said gas passageway in said bolt to enter said barrel.
- 20. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein at least a portion of said compressed gas released from said gas reservoir is directed to react against said recock piston, to overcome bias of (a) said impacter power spring and (b) said bolt spring and to (1) drive said impacter, said recock piston, and said bolt toward a recock position, and wherein said recock piston pushes said impacter to a cocked position.
- 21. The apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein movement of said recock piston directly pushes said impacter to the cocked position at which point said impacter sear secures said impacter in a cocked position.
- 22. The apparatus as set forth in claim 21, wherein until said impacter is secured in said cocked position, escape of recock gas through said momentum transfer portal in said recock piston is sufficiently prevented to assure that said impacter reaches said recock position.
- 23. The apparatus as set forth in claim 22, wherein after said impacter reaches said recock position, sufficient recock gas is allowed to escape so that said recock piston and said bolt return to a bolt closed, ready to fire position, while said impacter remains in said cocked position, ready for gun firing.
- 24. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said recock piston further comprises a recock sear receiving shoulder, and wherein said gun further comprises a recock sear pivotally affixed to said frame, and wherein said recock sear holds said recock piston and accompanying bolt in an open bolt position for a time interval sufficient for a projectile to enter the gun breech before said bolt and said recock piston are returned to a forward, ready to fire position.
- 25. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said impacter comprises an impacter sear receiving shoulder.
- 26. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said recock piston comprises a piston face having a transfer portal therethrough, said transfer portal adapted for receiving therethrough, for close fitting engagement therewith, one or more members of the group consisting of (a) an impacter nose, (b) a valve stem, or (c) a transfer pin.
- 27. The apparatus a set forth in claim 26, wherein said transfer portal is located along the axial centerline of said recock piston.
- 28. The apparatus as set forth in claim 27, wherein said transfer portal comprises a circular bore, and wherein said impacter nose of said impacter is of cylindrical cross-section and sized and shaped for close interfitting engagement within said portal.
- 29. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said impacter comprises a middle portion and a rear end portion, and wherein said recock piston comprises an impacter receiving portion, and wherein said impacter receiving portion of said recock piston comprises, rearward of said piston face, an interior sidewall defining a cavity sized and shaped to receive, in interfitting sliding engagement, said middle portion of said impacter.
- 30. The apparatus as set forth in claim 29, wherein said rear end portion of said impacter comprises a forwardly directed face portion, and wherein said recock piston comprises a rear impacter receiving face sized and shaped for receiving said face portion of said impacter.
- 31. The apparatus as set forth in claim 30, wherein said face portion of said impacter is substantially annular in shape, and wherein in said impacter receiving face of said recock piston is substantially annular in shape.
- 32. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said recock piston further comprises an o-ring seal, said o-ring seal adapted to seal said recock piston against said recock chamber wall, to provide a pressurizable chamber to receive compressed gas, so that said recock piston is responsive to pressure against said piston face of said recock piston.
- 33. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bolt and said recock piston are coupled together for unitary movement by a connecting rod.
- 34. The apparatus as set forth in claim 33, wherein said frame further comprises an intercavity web, and wherein said intercavity web comprises, at the rearward reaches thereof, an intercavity web slot, and wherein said connecting rod travels slidingly rearward and forward through said intercavity web slot.
- 35. The apparatus as set forth in claim 34, wherein said impacter further comprises a registration pin, and wherein said registration pin is slidingly engaged in said intercavity web slot.
- 36. The apparatus as set forth in claim 33, wherein said recock piston further comprises a registration slot, and wherein said impacter comprises, at the rearward reaches thereof, a registration boss, and wherein said registration boss travels slidingly rearward and forward through said registration slot, while substantially preventing said impacter from rolling on its longitudinal axis.
- 37. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said gun further comprises a loading port, and wherein said apparatus further comprises a magazine for delivering projectiles to said barrel, and wherein said magazine meets said gun at said loading port which is opened by bolt passage rearward, and closed by bolt passage forward to a firing position, so that said bolt substantially prevents loss of propellant gas outward through said loading port.
- 38. The gun as set forth in claim 1, wherein said recock piston comprises a generally tubular cylindrical structure oriented horizontally having one open end and one closed end having a momentum portal therethrough.
- 39. The gun as set forth in claim 38, wherein said impacter comprises a horizontally oriented cylindrical shape having a forward end and a rearward end, and wherein said rearward end comprises an outwardly directed transverse flange portion.
- 40. A pneumatic gun, said gun for firing projectiles by use of compressed gas as a propellant, said gun comprising:
(a) a frame comprising a front end and a rear end; (b) a barrel, (c) a gas reservoir, said gas reservoir adapted to contain therein compressed gas received from a compressed gas container; (d) a normally-closed impact-openable valve, said valve situated to control release of gas from said gas reservoir, said valve comprising a valve body having a rearwardly directed face, a forwardly directed seat, and a rearwardly directed seal member displaceable from said seat; (e) a recock chamber, said recock chamber defined within said frame rearward of said rearward directed face of said valve body; said recock chamber having a forward sealable portion; (f) a recock piston, said recock piston translatable in said recock chamber between a forward ready-to-fire position and a rearward impacter-cocking position, said recock piston forwardly biased in said recock chamber, said recock piston comprising (i) a forwardly directed face that is sealingly slidable within said forward sealable portion of said recock chamber, (ii) a longitudinal passageway penetrating said recock piston rearwardly from said forwardly directed face, (iii) a momentum transfer portal, said portal located at the transition from said forwardly directed face to said longitudinal passageway; (g) recock gas porting,
said recock gas porting fluidly directing a portion of gas released by said valve to said forward sealable portion of said recock chamber, said recock piston sufficiently responsive to force exerted by gas provided to said forward sealable portion of said recock chamber to recock said gun; (h) an impacter, said impacter translatable in said recock chamber between a valve-impacting position and a cocked position, said impacter forwardly biased in said recock chamber toward said valve-impacting position,
said impacter comprising (i) a forwardly directed sear shoulder, (ii) a body having a transverse cross section larger than the transverse cross section of said momentum transfer portal, said body positioned rearward of said momentum transfer portal, (iii) a forwardly directed impact imparting face, said impact imparting face operable to actuate said valve from said closed to said open position; said impacter (A) responsive to rearward movement of said recock piston and (B) forwardly slidable independently of said recock piston; (i) propulsion gas porting, said propulsion gas porting fluidly directing a portion of gas released by said valve to impinge on a projectile to be fired by said gun, said gun adapted to hold a projectile in position to be propelled forward through said barrel upon delivery of propulsion gas thereto.
- 41. A pneumatic gun using compressed gas as a propellant, said gun adapted for firing projectiles upon actuation by a user, said gun comprising:
(a) a frame comprising an upper cavity and a lower cavity, said frame having a front end and a rear end; (b) a trigger; (c) a user actuable sear operably linked to said trigger; (d) a barrel, (e) a gas reservoir, said gas reservoir adapted to contain therein compressed gas received from a compressed gas container; (f) a normally-closed impact-openable valve, said valve situated to control release of gas from said gas reservoir, said valve comprising (i) a valve body, (ii) a rearwardly directed pressurizable face, (iii) a forwardly directed seat, and (iv) a valve stem, said valve stem comprising (A) a seal body having a rearwardly directed seal sealingly engageable with and displaceable from said seat, and B) a valve stem, said valve ste having a rearwardly directed impact receiving face; (g) a recock chamber, said recock chamber defined by interior sidewalls of a lower cavity within said frame rearward of said rearwardly directed pressurizable face of said valve body; said recock chamber having a forward sealable portion; (h) a recock piston, said recock piston translatable in said recock chamber between a forward ready-to-fire position and a rearward impacter-cocking position, said recock piston forwardly biased in said recock chamber, said recock piston comprising (i) a forwardly directed face that is sealingly slidable within said forward sealable portion of said recock chamber, (ii) a longitudinal passageway penetrating said recock piston rearwardly from said forwardly directed face, (iii) a momentum transfer portal, said portal located at the transition from said forwardly directed face to said longitudinal passageway; (i) recock gas porting, said recock gas porting fluidly directing a portion of gas released by said valve to said forward sealable portion of said recock chamber; (j) said recock piston sufficiently responsive to force exerted by gas provided to said forward sealable portion of said recock chamber to recock said gun; (k) an impacter,
said impacter translatable in said recock chamber between a valve-opening position and a cocked position, said impacter forwardly biased in said recock chamber by an impacter compression spring toward said valve-opening position, said impacter comprising (i) a forwardly directed sear shoulder, (ii) a body having a transverse cross section larger than the transverse cross section of said momentum transfer portal, said body positioned rearward of said momentum transfer portal, (iii) a forwardly directed impact imparting face, said impact imparting face operable to actuate said valve from said closed to said open position, (iv) a forwardly directed sear shoulder receptive to engagement by said user-actuable sear to restrain said impacter in said cocked position, said impacter (A) responsive to rearward movement of said recock piston and (B) forwardly slidable independently of said recock piston; (l) a bolt chamber located within said upper cavity in said frame (m) a bolt, said bolt forwardly biased in said bolt chamber by a bolt compression spring and said recock piston forwardly biased within said recock chamber by said bolt, said bolt slidably translatable within said bolt chamber between a forward bolt closed, ready-to-fire position and a rearward open position, said open position serving to allow the introduction of a projectile into said bolt chamber; said closed position serving to effectively seal said bolt chamber against the loss of propulsion gas except that propulsion gas directed through gas passageway defining walls in said bolt adapted for accepting propulsion gas therethrough; (n) propulsion gas porting, said propulsion gas porting fluidly directing a portion of gas released by said valve to impinge on a projectile to be fired by said gun, said gun adapted to hold a projectile in position to be propelled forward through said barrel upon delivery of propulsion gas thereto.
- 42. The gun as set forth in claim 41, wherein said valve stem further comprises a valve pin which fits in sliding mating engagement within and effectively seals said momentum transfer portal during at least a portion distance of the rearward travel of said recock piston during recocking of said gun.
- 43. The gun as set forth in claim 1, or in claim 2, or in claim 40, or in claim 41, further comprising an impacter rod, said impacter rod having a front end and a rear end, said impacter rod (i) longitudinally extending through said rear of said frame, (ii) affixed at said front end to said impacter, and (iii) affixed at said rear end to a user graspable knob, wherein rearward movement by a user on said impacter rod serves to move said impacter to said cocked position.
- 44. The gun as set forth in claim 1, or in claim 41, further comprising a bolt rod, said bolt rod having a front end and a rear end, said bolt rod (i) longitudinally extending through said rear of said frame, (ii) affixed at said front end to said bolt, and (iii) affixed at said rear end to a user graspable knob, wherein rearward movement by a user on said bolt rod serves to move said bolt toward an open position.
- 45. The gun as set forth in claim 41, wherein
said recock piston further comprises, extending downward from said longitudinal passageway, a recock piston registration slot, and wherein said impacter further comprises a registration boss extending downward from said body, said registration boss and said registration slot sized and shaped for complementary sliding engagement during longitudinal displacement between said impacter and said recock piston, so that said impacter is prevented from rolling about its longitudinal axis.
- 46. The gun as set forth in claim 45, wherein said registration boss is detachably affixable to said impacter.
- 47. The gun as set forth in claim 40, or in claim 41, wherein
said recock piston comprises a generally horizontally U-shaped structure having an interior sidewall, said structure having a primary open end oriented toward said impacter, and wherein said impacter body is sized and shaped in an elongated structure having outer dimensions complementary in size and shape to said interior sidewall, so that said impacter body is slidingly engageable within said recock piston.
- 48. The gun as set forth in claim 47, wherein said impacter further comprises a forwardly directed impact imparting face, said impact imparting face engagable against said impact receiving face on said valve stem to displace said seal and open said valve when said impacter is in said valve impacting position.
- 49. The gun as set forth in claim 47, wherein said valve stem comprises a valve pin having a distal end, and wherein said impact receiving race is on said distal end of said valve stem.
- 50. The gun as set forth in claim 48, wherein said impacter comprises an elongated nose portion having a distal end, and wherein said impact imparting face is at said distal end of said elongated nose portion.
- 51. The gun as set forth in claim 48, wherein said elongated nose portion is cylindrical in shape, and wherein said momentum transfer portal is circular in shape.
- 52. The gun as set forth in claim 48, wherein said elongated nose portion of said impacter is sufficiently short so that when said impacter is in said cocked position, said momentum transfer portal in said recock piston is effectively open during a portion the forward displacement of said recock piston, so that gas trapped in said sealed portion of said recock chamber can escape through said momentum transfer portal.
- 53. The gun as set forth in claim 48, wherein said elongated nose portion of said impacter is sufficiently long so that said nose portion effectively seals said transfer momentum portal during a portion of the rearward displace ent of said recock piston, so that said recock piston is forced to said recock position.
- 54. The gun as set forth in claim 41, further comprising a bolt actuated projectile loader.
- 55. The apparatus as set forth in claim 40, said gun further comprising a forwardly biased bolt slidably translatable within said frame, said bolt constrained to move in concert with said recock piston.
- 56. The apparatus as set forth in claim 40, said gun further comprising a forwardly biased bolt slidably translatable within said frame, said bolt responsive to rearward motion of said recock piston, and said recock piston responsive to forward motion of said bolt.
- 57. The apparatus as set forth in claim 55 or claim 56, said impacter directly responsive to rearward travel of said recock piston.
- 58. The apparatus as set forth in claim 40, said impacter further comprising a forwardly directed nose portion ending forwardly in said impact imparting face.
- 59. The apparatus as set forth in claim 40, said valve further comprising a valve stem, said valve stem comprising a rearwardly directed valve pin and said seal member said valve pin ending rearwardly in said impact receiving face.
- 60. The apparatus as set forth in claim 58, wherein said impacter nose portion passes through said recock piston transfer portal to open said valve.
- 61. The apparatus as set forth in claim 59, wherein said valve pin passes through said recock piston transfer portal to receive energy from said impacter to open said valve.
- 62. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein as said recock piston moves rearward from the ready-to-fire position, said impacter nose portion effectively prevents the escape through said recock piston transfer portal of gas provided for recocking sufficiently to ensure that said recock piston travels to the impacter cocking position.
- 63. The apparatus as set forth in claim 59, said impacter further comprising a forwardly directed nose portion, and wherein when said impacter is in said valve-impacting position said impacter nose and said valve pin engage to open said valve.
- 64. The gun set forth in claim 48, wherein said elongated nose portion of said impacter is sufficiently long so that said nose portion effectively prevents the escape of gas through said transfer momentum portal during a portion of the rearward displacement of said recock piston, so that said recock piston is forced to said recock position.
- 65. The gun as set forth in claim 54, wherein said projectile loader is indirectly actuated by said bolt.
- 66. The gun as set forth in claim 41, further comprising a recock piston actuated projectile loader.
- 67. A hammer assembly for utilization in a pneumatic gun, which gun comprises a user actuable trigger controlling a sear, a gas reservoir, a normally closed impact openable valve having an impact receiving face, a frame having a rear end and a forward end and a longitudinally extending chamber within said frame, one end of said chamber sealable and in fluid communication with said valve, said hammer assembly comprising:
(A) a recock piston slidable in said chamber between a ready to fire position and an impacter cocking position, said recock piston biased toward said ready to fire position, said ready to fire position being toward said sealable end of said chamber, said recock piston comprising:
(i) a piston face end directed toward said sealable end of said chamber; (ii) a longitudinal passageway penetrating said recock piston from said piston face end; (iii) a momentum transfer portal, said portal located at the transition from said piston face end to said longitudinal passageway; (B) an impacter slidable in said chamber between a cocked position and a valve opening position, and biased toward said valve opening position, said valve opening position being toward said sealable end of said chamber, said impacter comprising:
(i) a sear shoulder engageable on said sear to selectively restrain said impacter in said cocked position; (ii) an impacter body having a transverse cross section larger than the transverse cross section of said momentum transfer portal, said impacter body positioned so that said portal is between said impacter body and said sealable end of said chamber; (iii) an impact imparting face positioned to directly or indirectly transfer valve-opening impact through said portal to said impact receiving face to open said valve, said impacter (a) responsive to rearward movement of said recock piston and (b) forwardly slidable independently of said recock piston.
RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
[0001] This invention is related to my U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Serial No. 60/307,923 filed on Jul. 26, 2001, entitled Pneumatic Gun, and Ser. No. 60/363,450 filed on Mar. 11, 2002, entitled Paintball Loader, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60307923 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
|
60363450 |
Mar 2002 |
US |