Patent Application
20240210141
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The disclosure relates to launching devices and more particularly pertains to a new launching device for hunting and target shooting. The present invention discloses a launching device that uses network of arms to compress a spring, which then drives a carriage to launch a projectile from a barrel.
The prior art relates to launching devices, which may comprise bows that prime a piston when drawn and crossbow cocking mechanisms. What is lacking in the prior art is a launching device comprising a spring driven carriage that launches a projectile from a barrel.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a barrel and a driver. A guide rail is attached to the barrel and extends along a slot, which is positioned in a bottom of the barrel. A carriage is slidably engaged to the guide rail, with a lower end of the carriage extending through the slot. The barrel is configured for insertion of a projectile so that the projectile is positioned adjacent to the carriage. The driver is attached to the carriage and extends along the bottom of the barrel toward an open end of the barrel. A pair of first arms is pivotally attached to and extends bilaterally from the barrel proximate to a butt end of the barrel. Each first arm is operationally engaged to the driver distal from the carriage and is configured to be grasped in a respective hand of a user, positioning the user to pivot the first arms relative to the barrel to charge the driver. A catch is attached to the barrel and is configured to selectively attach to the driver upon charging of the driver. A switch, which is attached to the barrel and which is operationally engaged to the catch, is configured to be switched to discharge the driver to propel the projectile from the barrel.
Another embodiment of the disclosure includes a projectile launching system comprising a projectile launching device, as disclosed above, which has a projectile, such as an arrow, inserted into a barrel of the system.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A guide rail 28 is attached to the barrel 12 and extends along a slot 30, which is positioned in a bottom 32 of the barrel 12. The guide rail 28 may comprise a pair of guide rails 28, the guide rails 28 of which bracket the slot 30. A carriage 34 is slidably engaged to the guide rail 28, with a lower end 36 of the carriage 34 extending through the slot 30. The barrel 12 is configured for insertion of a projectile 18 so that the projectile 18 is positioned adjacent to the carriage 34. A notch 38 may be positioned in a forward facet 40 of the carriage 34 so that it can engage a nock 42 of an arrow 44 or a bolt. The present invention also anticipates the carriage 34 having a variety of shapes to complement projectiles 18 of a variety of configurations. For example, the forward facet 40 of the carriage 34 may be concavely arcuate to accommodate a projectile 18 that is ball shaped or a that has a convexly arcuate portion.
A driver 46 is attached to the carriage 34 and extends along the bottom 32 of the barrel 12 toward an open end 48 of the barrel 12. The driver 46 may comprise a cylinder 50, which is attached, proximate to its first terminus 52, to the lower end 36 of the carriage 34. The cylinder 50 is slidably attached to the bottom 32 of the barrel 12. A channel 54 extends into the first terminus 52 of the cylinder 50. A spring 56 is positioned in the channel 54. A rod 58 is attached to the barrel 12 and extends between the bottom 32 of the barrel 12 and the lower piece 26 of the bracket 22. The rod 58 is aligned with and is selectively insertable into the channel 54. The spring 56 is compressed by the rod 58 as the cylinder 50 is motivated along the barrel 12 from the open end 48 toward a butt end 60 of the barrel 12. The present invention anticipates the driver 46 comprising other driving means, such as, but not limited to, pneumatic cylinders or the like.
A crossbar 62 is attached to and extends bilaterally from the barrel 12 proximate to the butt end 60 of the barrel 12. Each first arm 64 of a pair of first arms 64 is pivotally attached to the crossbar 62 proximate to a respective opposed end 66 of the crossbar 62 so that the first arms 64 extend bilaterally from the barrel 12. Each first arm 64 is operationally engaged to the driver 46 distal from the carriage 34 and is configured to be grasped in a respective hand of the user. The user is positioned to pivot the first arms 64 relative to the barrel 12 to charge the driver 46.
The first arms 64 may be attached to the driver 46 by a pair of second arms 68, cables, cords, or the like. Each second arm 68 is pivotally attached to and extends between the cylinder 50, proximate to a second terminus 70 of the cylinder 50, and a respective first arm 64. A shown in
A catch 78 is attached to the barrel 12 and is configured to selectively attach to the driver 46 upon charging of the driver 46. The catch 78 may comprise a first knob 80 and a second knob 82. The first knob 80 is attached to an underside 84 of the cylinder 50 proximate to the first terminus 52. As shown in
A switch 88, which is attached to the barrel 12 and which is operationally engaged to the catch 78, is configured to be switched to discharge the driver 46 to propel the projectile 18 from the barrel 12. The switch 88 may comprise a trigger 90, which is operationally engaged to the second knob 82. The second knob 82 is retracted into the recess 86 upon pulling of the trigger 90 and the spring 56 rebounds to propel the projectile 18 from the barrel 12. The switch 88 may comprise other switching means, such as, but not limited to, push buttons, toggles, or the like.
Another embodiment of the disclosure includes a projectile launching system 92 comprising a projectile launching device 10, as disclosed above, which has a projectile 18, such as an arrow 44, inserted into a barrel 12 of the system 92.
In use, the first arms 64 are grasped in the hands of the user and pulled toward the butt end 60 of the barrel 12. The spring 56 is compressed and the cylinder 50 locked in place by the catch 78. The user then can insert an arrow 44 into the barrel 12 and engage a nock 42 of the arrow 44 with the notch 38 in the carriage 34. Upon taking aim, the trigger 90 is engaged to release the catch 78, causing the spring 56 to rebound. The force from the spring 56 is transferred to the carriage 34, which slides along the guide rail 28 to propel the arrow 44 from the barrel 12.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
