US2790260A

US2790260A - Automatic cap gun

Info

Publication number: US2790260A
Application number: US426265A
Authority: US
Inventors: Homer C Douglas
Original assignee: T R CHAMBERLAIN
Current assignee: T R CHAMBERLAIN
Priority date: 1954-04-28
Filing date: 1954-04-28
Publication date: 1957-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 1974-04-30

Description

A ril 30, 1957 Filed April 28. 1954 H. C. DOUGLAS AUTOMATIC CAP GUN 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

- d s tgs Patent fire 2,790,260 Patented Apr. 30,

AUTOMATIC CAP GUN Homer C. Douglas, Kansas City, Kaus., assignor to T. R. Chamberlain, Kansas City, Kans.

Application April 28, 1954, Serial No. 426,265 7 Claims. (Cl. 42-57) This invention relates to an automatic cap gun and has for its principal object the provision of relatively simple, inexpensive mechanism for controlling continual advancement of caps along an anvil and repeated actuation of a swingable hammer for firing the caps against the anvil.

It is the most important object of the present invention to improve upon the automatic toy machine gun forming the subject matter of my co-pending application, Serial No. 210,406, filed February 10, 1951, now Patent No. 2,723,478, to the extent of utilizing the principles therein set forth, yet reduce the cost of manufacture, this being a continuation-in-part of said co-pending application.

It is an important object of the instant invention to provide a toy of the aforementioned character that includes novel escapement means for actuating the'capfiring hammer, and having contained therein inexpensive, yet effective means to control the speed of operation of the hammer, together with synchronized means to control the cap feeder by operable connection with the said escapement.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of firing means for automatic cap guns that includes a swingable hammer operably coupled with the pallet of an escapement drive through use of a link, the pivot points between the pallet and the hammer being? arranged for substantial alignment when the hammer is swung away from the anvil.

A still further important object of the instant invention is to provide a feeder for caps of automatic toy guns; that includes a swingable clamp for advancing the strip of caps in one direction, together with a gripper for holding the strip against movement when the feeder is swung in the opposite direction.

Other objects include many important details of con-' struction all of which will be made clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of gun made according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse, cross-sectional view taken on line lI-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, elevational view lookingtrearwardly into the gun upon removal of those parts extending forwardly of line II--II"of Fig. 1. r

Fig. 4 is'an elevational view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the hammer at' the opposite endof its path of travel against the anvil.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the feeder including the anvil, all entirely removed from within the case which normally houses the same.

Fig. 6 is a view. similar to Fig. 3 showing the position of the strip of caps. and having parts broken away to reveal details of construction.

Fig- 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational view of the trigger mechanism, parts being broken away and in section to reveal details of construction.

an automatic cap.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line VIII-VIII of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a detailed, cross-sectional view taken on line IX-IX of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows; and V Fig. 10 is a detailed, cross-sectional view taken on line XX of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

While the shape and design of the toy gun shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings may vary to suit the .desires of the manufacturer, there is showna stock 12, a hand-grip 14, an imitation barrel 16 having a hand-hold thereon, sights 20 and 22, a reciprocable spring-loaded trigger 24, and a housing 26 for containing all of the essential parts of the instant invention. a r 1 Housing 26 is composed of a pair of relatively

rotatable parts

28 and 30, the former of whichincludes a hingedly mounted door 32 having an outlet 34 therein. The housing section 28 is rigidly secured to a plate 36 through the medium of a plurality of pins 38, and in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 8 plate 36 is shown in elevation after removal of the housing section 28 and barrel 16 attached thereto.

Plate 36 is rotatable in the housing section 30 but is held against anti-clockwise rotation viewing Fig. 6, by a spring-loaded detent 40 swingably mounted thereon and received by a notch 42 within the innermost face of the cylindrical housing section 30. Housing section 30 rotatably receives a centrally disposed hub 44 extending freely through the plate 36 as best seen in Fig.7 around which is coiled a spring 46 that has one end thereof secured to the housing section 30 and the opposite end thereof secured to the hub 44, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7 respectively.

Hub 44 rotates about a reciprocable pin 48 attached 7 to the trigger 24 and extending through a toothed member in the form of a' starwheel forming, a part of an escapement mechanism about to be described. The member 50 is rotatable on the pin 48 and secured rigidly to the hub 44 by suitable fasteners 52.

The said escapement includes in addition to the toothed member 50, a pallet 54" swingably mounted on the plate 36 through the medium of a; pivot pin 56 and provided with a shoulder 58 normally bearing against the pin 48 in the manner shown by Figs. 3, 6 and 7 of the drawings.

The swingable pallet 54 is' provided with a pair of esca'pement pins 60 and 62 extending toward the plate 36 Within the path of travel of the teeth of member 50 to control escapement of the latter.

A hammer 64 is mounted on the plate 36 for swinging movement toward and away from an anvil 66 by means of a pivot pin 68. Anvil 66 is secured rigidly to the plate 36 by suitable fasteners .70, whereas the hammer 64 is operably coupled with the pallet 54- by a link 72. .A pivot pin 74 at that end of the pallet 54'opposite to pivot pin 56, couples one end of link 72 with the pallet 54 and" a pivot pin 76 spaced from the pivot pin 68 couples the link 72 with the hammer 64. A stop 78 on the hammer 64 engageable with the link 72, limits the extent of swinging movement of the hammer 64' in one direction. away from the anvil 66. g V 1 A strip of caps 89 is threaded from roll 82 over a pair of spaced fingers 84, thence over the anvil 66,. and finally through the outlet opening 34 of the swingable door 32. Suitable means such as a block 86 (Fig. 2') on the door 32, holds the roll of caps 82 on a pin 88 secured to the plate 36 whenever the door 32 is latched in a closed position as shown in Fig. 1.

A feeder for thestrip includes an arm 90 swingable mounted on the anvil 66 by means of a pivot pin 92. Arm 90'has a clamp' mounted thereon and which includes a spring-loaded, swingable element 94 having a finger tab 96 and a'pair of pron'gs 98 spring-biased toward a avsaaso 3 pair of cars 100 extending upwardly and between the fingers 84.

Anvil 66 also carries a swinable spring-loaded gripper 102 engageable with the strip 80 for holding .the latter each time the said clamp swings away from the gripper 102 to take a new bite.

The feeder is synchronized with, and operated by, the escapement mechanism and to this end, pallet 54 has a rod 104 that extends through an eye 106 on the arm 90. The plate 36 carries an elongated rod 108 that extends over the guiding fingers 84, between the prongs 98 and through the gripper 102. The strip 80 is threaded as seen in Fig. 6 from the roll 82, over the fingers 84, and beneath the rod 108. The strip 80 is also disposed between the prongs 98 and ears 100, and is fed between the gripper. 102 and the anvil 66.

In operation, the spring 46 is wound by grasping the stock 12 and the hand-hold 18 to rotate the housing sections 28 and.30 relatively. It can be appreciated that as. the stock 12 is held, rotation of the housing section 28 rotates the plate 36 clockwise, viewing Fig. 6, which in'turn rotates. the star wheel 50 and the hub 44 whenever the shoulder 58 of pallet 54 is engaged with pin 48.

Hub 44 is driven and the star wheel 50 is thus rotated whenever the trigger 24 is retracted to withdraw the pin 48, thereby clearing the pallet 54 for swinging movement on its pivot pin 56. As soon as the pin 43 is thus retracted, the pallet 54 commences swinging downwardly toward the anvil 66 as the pin 62 slides along the tooth of wheel 50 which it engages in the manner shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. As soon as the pin 62 clears the Wheel 50, the latter rotates anti-clockwise, viewing Fig. 6, until another tooth thereof moves into engagement with the pin 60 causing the pallet 54 to swing upwardly on the pivot pin 56, withdrawing the hammer 64.

The pallet 54, the link 72 and the hammer 64 are permitted to swing upwardly beyond the position shown in Fig. 3.until the pivot pins 68, 74 and 76 are in substantial alignment as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. Past center movement of the pin 76 is prevented by stop 78 moving into engagement with the link 72 as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. The swinging movement of the hammer 64 toward and away from the anvil 66, continues as long as the pin 48 is held retracted and each time the hammer 64 moves to the position shown in Fig. 4, one of the caps of the strip 80 will be fired. The speed of swinging movement of hammer 64 is, therefore, controlled by full-stroke movement of the pallet 54 away from the anvil 66 and the automatic operation may be discontinued at any time by releasing the trigger 24 to place the pin 48 into the path of travel of the shoulder 58 as the pallet 54 moves from the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Swinging movement of the pallet 54 also causes the arm 90 to swing on the pivot pin 92 by virtue of the sliding connection between rod 104 and the eyelet 106. Each time pallet 54 causes the arm 90 to swing from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, gripper 102 acts on the strip 80 to hold the same, while the prongs 98 and the ears 100 slide with respect to the strip 80. When the pallet 54 acting through rod 104 and eyelet 106 swings the arm 90 anticlockwise viewing Figs. 3, 4 and 6, the strip 80 is clamped between the prongs 98 and the ears 100, causing the strip 80 to advance along the guide fingers 84 and the anvil 66. Notable of course, is the fact that the arm 90 swings to the position shown in Fig. 4 as the hammer 64 swings downwardly to a position firing the cap on anvil 66. Advancement of the strip 80 occurs during upward swinging movement of the hammer 64 away from the anvil 66.

Manifestly, the gripper 102 permits freemove'ment of the strip 80 in one direction but holds the latter against movement toward the roll 82 with the clamp on arm. 90

when the latter swings to the position shown in Fig. 4. Rod 108 which overlies the strip 80, prevents buckling of the latter as the arm 90 moves toward the position shown in Fig. 3 and advances the strip 80 beneath the gripper 102. All firing takes place in a downward direction and the fired caps are fed downwardly through the opening 34. Additional rolls 82 may be threaded on the pin 8?: simply by opening the door 32.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic cap gun, a cap-receiving anvil; a cap-firing hammer; means mounting the hammer for movement to and from'a position striking a cap against the anvil; escapement means including a driven element provided with teeth, a pallet for controlling escape of said teeth, power means connected with said element for driving the same, and means mounting said pallet for movement relative to the hammer; and a link pivotally interconnecting the pallet and the hammer for moving the latter upon movement of the pallet.

2. In a cap-firing mechanism for automatic cap guns. a swingable hammer; a swingable actuator for the hammer; a link pivotally interconnecting the actuator and the hammer; a rotatable driven element provided with teeth; power means for driving said element; and a pair of pins mounted on the actuator and engaging said teeth for controlling the escape of the teeth'and the speed of swinging movement of the hammer as the actuator is swung.

3. Ina cap-firing mechanism for automatic cap guns, a hammer; a pivot pin mounting the hammer for swinging movement; a swingable actuator; a link; a pivot pin connecting the link to the actuator; a pivot pin connecting-the linkto the hammer; a power driven element; and means operably connecting said element with the actuator for swinging the actuator to and from a position substantially. aligning the pivot pins, said actuator being disposed intermediate said element and the hammer.

v 4. In a cap-firing mechanism for automatic cap guns, a power driven element; an anvil; a hammer; a pivot pin mounting the hammer for swinging movement toward and away from said anvil; a swingable actuator; means operably connecting said element with the actuator; a link; a pivot pin connecting the link to the actuator; a pivot pin connecting the link to the hammer; and means stopping swinging movement of the hammer away from the anvil beyond a position where the pivot pins are in substantial alignment.

5. In an automatic cap gun, a cap firing mechanism, and a feeder for advancing a strip of caps comprising a swingable device; a clamp mounted on said device; means holding the clamp attached to the strip as the device is swung in one direction; .a swingable hammer; a swingable actuator for the hammer; means pivotally interconnecting the actuator and the hammer; a power driven element; means operably coupling the actuator with said element; and means operably coupling the actuator with said device for swinging the latter; said hammer being disposed to strike the said caps during swinging of the hammer and feeding of the caps by said device.

6. In an automatic cap gun, a cap firing mechanism, and a feeder for advancing a strip of caps comprising a swingable device; a clamp mounted on said device; means holding the clamp attached to the strip as the device is swung in one direction; a gripper for holding the strip as the device is swung in the opposite direction; a swingable. hammer; a swingable actuator for the hammer; means pivotally interconnecting the actuator and the hammer; a power driven element; means operably coupling the actuator with said element; and means operably coupling the actuator with said device for swinging the latter; said hammer being disposed to strike, the said caps during swinging of the hammer and feeding of the caps by said device.

7. In an automatic cap gun, a cap-receiving anvil; a

feeder for advancing a strip of caps along the anvil; a capfiring hammer; means mounting the hammer for movement to and from a position striking the caps against the anvil; a swingable member; means pivotally interconnecting the member with the hammer for swinging the latter; a power driven element; means operably connecting said element with the member, said feeder including a swingable device; a clamp mounted on said device, and means holding the clamp attached to the strip as the device is swung in one direction; and means operably coupling the member with said device for swinging the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS