US3254640A

US3254640A - Propulsion device

Info

Publication number: US3254640A
Application number: US281606A
Authority: US
Inventors: Verner E Sprouse
Original assignee: Vernco Corp
Current assignee: Vernco Corp
Priority date: 1963-05-20
Filing date: 1963-05-20
Publication date: 1966-06-07
Anticipated expiration: 1983-06-07

Description

June '7, 1966 v. E. sPRoUsE 3,254,640

PROPULSION DEVICE Filed May 20. 1963 INVENTOR. BY M/v SWW/5b;

United States Patent() 3,254,640 PROPULSION DEVICE Veruer E. Sprouse, Columbus, Ind., assignor to Vernco Corporation, Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed May 20, 1963, Ser. No. 281,606 6 Claims. (Cl. 124-16) This invention relates to a propulsion device, and has for its objects the provision of such a device which will be simple and easy to operate, which is adapted to impart a directional force to an object, and which will provide such a directional force without any recoil.

In accordance with the preferred form of my invention, there is provided an elongated housing having alongitudinally extending coil spring carried therein. The spring is connected at one of its ends to said housing and has its opposite end connected through a coupling to a plunger movable longitudinally of the housing and projecting outwardly therefrom.

The plunger is movable longitudinally of the housing to dispose said spring in a position forcreating a biasing force on said housing. To releasably retain the plunger in position for the spring to effect such a biasing force, a trigger assembly operatively engageable with said plunger is mounted on the housing. Said trigger assembly is adapted to be actuated to release the plunger to thus release the biasing force of the spring for propelling the housing longitudinally of itself.

Other objects and features of my invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 1--1 of FIG. 3'and showing a propulsion device embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section similar to FIG. l, but showing the device in an uncooked position;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the device shown in FIG l; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary isometric View of the device shown in FIG. 1, but showing said device in position to fire a projectile.

As illustrated in the drawings, my invention comprises an elongated outer housing 10, conveniently in the form of a length of metal-tubing. The ends of the housing are closed by a pair of end closures 12 and 14 which are iixedly mounted on said housing in any convenient manner, such as by screws 16. An elongated coil tension spring 18 is axially carried in the housing 1li and has one of its ends iixedly connected, as at 20,-to the end closure 12 to thus lixedly connect said spring to the housing. The opposite end of the spring 18 is movable with respect to the housing and is connected, as at 22, to a coupling 24 slidably movable along the inner housing walls. Conveniently, the spring 18 and coupling 24 are further joined together by a weight 26 connected to said coupling by a screw 28, the end face of the weight 26 being disposed against the end 22 of the spring connected to the coupling 24. A plunger 30 is xedly mounted in the coupling 24 and extends outwardly therefrom through an opening formed in the end closure 14. Conveniently, the plunger 30 has a length such that it extends outwardly beyond the end closure 14 when the spring 18 is in both its compressed and extended states.

My device may be cocked and lired by any suitable type trigger assembly. As shown in FIG. 1, one such trigger assembly is'mounted on the end closure 14 and isv adapted to releasably engage the plunger 30 when said plunger is moved outwardly to place the spring 18 in tension. To this end, the trigger assembly comprises a pair of laterally spaced

arms

32 and 34 fixedly mounted on the end closure 14 and projecting thereabove. A second pair of arms 32' and 34' interconnected by a transversely extending member 40 are swingably mounted on the end closure 14 by a pair of links 36 rigidly mounted on the

arms

32 and 34 and pivotally mounted on the end closure 14 as at 37. A coil spring 38 interconnects the lower ends of the

arms

34 and 34 and thus urges the upper ends of the

arms

32 and 34 to swing away from the arms 32 and 34.`

As shown in FIG. l, to cock the device the plunger 30 is pulled outwardly to place the spring 18 in tension. The arms 32' and 34 are then swung about the links 36 to move the member 40 into a locking notch 42. formed in the plunger substantially inwardly from the end thereof. The member 40 is releasably retained in the notch 42 by a cord or other suitable means 44 interconnecting the upper ends of the

arms

34 and 34 which thus prevents the

arms

32 and 34 from swinging the member 40 out of said notch under the action of the spring 38. Conveniently, in order to fire the device from either the side or front, the ends of the cord 44 are secured to the

arms

34 and 32 with the intermediate stretch of said cord being slidably carried in an opening in the arm 34. Thus, if the cord stretch between either the

arms

32 and 34 or 34 and 34' is broken, the device will re.

The operation of my device may be described as follows: The plunger 30 is pulled outwardly of the end closure 14 until its locking notch 42 lies over the member 40 connecting the

arms

32 and 34. Whenthe plunger is in this extended position, the spring 18 exerts a biasing force on the housing 10 and the coupling 24, urging v them in opposed directions. The arms 32' and 34 are then swung upwardly about the link pivots 37 until the member 40 is received in the locking notch 42 and the spring 38 is thus placed in tension. With the member 40 received in the plunger locking notch, the cord 44 is applied to the upper ends of the

arms

32, 34, and 34 to hold said member in the locking notch. Upon breaking the cord 44, the

arms

32 and 34,will be swung downwardly under the action of the spring 3S to thus disengage the member 40 from the locking notch 42 thereby releasing the plunger 30. Upon such release of the plunger 30, the spring 18 will cause vthe housing 10, an-d thus the components fixedly connected thereto to move to the right as viewed in FIG. l until said spring reaches its compressed state as shown in FIG. 2. There will be, of course, a limited movement of the plunger 30 and the coupling 24 and weight 26 to the left as viewed in FIG.

l, but the device as a whole will be propelled to the right upon release of the plunger 30. Thus, from the operation just described, it will be apparent 'that my device, when rigidly mounted on an object, will'exert a unidirectional force on that object without exerting any corresponding counterforce or recoil against the object. That is, if my device is mounted on a stationary object, and fired, it will cause such object to move to the right as viewed in FIG. 1, or if such an object is already in motion it will increase the velocity of that moving object. Conversely, if it is mounted on,- and fired from, an object moving to the left as viewed in FIG. l, it will cause the velocity of such an object to be retarded.

It will be also be apparent from FIG. 4, that my device is adapted for ring a projectile. To this end, I mount wardly olf the end of the plunger 30. In using my device for firing such a projectile, it is of course necessary that the housing have free movement in the direction of the ight of the projectile.

I claim as my invention:

l. A propulsion device, comprising an elongated housing, a coil spring carried in said housing and having one of its ends xedly connected thereto, a coupling slidably carried in the housing, said coupling being xedly connected to the opposite end of the spring and to a plunger slidably mounted in the housing and projecting outwardly from one end thereof, and a trigger assembly mounted on said housing and engageable with the outwardly projecting end of the plunger, said trigger assembly releasably retaining said plunger in an extended position and said spring in tension whereby upon release of the plunger the tension of said spring will propel the housing longitudinally in the direction of the outwardly projecting end of the plunger.

2. A propulsion device, comprising an elongated housing having a pair of end closures, a springcarried in said Vhousing and connected at one of its ends to one of said end closures, a coupling slidably carried in said housing and tixedly connected to the opposite end of the spring and a plunger to interconnect said spring and plunger, said plunger being slidably carried in the other of said end closures and projecting outwardly therefrom, and a trigger assembly mounted on said other of said pair of end closures and engageable with the outwardly projecting end of the plunger, said trigger assembly releasably retaining said plunger in an extended position and said spring in tension whereby upon release of the plunger the tension of said spring will propel the housing longitudinally in the direction of the outwardly projecting end of the plunger.

3. A propulsion device, comprising an elongated housing, a coil spring axially carried in said housing against the inner walls thereof, said spring being tixedly connected to said housing at one of its ends and having its opposite end ixedly connected to a coupling slidably movable along the inner housing walls, a weight mounted on said coupling for movement t-herewith and disposed within said spring at said opposite spring end, a plunger connected to said coupling and extending outwardly from one end of said housing, said plunger being movable with respect to the housing for moving said opposite spring end with respect to the housing to place said spring in tension and create a biasing force 'between the housing and said opposite spring end, and means releasably locking said plunger in a position in which said spring is in tension to exert said biasing force on the housing whereby upon release of said plunger the biasing force of said spring will d propel the housing longitudinally of itself in the direction of the outwardly projecting plunger.

4. A propulsion device, comprising an elongated housing having an end face at one of its ends normal to the longitudinal housing axis, a spring carried in said housing and having one of its ends connected thereto, a coupling slidably carried in said housing and ixedly connected to the opposite end of the spring and to a plunger slidably supported in said end face to interconnect said spring and plunger, said plunger projecting outwardly from the end face and having a generally uniform crosssection, a projectile slidably supported on said plunger in operative position against said end face, and a trigger assembly engageable with said plunger outwardly from said projectile, said trigger assembly releasably retaining said plunger in an operative position to dispose said spring in tension whereby upon release of said plunger the tension of said spring will propel the housing and end face longitudinally with respect to the plunger to propel the projectile therefrom.

5. A propulsion device as set forth in claim 4 in which said trigger assembly is provided with means engageable with said projectile when the plunger is in its operative position for holding said projectile against said end face.

6. A propulsion device, comprising an elongated housing having an end face at one of its ends normal to the longitudinal housing axis, a spring carried in said housing and having one of its ends connected thereto, a coupling slidably carried in said housing and xedly connected to the opposite end of the spring and to a plunger slidably supported in said end face, said plunger projecting outwardly from the end face to slidably support a projectile thereon in operative position against said end face, and a trigger assembly having means adapted to be received in a recess formed in said plunger outwardly from the projectile for holding said projectile against said end face and retaining said plunger in an operative position to dispose said spring in tension, said trigger assembly being operable to move said means out of said recess and away from said projectile whereby the tension of said spring will propel the housing and end face longitudinally with respect to the plunger to propel the projectile therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1929 David l2426 X l/l950 Koucky 42-16

Claims

1. A PROPULSION DEVICE, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOUSING, A COIL SPRING CARRIED IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING ONE OF ITS ENDS FIXEDLY CONNECTED THERETO, A COUPLING SLIDABLY CARRIED IN THE HOUSING, SAID COUPLING BEING FIXEDLY CONNECTED TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE SPRING AND TO A PLUNGER SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE HOUSING AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM ONE END THEREOF, AND A TRIGGER ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OUTWARDLY PROJECTING END OF THE PLUNGER, SAID TRIGGER ASSEMBLY RELEASABLY RETAINING SAID PLUNGER IN AN EXTENDED POSITION AND SAID SPRING IN TENSION WHEREBY UPON RELEASE OF THE PLUNGER THE TENSION OF SAID SPRING WILL PROPEL THE HOUSING LONGITUDINALLY IN THE DIRECTION OF THE OUTWARDLY PROJECTING END OF THE PLUNGER.