, E BRAUGl-ILER ET AL 3,269,379
FLUID POWERED GUN 2 SheetS-Sheet l Filed June 30, 1964 ug E@ 1%@ E. BRAUGHLER ET A1. BEGQEW FLUID POWERED GUN Filed June 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,269,379 FLUID PWERED GUN Guy E. Braughler and Ronald W. IOyce, Rogers, Ark., assignors to Daisy Manufacturing Company, Rogers, Arlt., a corporation of Nevada Filed .lune 30, 1964, Ser. No. 379,213 3 Claims. (Cl. 124-11) This invention relates generally to fluid powered guns adapted to propel BBs or other projectiles and more particularly to an improved feed mechanism for a fluid powered gun.
Fluid powered guns heretofore known and used generally utilize relatively complex propulsion mechanisms having a limited projectile capacity. Such known guns also are relatively ditlicult to load and the projectiles difficult to position for semi-automatic discharge.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is a fluid powered gun having a relatively simple propulsion mechanism for propelling BBs, pellets or slugs each time the trigger of the gun is pulled.
Another object of the invention is a fluid powered gun having a projectile elevator which is automatically charged after each projectile is propelled from the barrel of the gun.
Another object of the invention is an improved feed mechanism for a fluid operated gun.
Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specifi-cation, appended claims and accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE l is a side elevational view of an automatic fluid operated gun according t-o the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. l, showing the gun having a portion thereof broken away and in section;
FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the fluid powered gun with the barrel housing removed, and
FIGURE 4 is a view of the back side of the gun of FIG. 3.
As shown in FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings a fluidoperated gun 10, in accordance with an exemplary constructed embodiment of the instant invention, is of pistol configuration including a barrel 12, trigger 14, handle 16 and barrel housing 18. The handle 16 encloses a conventional gas container 20.
As seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the barrel 12 is supported by a frame member 32. The frame member 32 has a bore 34 in which `a tubular valve plunger 36 is .slidably mounted. The plunger 36 has an open end portion 38 communicating with a central gas delivery passage 40.
The bore 34, within which the plunger 36 is slidably and reciprocally supported, intersects a bore 42 wherein a projectile elevator 44 is reciprocally supported. A spring 46 normally biases the elevator 44 downwardly against a stop pin 48 whereas the trigger 14 is operable to force the elevator 44 upwardly away from the pin 48 against the bias of the spring 46.
The trigger 14 is pivotally mounted on a pin 50 carried by the frame 32. The trigger has a pawl 52 engageable with a ledge 54 on the elevator 44 so that when the trigger 14 is pulled counterclockwise, as seen in FIG. 2, the elevator 44 is forced upwardly away from the pin 48. Upon upward movement of the elevator 44, an inclined portion 56 thereof passes the end portion 38 of the plunger 36 whereupon forward pressure of the plunger 316 caused by gas pressure acting thereon, as wi-ll be described, causes the end 38 to exert a vertical component of force on the elevator 44 sufficient to carry the elevator 44 upwardly against compression of the spring 46.
As soon as the elevator 44 has moved upwardly into a position wherein a BB holding recess 6@ therein is aligned with a central bore 62 in the barrel 12, fluid pressure is conducted through a passageway 64 and the central bore 4d in the plunger 36 from a chamber 66 surrounding the plunger 36 wherebya BB is propelled outwardly through the bore 62 of the barrel 12. Fluid under pressure is conducted to the chamber 66 from the container 18, through hollow needle 68.
The central passage 46 of the plunger 36 is normally isolated from the chamber 66 by a valve 70 carried by a reciprocable valve shaft 72. The valve shaft 72 is supported in a bore 74 in a packing nut 76 which is threadably secured to the frame 32.
Fluid pressure in the chamber 66 acts on the valve 70 tending to force it against an end portion 78 of the plunger 36, closing the bore 40 therein and forcing the plunger 36 to the left, as seen in FIG. 2, against the elevator 44. When the elevator 44 moves upwardly sufficiently that the end 38 on the plunger 36 contacts the inclined surface 56 on the elevator 44, the valve 70 and plunger 36 travel forwardly until a flange 84) on the shaft 72 contacts the nut 74 thereby abruptly stopping forward motion of the valve shaft 72 and 70. Forward inertia of the plunger 36 causes it to continue toward the elevator 44 thereby separating the hollow cylindrical end 78 thereof from the valve 76 and permitting fluid pressure in the chamber 66 to act on the rear end of the plunger 36. Thus plunger 36 continues to be projected forwardly towards the opening 64 in the elevator 44, gas being concomitantly exhausted through the central bore 40 of the plunger 36. The gas passes directly into the recess 66 in the elevator 44 to force the BB therein outwardly of the bore 62 in the barrel 12. When Huid pressure in the chamber 138 is exhausted, a spring 82 forces the plunger 36 rearwardly causing the open cylindrical end 78 thereof to reengage the valve 78. Continued flow of fluid through the needle 68 builds up pressure in the chamber 66 while the spring 46 concurrently forces the elevator 44 downwardly into the position shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings.
As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, the fiuid powered gun lil is provided with a feed mechanism comprising an inlet V.aperture in a rear end portion 182 of the frame 32. The aperture 108 is normally closed by a cover plate 184.
The aperture 168 communicates with a channel 186 in the frame 32, BBs being guided to the channel 106 by a guide plate 108. The BBs move up the channel 106 onto a ledge 110 on a forward portion of the frame 32. The BBs then pass over the barrel 12 and onto a ledge 112 on the opposite side of the barrel 12 from the ledge 110 (FIG. 4). The BBs then move forwardly on the ledge 112 then downwardly around the forward end thereof and rearwardly along an extension 114 of the handle 16. The BBs then move into a recess 116 in the frame 32 which leads into a rearwardly directed bore 118 which is aligned with the recess 60 in the elevator 44 when the elevator 44 is in its lowermost position as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings.
As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings, a feed mechanism plunger 120 is slidably and retractably disposed in the bore 118 and is movable toward the elevator 44 under the bias of a spring 122. The plunger 120 biases the BBs in the bore 118 into the recess 6G in the elevator 44.
In order to charge the bore 118 with BBs the plunger 120 is movable away from the elevator 44 by a manual operator 124 against the bi-as of the spring 122 and the 'gun 10 pointed upwardly. BBs then r-ol-l downwardly into the bore 118 whereupon the plunger 120 is released. It is to be noted that upon firing of the last BB and end portion 126 of the plunger 120 enters the recess 60 in the elevator 44 to preclude actuation thereof. Thus, the plunger 120 functions to indicate that the bore 11S is empty by preventing trigger actuation as well as to feed BBs to the elevator 44. Further, the aforementioned feed mechanism maximizes the BB capacity of the fluid powered gun as well as to insure positive feed of BBs to the propulsion mechanism.
While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail, various additions, substitutions, modifications and omissions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as incorporated by the appended claims.
What is claimed is:
l. A lluid powered gun comprising a frame;
a barrel having a bore therethrough and supported on one end of said frame;
a projectile elevator having a projectile holding recess movable into alignment with said bore;
a source of fluid pressure; a lluid pressure control valve,
a normally closed hollow fluid pressure plunger, conduit means conducting fluid fr-om said source for biasing said plunger away from said valve to permit the passage of lluid pressure into said plunger and towards said elevator upon upward movement of said projectile elevator,
a trigger for moving said projectile elevator upwardly to a position in which the recess therein aligns with the bore in said barrel and wherein said fluid pressure plunger enters said recess to release fluid pressure into said bore, spring means for normally biasing said plunger towards said valve,
a projectile feed tube communicating with the projectile receiving recess in said projectile elevator,
a feed plunger in said feed tube normally biased toward the recess in said elevator for discharging projectiles thereinto,
a projectile storage area located on the opposite side of said feed tube from said projectile elevator, and
a projectile feed channel extending from the other end of said frame and communicating with said projectile storage area.`
2. A lluid powered gun comprising a frame;
a barrel having a bore therethrough and supported on one end of said frame;
a projectile elevator having a projectile holding recess movable into alignment with said bore;
a source of fluid pressure; a iluid pressure control valve,
a normally closed hollow fluid pressure plunger, conduit means conducting fluid from said source for biasing said plunger away from said valve to permit the passage of lluid pressure into said plunger and towards said elevator upon upward movement of said projectile elevator,
a trigger for moving said projectile elevator upwardly to a position in which the recess therein aligns with the bore in said barrel and wherein said fluid pressure plunger enters said recess to release fluid pressure into said bore, spring means for normally biasing said plunger towards said valve,
a projectile feed tube communicating with the projectile receiving recess in said projectile elevator,
a feed plunger in said feed tube normally biased t-oward the recess in said elevator for discharging projectiles thereinto,
projectile storage area substantially surrounding said barrel on the opposite end of said feed tube from said projectile elevator, and
a projectile feed channel extending from the other end of said frame to said projectile storage area.
A fluid powered gun comprising frame; barrel having a bore therethrough and supported on one end of said frame; a projectile elevator having a projectile holding recess movable int-o alignment with said bore; source of iluid pressure; a fluid pressure control valve, normally closed hollow iluid pressure plunger, conduit means conducting fluid from said source for biasing said plunger away from said valve to permit the passage of lluid pressure into said plunger and towards said elevator upon upward movement of said projectile elevator, trigger for moving said projectile elevator upwardly to a position in which the recess therein aligns With the bore in said barrel and wherein said lluid pressure plunger enters said recess to release lluid pressure into said bore, springs means for normally biasing said plunger towards said valve,
a projectile feed tube communicating with the projectile receiving recess in said projectile elevator,
a feed plunger in said feed tube normally biased toward the recess in said elevator for discharging projectiles thereto,
a projectile storage area located on the opposite vend of said feed tube from said projectile elevator,
a projectile feed channel extending from the other end of said frame and communicating with said projectile storage area, said feed channel being disposed on one side of said barrel and said feed tube communicating with said storage area on the other side of said barrel whereby the BBs move transversely of said barrel within sai-d storage area.
References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.
W. R, BROWNE, Assistant Examiner.