Patent ID: 11859939
Assignee: CROSMAN CORPORATION
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 16:
17. A method of operating an air gun comprising a cocking mechanism and an actuator assembly, the cocking mechanism comprising:
a compression tube movable between a firing position and a cocking position;
a piston extending through an open end of the compression tube and movable between a cocked position and a fired position; and
a spring in communication with the piston and configured to bias the piston toward the fired position, and the actuator assembly for moving the compression tube between the firing position and the cocking position, the actuator assembly comprising:
a lead screw having a longitudinal axis generally parallel to the barrel;
an actuator coupled to the lead screw and configured to rotate the lead screw about the longitudinal axis; and
a carriage coupled to the compression tube and movable along the lead screw, the method comprising:
controlling, with the compression tube in the firing position and the piston in the fired position, the actuator to cause the carriage to move the compression tube to the cocking position, movement of the compression tube to the cocking position causing the piston to compress the spring such that a searing surface engages with a trigger to secure the piston in the cocked position,
determining, based at least in part on first sensor data, that the piston is in the cocked position,
controlling, with the piston secured in the cocked position, the actuator to cause the carriage to move the compression tube to the firing position, and
determining, based at least in part on second sensor data, that the compression tube is in the firing position.