Patent ID: 9534865
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: F41B

Claim:
1. An air operated projectile launcher comprising: a first portion adapted for reciprocating travel between a first position and a second position relative to a second portion, said travel including at least a linear component, movement from said first position to said second position relatively moving an extremity of said first portion toward said second portion; the second portion including all members of the launcher that the first portion extremity moves relative to when traveling from the first position to the second position with respect to the linear component of travel; an air pump having a cocked state and a discharged state, said air pump biased toward said discharged state; a trigger operable to discharge said air pump; said trigger and said second portion adapted to facilitate the use of a single hand to simultaneously actuate the trigger and hold the launcher by the second portion; at least one launching tube adapted to carry a projectile proximate a muzzle of said launching tube, in readiness for launch; said launching tube adapted to receive air discharged from said air pump to effect launch of such a projectile; operative travel of said first portion from said first position to said second position effecting actuation of at least one task selected from the group consisting of cocking said air pump and selecting a projectile to be launched; said launcher adapted to facilitate operation whereby a user holding said second portion may press said first portion against a planar surface to relatively move said first portion from said first position to said second position without any member of said second portion extending beyond the plane of said planar surface; said first portion being automatically returned from said second position to said first position during an operational cycle of said launcher; projectile holding apparatus adapted to carry a plurality of projectiles available for launch via discharge of said pump; and advancement apparatus adapted to facilitate selection of a projectile to be launched.