Patent ID: 6048280
Filing Date: 2000-04-11
Classification: F41B,Y10S

Abstract:
Projectile propelling and illuminating apparatus for luminescing and propelling a projectile at least partially comprised of photoluminescent material having an excitation band of determinable wavelength, said apparatus comprising, in combination:means including a gun barrel defining an interior at least partially comprising a gun barrel interior for receiving and temporarily accommodating therein at a selected location a projectile at least partially comprised of photoluminescent material, said gun barrel additionally defining an open end spaced from said selected location and defining a path of movement for a projectile extending between said selected location and said open end;projectile propulsion means for propelling a projectile at least partially comprised of photoluminescent material from said selected location, along said path of movement, out of said open end, and away from said apparatus;non-incandescent light emitting means for illuminating a projectile at least partially comprised of photoluminescent material with an intense short burst of light having a high level ultraviolet light component within the wavelength of the excitation band of the photoluminescent material of the projectile and relatively low or non-existent red, orange and infrared components of longer wavelength than that of the excitation band of the photoluminescent material of the projectile at said selected location to excite the photoluminescent material with said light having a high level ultraviolet light component and relatively low or non-existent red, orange and infrared light components, said light emitting means including at least one flash lamp for illuminating a projectile at said selected location, said flash lamp containing a gas for producing an intense short burst of light having a high level ultraviolet light component and relatively low or non-existent red, orange, and infrared light components when electrically actuated;an electrical energy source; andactuator means including a trigger operatively associated with said projectile propulsion means and said light emitting means for substantially simultaneously completing an electrical connection between said at least one flash lamp and said electrical energy source and actuating said projectile propulsion means to propel a projectile at least partially comprised of photoluminescent material from said selected location at substantially the same time the photoluminescent material of the projectile is excited by the ultraviolet light component from the flash lamp of said light emitting means whereby said projectile will emit visually observable light when propelled from said apparatus from the open end of the gun barrel and whereby there will not be significant quenching of said visually observable light caused by the flash lamp.