Patent ID: 7497211
Filing Date: 2009-03-03
Classification: F41B

Abstract:
1. In a weapon for peripherally discharging projectiles under centrifugal force having a housing, or surround track, at least one member rotating within the housing, and at least one channel with a radial component within the at least one rotating member within which channel projectiles received near the center of rotation progress radially outwards until, escaping under centrifugal force at the periphery of the at least one rotating member, the projectiles are guided by the housing, or surround track, until finally being ejected from the weapon, an improvement to a projectile release mechanism for controlling passage of projectiles along the at least one channel, and thus an escape of the projectiles from the at least one rotating member, and thus the ejection of the projectiles from the weapon, the improved projectile release mechanism comprising: an elongate member, substantially positioned along a radius line and within the at least one rotating member, having a distal end protruding within the at least one channel and a proximal end cam follower; wherein the elongate member moves radially outward under centrifugal force of the rotation of the at least one rotating member until its distal end protrudes within the at least one channel, therein obstructing passage of projectiles along the channel and any escape of projectiles from the periphery of the at least one rotating member; and a ring cam, stationary to the housing and with its center displaced from a rotational axis of the at least one rotating member, having a cam surface that, when contacted during rotation by the cam follower of the elongate member, acts to pull the elongate member against centrifugal force radially inwards until the distal end of the elongate member ceases to protrude within the channel sufficiently so as to obstruct any passage of projectiles along the channel, therein permitting one or more projectiles to pass radially outwards in the at least one channel for subsequent escape from the at least one rotating member, and for subsequent ejection from the weapon.