SEMI AUTOMATIC LOADING SYSTEM FOR A GUN

Abstract: Semi automatic loading system for spring, gas or compressed air weapons with individually diabolo pellets, said system comprising a small cylindrical plastic case (22) in which a diabolo or other form of pellet is inserted, said pellet (21) case (22) being used as an air seal and being ejected during the loading cycle. An internal rim (30) within the case ensures that the pellet is held firmly and cannot fall out or foul the mechanism. A number of said cases can be inserted in a magazine (15).

Description: SEMI AUTOMATIC LOADINGSYSTEM FOR A GUN Semi automatic loading systems presently exist in a number of air weapons and operate mainly with the sliding block magazine system, i.e. a rectangular strip of plastic or other material containing a number of holes in which the pellets are placed. Although functional these weapons lack consistent accuracy and are relevantly low powered, due mainly to pressure loss in the breech and/or pellet distortion during the loading cycle. Weapons of this type are generally relegated to the toy or fun gun end of the air weapon range and are not considered suitable for serious shooting. Attempts to produce a more precise ver¬ sion of this system have been made but to date are not available. Research indicates that to construct a system of this type to the necessary standards the mechanical tolerances and the number of parts increases, this in¬ evitably means that, apart from greater production costs, the weapon is prone to malfunction simply due to wear in one ore more of the parts or dirt etc. obstructing the mechanism. The reason for the system design as described in the hea¬ ding and claim one is to eliminate the problems as described with other systems and to provide a mechanically simple, functional and versatile loading system. The system is dependent upon a small cylindrical plastic case in which a diabolo or other form of pellet is inserted. The case is very inexpensive to produce and therefore can be discarded or reused. The case is strong and able to stand considerable pressure without distorting enabling it to be transported within a variety of magazine systems. In the weapon the pellet case is used as an air seal and is ejected during the loading cycle. An internal rim within the case ensures that the pellet is held firmly and cannot fall out or foul the mechanism. It above all ensures that the pellet is fed directly into the barrel in perfect condition providing consistent accuracy. It can be seen, from the illustration that the pellet case has similar dimensions as a small caliber firearms cartridge and can therefore be as versatile i.e. magazine systems from conventional weapons can be used in air weapons providing a wider field of designs. To illustrate the text the accompanying drawings show the basic system together with the most familiar air weapon action i.e. the spring pistion action with side cocking lever. Descriptions of the relevant parts of the system are outlined in the claims. Description of the drawings Fig. 1 shows a shortened axial view of an air rifle as per the invention. Fig. 2 shows on enlarged scale the pellet case in side view as per the invention. Fig. 3 shows on enlarged scale a detail of the ejector of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a further detail of the ejector chamber. In accordance with the drawings the weapon is constructed with a cylindrical outer casing 1, the fore end attached to a machined block 13, in which a barrel 2 is fitted, and the rear end attached to a screw-on block containing a trigger mechanism (not shown) . The spring and piston air compression system 4, comprises a sliding compression tube in which the spring tension operated piston is contained, the whole is contained within the outer case tube 1. The magazine block containing the barrel is machined vertically to provide a channel directly in line with barrel 20 in Fig. 3 in which the magazine 15 fits. To the right of the barrel, above the bore, another channel is machined at right angle to the other, and with a downward slope. This is the exit channel from the ejector chamber, Fig. 4. At the front end of the compression cylinder 4 a steel tube is attached, this is the loading and air outlet tube SUBSTITUTE SHEET and has the same diameter as the bore of the barrel and long enough to pass from the rear of the breech block to the barrel, Fig. 1. The centre bore of the loading tube passes into the compression cylinder allowing air to be forced directly into the barrel from the cylinder when the weapon is fired. Attached to the underside of the breech block, directly below and surrounding the magazine channel, is a rectangular housing made to allow the magazine to pass through into the breech and, by means of a securing catch, holds the magazine in place. Fig. 1, 12, 14. The pellet cases are plastic cylinders having a wall thickness of approximately twelve micrometers with 5.6 bore the length approximately one and a half centimeters longer than the pellet, i.e. length 1 cm, diameter 8 millimeters. At the rear of the inner bore the outer wall is tapered outwards to allow the loading tube to pass freely into it. On the inside, where the taper begins, a channel is formed around the inner wall. When the pellet is 'inserted the pellet seating tool 31 spreads the pellet skirt into the groove and prevents the pellet from moving. The pellets in the cases are inserted in a spring pressured magazine as with a conventional firearm. The spring and feed shoe in the magazine are held in the compressed position by a catch on the magazine casing until inserted in the weapon, when released the pellets are forced direct to the breech. Fig. 1, 17, 18, 19. During the loading procedure pulling the side mounted cocking lever forces both the compression cylinder and piston rearwards, the loading tube is extracted through the breech at the same time allowing an encased pellet to move into the vacated space and forcing the empty case from the previous shot into the ejection chamber, Fig. 1. The pellet to be loaded is held in position by the spring pressure from below and the underside of the empty case from above. At the end of the rearward travel the piston is engaged by the trigger unit and is held in that position. Moving the cocking lever to the forward SUBSTIT position pushes the compression cylinder forwards to rest against the rear of the breech, the loading tube passes back through the breech entering the pellet case and forcing the pellet into the barrel. The case is retained around the loading tube the front forced against the barrel and the rear tight against the compression cylinder face. An ejection chamber, cover plate 24 which is also attached to the compression cylinder face holds the empty case in the chamber until the loading tube has passed into the newly aligned pellet case at which moment the ejector chamber is open and the empty case is ejected. Ejection is provided by a spring projection- in the side of the cover plate, Fig. 3 and 4, or a separate spring operated lever in the breech. When the trigger is released the piston is forced into the compression cylinder forcing the compressed air into the barrel and discharging the pellet. This action further tightens the case between the barrel and the cylinder face effecting a secure sealing function. SUBSTITUTE SHEET

Claims: - C l a i s - 1. Air rifle or pistol or similarly pressured weapon, containing a sliding loading / pressure outlet tube to load the pellet into the barrel, characterized in that the pellet is contained inside a plastic ■ cylindrical case and fed under spring or other pressure from a magazine direct into the breech, that the plasti case remains surrounding the loading tube after the pellet is in the barrel and acts as a pressure seal during discharge of the weapon, that the breech of the weapon has an ejector chamber and ejection lever (4) which ejects a used pellet case on completion of the loading cycle (Fig. 1) . 2. Weapon according to claim 1, characterized in that the compression cylinder is held in the forward breech position by either a pressure spring (-9) or a locking catch activated by the cocking arm at breech. 3. Weapon according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the encased pellets are contained in an exchange¬ able, spring pressured magazine and that the encased pellets are fed one after the other into the loading position. 4. Weapon according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the compression cylinder has a part circular extending from the end and protruding into the breech directly above and to the right of the ejection chamber (Fig. 4, 25) this being the ejection chamber cover plate, an opening in the plate between the cylinder and breech face assures that the empty case is ejected when the cylinder is in the breech position. SUBSTITUTE o «H1 '.£___ i 5. Weapon according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the ejection chamber contains a spring operated ejection lever (Fig. 3 and 4) . 6. Pellet for air weapons according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a conventional diabolo or other form of pellet is contained within a plastic cylindrical case (Fig. 2, 21) . 7. Pellet according to claim 6, characterized in that the plastic case is tapered outwards from the inner bore to allow smooth entry of the loading tube in the breech (19) . 8. Pellet according to claims 6 and 7, characterized in that the pla'stic case has an inner circular groove to held the pellet securely (30) . 9. Pellet according to claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the plastic case is longer than the pellet (22) . 10. System according to claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the system is fully adaptable for use in air, CO- or compressed air weapons. 11. System according to claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the system is operable with a variety of magazine systems, i.e. tube feed, bolt action or falling block actions. ISTITU Tip" :• ____ SHEET

Inventors: SHORT ROBERT ERIC, SHORT, ROBERT, ERIC
Applicants: SHORT ROBERT ERIC, SHORT, ROBERT, ERIC
Application year: 1987
Main classification: F41B11
IPC codes: F41B11, F42B6