Patent ID: 8567376

Claim:
A projectile launcher, wherein the projectile has a head portion with a shaft extending from the head portion, the launcher comprising: a base member having an elongated acceleration rail; a sled mounted on the base member for reciprocal linear movement along the acceleration rail, wherein the sled is configured to receive the head portion of the projectile; a first accelerator mounted on the base member; a second accelerator mounted on the base member opposite the acceleration rail from the first accelerator; a string having a first end and a second end, with the first end affixed to a stationary point on the first accelerator and with the second end affixed to a stationary point on the second accelerator, wherein the string crosses the acceleration rail between the first accelerator and the second accelerator for an engagement of the string with the sled; a means for positioning the sled in an armed position on the acceleration rail to simultaneously activate both the first accelerator and the second accelerator; a trigger means for releasing the sled from the armed position to pull on the head portion of the projectile for launching the projectile; a first noise-suppression tube, wherein the first tube is hollow and has a base end and a deployment end, wherein the base end of the first tube is pivotally mounted on the base member, and further wherein the first accelerator is held inside the first noise-suppression tube; and a second noise-suppression tube, wherein the second tube is hollow and has a base end and a deployment end, and wherein the base end of the second tube is pivotally mounted on the base member, and further wherein the second accelerator is held inside the second noise-suppression tube.