Patent ID: 8371280

Claim:
A ring airfoil launcher comprising: a barrel defining a launch passage, said barrel having a first breech end and an opposing second muzzle end and an interior surface; a chuck constrained in said barrel and movable back and forth within said passage of said barrel between a firing position at said breech end of said barrel and a fired position at said muzzle end of said barrel, said chuck having an outer surface facing said interior surface of said barrel and having a front end facing towards said muzzle end of said barrel and an opposing rear end, said chuck when in said firing position configured to receive a ring airfoil for launching at said rear end thereof and in said fired position configured to launch said ring airfoil from said front end thereof, whereby said ring airfoil is loaded into said chuck from a position rear of said chuck and is then launched forwardly from said front of said chuck; at least one ring airfoil engaging member configured to connect a ring airfoil associated with said chuck for launching thereof, said at least one ring airfoil engaging member configured to prevent rearward movement of a ring airfoil mounted on said chuck during propulsion of said chuck during launch; and a propulsion mechanism configured to propel said chuck having a ring airfoil mounted thereto from said firing position at said breech end of said barrel to said fired position at said muzzle end, whereby said ring airfoil is projected from said chuck from said front end thereof and out of said muzzle end of said barrel.