Patent Document

[0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of, and claims priority of, U.S. conventional patent application, Ser. No. 10/185,203, filed Jun. 27, 2002, which claims priority of prior U.S. conventional patent application, Ser. No. 09/528,482, filed Mar. 17, 2000, which claims priority of prior provisional applications, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/125,302, filed Mar. 19, 1999, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Serial No. 60/138,323, filed Jun. 9, 1999, the disclosures of all of which are incorporated herein by this reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention generally relates to compressed gas-powered guns and more specifically to guns for firing marker projectiles such as “paint balls.” The use of marking guns is well-known. Within a marking gun, there is employed a projectile which is generally in the shape of a sphere. This projectile is constructed of a thin wall which will readily break upon impact against a target. Typical material for the wall of the projectile would be a gelatin. Within the wall of the projectile is contained a quantity of a liquid such as a colored paint. Typical paint colors would be blue, green or yellow.  
           [0004]    2. Related Art  
           [0005]    Compressed gas powered guns for the firing of projectiles have long been used. Of more recent use, such guns have been made for the firing of spherical and fragile projectiles containing a colored marking fluid, such projectiles commonly being referred to as “paint balls.” Such guns are typified by other inventions of the Inventor, namely U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,758, showing a compressed gas powered gun. Problems associated with such guns include: dangerously high pressure build-up within the gun, potentially damaging the gun and endangering the user; a mechanical limitation on the cycle time of the firing mechanism, limiting the firing rate of the gun; excessive shock and recoil resulting from reciprocal movement of the hammer into the firing and recocked positions.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    This present invention is a spring in a compressed gas powered gun, which spring simultaneously operates on the actuator for a firing valve in a compressed gas storage chamber and the bolt in a breech in launching a projectile from a compressed gas powered gun. The spring assists the action of low pressure gas on a hammer and slider which actuate the firing valve. Also, because the bolt for launching the projectile is connected by a pin to the hammer and slider, the spring also assists in the acceleration and movement of the bolt. This assistance of the spring on the hammer/slider and the bolt results in increased firing rate, and increased reliability and consistency of shots. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a side, schematic view of one embodiment of the present invention showing the invented gun in the cocked position.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a side, schematic view of another embodiment of the present invention showing the invented gun in the firing position.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a side, schematic view of a pneumatic gas cylinder assembly according to the present invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a side, schematic view of a section of the pressure routing system.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0011]    Referring now to the drawings, an embodiment to be preferred of a compressed gas powered gun, made according to the present invention, is disclosed. The gun includes, generally, a grip  45 ; a body, including an upper main housing  3  and a lower main housing  1 ; a barrel  10 ; a bore  5 ; a bolt  9  within a breech; a hammer chamber  2 ; a pneumatic gas cylinder  34 ; a slider  33 ; and a trigger  24 . Throughout the Description, the term “forward” indicates being towards the outer, open, free end of the barrel  10  extending from the upper main housing  3  of the gun. “Rearward” indicates the opposite direction of “forward.” 
         [0012]    As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a projectile feed tube  6  opens into the barrel  10 , said projectile feed tube  6  for supplying the barrel  10  with projectiles  100 , which are preferably spherical in form and contain a marking fluid. A conventional projectile retention lever (not shown) biased by a spring allows only one projectile  100  to enter the barrel  10  at a time.  
         [0013]    Generally rearward and below the barrel  10 , the hammer chamber  2  holds a hammer  32  which is integrally attached to the forward end of the slider  33 . Slider  33  is horizontally and reciprocally moveable within gas cylinder  34  from a cocked position, as shown in FIG. 1, to a firing position, as shown in FIG. 2, through the use of spring bias and compressed gas. The slider  33  is cocked by means of an electronic solenoid actuated 4-way valve  65  located in the lower main housing  1 . A manifold  8  connects the 4-way valve  65  to the pneumatic gas cylinder  34 . When biased to the firing position, the slider  33  forces the hammer  32  to engage a valve stem  29 . A link pin  41 , circular in cross-section, extends between and connects the bolt  9  to the hammer  32 .  
         [0014]    The bolt  9  is held within the gun through use of the link pin  41 , attached to the hammer  32 . Removal of the link pin  41  allows the bolt  9  to be removed from the gun. This may be done for routine maintenance. The link pin  41  is held in place by means of a bolt retention spring  76 .  
         [0015]    Within the pneumatic gas cylinder  34 , a main compression spring  71  extends between the slider  33  and an end-cap  35  which is attached at the rearward end of the gas cylinder  34 . A solid main spring guide  36  rests within the cylinder  34  between the slider  33  and the end-cap  35 , said guide  36  for receiving the coiled main compression spring  71 . Slider  33  is biased forward to a firing position by the main compression spring  71  and compressed gas (not shown). The shock of the hammer  32  is dampened both as the hammer  32  moves forward into the firing position and as it returns to a recocked position. The forward motion of the hammer  32  is dampened by both the valve spring  72  and the compressed gas surrounding the valve spring  72 . The rearward motion of the hammer  32  is dampened by an o-ring  84  located in gas cylinder  34 , between the guide  36  and the end-cap  35 .  
         [0016]    Releasably holding the slider  33  in a cocked position is an electronic solenoid activated 4-way valve  65 . The electronic solenoid  60  is actuated through a micro-switch  61  located rearward of the trigger  24 . Pulling on the trigger  24  sends an electronic signal to a CPU (microprocessor)  64  located in the grip  45 . This CPU  64  by means of software determines which of a number of dual in-line package (hereinafter “dip”) switches  63  have been switched on or off, thereby determining the firing rate and mode selected by the user. The CPU  64  then, based on firing rate and mode, actuates the solenoid  60 , causing the 4-way valve  65  to shift, causing the slider  33  to be propelled forward under the bias of spring pressure and compressed gas. The CPU  64  then deactuates the solenoid  60  causing the 4-way valve  65  to shift, and compressed gas forces the main compression spring  71  to compress thereby recocking the gun. A trigger spring  75  forces the trigger  24  back to its original position.  
         [0017]    Compressed gas for propelling projectile  100  and for moving the slider  33  to a firing position is provided from a canister or cylinder (not shown), which may be attached directly to the gun or may be attached to the person operating the gun. The gas is fed through a high pressure (hereinafter “HP”) regulator  50 , and then through a passageway through a high pressure adaptor  51  to a cavity, the high pressure storage chamber  210  defined by upper main housing of body  3 . The high pressure regulator  50  reduces the gas pressure from over 500 pounds per square inch (hereinafter “p.p.s.i.”) to around (hereinafter “˜”) 250 p.p.s.i.. The HP regulator comprises an HP adjustment screw  39 , an HP regulator spring  73 , an HP regulator piston  53 , an HP regulator cup  52 , and an HP regulator cup spring  74 . This high pressure regulator  50  further comprises a safety feature forcibly closing the high pressure regulator cup  52  when over 800 or so p.p.s.i. is applied. This closure protects the inner workings of the gun and protects the gun&#39;s operator.  
         [0018]    Contained within the gun are two valve means. The first valve means is for operating a low pressure (hereinafter “LP”) circuit, including for propelling the slider  33 . The second valve means is for operating an HP circuit, including for supplying gas to propel the projectile  100 . The first valve means further comprises a LP regulator  54  for reducing pneumatic gas pressure from the ˜250 p.p.s.i. supplied to ˜85 p.p.s.i. This pressurized gas is then channeled to the gas cylinder  34  for the propulsion of the slider  33  upon actuation of the trigger  24 . The LP regulator comprises an LP adjustment screw  56 , an LP regulator spring  173 , an LP regulator piston  153 , an LP regulator cup  152 , and an LP regulator cup spring  174 . This low pressure regulator  54  further comprises a safety feature forcibly closing the low pressure regulator cup  152  when over 300 or so p.p.s.i. is applied. This closure protects the inner workings of the gun and protects the gun&#39;s operator.  
         [0019]    The second valve means includes a horizontally oriented valve stem  29  which is horizontally and reciprocally moveable within the valve stem guide  30 . Valve stem  29  is provided with a valve cup  28  engaged by a valve spring  72 , biasing the value cup  28  to a seated position on the valve stem guide  30  to prevent flow of compressed gas from the high pressure storage chamber  210  into the barrel  10 .  
         [0020]    It has also been found that projectile  100  velocity can be maximized through the use of specifically angled surfaces within the gas passage  4 , through which the gas expands as it enters the barrel  10 . The gas passage  4  is defined by the continuous conduit extending from the valve cup  28 , through the valve stem guide  30  and the forward portion of the bolt  9 . When the valve cup  28  is actuated to an open/firing position, the gas is allowed to expand through the conduit extending through the valve stem guide  30  and the bolt  9 . Bolt  9  has an angled port  220  drilled through its forward portion. Valve stem guide  30  is the discharge port. Bolt  9  with its port  220  is in the breech of the gun. The breech is connected to the rearward port of barrel  10 . The inner surfaces of the valve stem guide  30  and the bolt  9  are machined to form a conduit having a specific maximum angle through which the gas expands. It has been found by the inventor that 23 degrees±5 degrees is the optimal angle for these surfaces. Use of such angular surfaces allows the present invention to fire a projectile  100  using less than one half the p.p.s.i. of traditional guns at the same firing rate as those guns, without jeopardizing the efficiency, trajectory or range of the projectile  100 . By funneling the gas as it expands through the use of such angular surfaces, resistance is reduced, thereby allowing firing at a high firing rate to be done with lower p.s.i.  
         [0021]    The gun further comprises an electronic system comprising a circuit board  62  containing a microprocessor (CPU)  64 , and a series of dip switches  63  which can be set to control the firing rate and mode of the gun. The gun is further programmable so as to allow firing rate and mode limits to be forcibly set.  
         [0022]    Sequential action of the gun may be seen to advantage. A projectile  100  is in place within the barrel  10 . A second projectile (not shown) is held in place above the barrel  10  and within feed tube  6  by the projectile retention lever (not shown). Slider  33  is in the cocked position via the solenoid  60 . It is assumed that the high pressure regulator  50  is in fluid communication with an external compressed gas source (not shown) to fill the high pressure storage chamber  210  with compressed gas.  
         [0023]    The trigger  24  is then pulled, a microswitch  61  is activated sending a signal to the CPU  64  that the user wishes to fire the gun. The CPU  64  then determines which dip switches  63  have been preset by the user, thereby determining the firing rate and mode of the gun. Upon determining the firing rate and mode, the CPU  64  then directs the solenoid  60  to act accordingly. The firing rate and mode of the gun are detailed as follows:  
         [0024]    DIP Switch Settings—Modes—Rate of Fire  
         [0025]    (Note: the following settings are not shown in attached Figures.)  
         [0026]    Rate of fire is dependent on the mode and switch settings of the dip switches. Modes are:  
         [0027]    1. semi-auto (one single shot per trigger pull),  
         [0028]    2. 3 shot (3 shots if the trigger is pulled and not released, with single shot capabilities),  
         [0029]    3. 6 shot burst (6 shots if the trigger is pulled and not released, with single shot or any amount between capabilities),  
         [0030]    4. Full auto (as long as the trigger is pulled it will cycle).  
         [0031]    Mode selection is done via switches #1 and #2. Mode settings using the switches are as follows:  
                                                                     #1   #2                                        off   off   Semi auto mode           on   off   3 shot mode           off   on   6 shot burst mode           on   on   Full auto mode                      
 
         [0032]    Rate of fire and timing is as follows:  
         [0033]    Dip switch #3 and #4 (registers Solenoid on; times in milliseconds)  
                                                                         #3   #4                off   off   = 06 ms           on   off   = 08 ms           off   on   = 10 ms           on   on   = 12 ms                      
 
         [0034]    Dip switch #5, #6, and #7 (registers Solenoid off (delay before re-cycle); times in milliseconds)  
                                                                             #5   #6   #7                                        off   off   off   =70 ms           on   off   off   =80 ms           off   on   off   =90 ms           on   on   off   =100 ms           off   off   on   =110 ms           on   off   on   =120 ms           off   on   on   =130 ms           on   on   on   =140 ms                      
 
         [0035]    Dip switch #8: display cycle rate, mode and shot count.  
                                                       on   = display yes           off   = display no.                      
 
         [0036]    As the solenoid  60  is deactuated, the gun is cocked. As the solenoid  60  is actuated, compressed gas and the main compression spring  71  move the hammer  32  and slider  33  to the firing position, by moving the slider  33  forward with hammer  32  slidably engaging the valve stem  29 . The hammer  32  engages valve stem  29 , thereby unseating the valve cup  28 , causing the release of compressed gas into the gas passage  4 , thereby propelling the projectile  100  through the barrel  10 .  
         [0037]    The slider  33  has moved forward into the firing position forcing the hammer  32  to engage the tip of valve stem  29 . Simultaneously, valve stem  29  is forced inwardly against the bias of valve spring  72  to unseat the valve cup  28  from its seat, thus allowing the compressed gas to enter the barrel  10 . Gas entering the barrel  10  progresses through the conduit formed by angular surfaces of the valve stem guide  30  and the port  220  in the forward portion of the bolt  9 , forcing projectile  100 , which has a diameter approximating that of the bore  5  of the barrel  10 , out of the barrel  10  at a velocity dependent upon the gas pressure within the barrel  10  which is controlled by high pressure regulator  50 . The solenoid  60  is then deactuated to force the slider  33  and hence hammer  32  back to the recocked position. Valve stem  29  is again biased into its seated position by valve spring  72  to prevent further flow of compressed gas into the barrel  10 . Upon deactuation of solenoid  60 , the slider  33  and hence the link pin  41  and bolt  9  are forced back to the recocked position. As the bolt  9  moves to the recocked position, the projectile retention lever (not shown) allows a new projectile  100  to enter barrel  10  and again holds a next projectile (not shown) in place under bias of a spring.  
         [0038]    Having thus described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes could be made in the apparatus without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the forgoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore to be embraced therein.

Technology Category: 2