By Spring-driven Plunger Patents (Class 124/66)
  • Patent number: 5522374
    Abstract: Air operated apparatus for successively launching a plurality of projectiles are disclosed. The apparatus employ novel constructions for multi-projectile magazines wherein projectiles may be launched from either the inner passageways of a plurality of barrels, or from the exteriors of the barrels. The magazines are designed for economical production as a molded unit. The apparatus are adapted so that an air pump may be cocked and the magazine advanced in a single operation through the use of a hand drawn slide mechanism. The invention further provides novel mechanisms for intermittent sealing of an air pump discharge port with successively selected projectile launching barrels on the magazine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Inventor: Richard A. Clayton
  • Patent number: 5377655
    Abstract: A projectile-propelling toy includes a first port and a first propulsion mechanism for propelling a projectile via the first port as well as a second port and a second propulsion mechanism for propelling a projectile via the second port. The first and second propulsion mechanisms are separate and independent, at least one of the first and second propulsion mechanisms being pneumatic. A kit for the toy includes a housing having an engaging element for releasably receiving a first weapon and a cavity for telescopically receiving at least a major portion of a second weapon. A magazine is adapted to be releasably received in functional engagement by each of the first weapon, the second weapon and the housing. One weapon includes a manually-driven pneumatic propulsion mechanism for propelling a projectile, a spring-driven pneumatic propulsion mechanism for propelling a projectile, and a selector for manually selecting which of the pneumatic propulsion mechanisms is operative at a given time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: Toy Biz, Inc.
    Inventor: Avi Arad
  • Patent number: 5359985
    Abstract: A projectile discharge apparatus 10 having a first generally planar ribbed portion 12 and opposed side portions 14 which form a hand reception recess. Apparatus 10 includes a plurality of chambers 24, 26, 28, 30, and 32 which are adapted to movably receive a dart 34. Apparatus 10 further includes a first member 56 which is movably deployed within each of the chambers 32 and which is movable from a first position to a second dart dispensing position by a downward movement of member 66.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Inventor: Dean Schumacher
  • Patent number: 5323755
    Abstract: A toy gun, mainly comprising a dart loading chamber and a gun body, wherein inside the gun body there are provided an air compression tube, a cocking mechanism, a trigger, a variety of springs and a screw shaft with a turning device in the front. The turning device is arranged in the rotary wheel which is molded integrally with the exhaust tubes and enclosed outside by a shell to form a dart loading chamber. By means of the ratchet teeth of the rotary wheel, the turning device unidirectionally rotates the rotary wheel. After loading darts, the compressed air generated in the air compression tube tosses darts from the dart loading chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1994
    Inventor: Yin-Wang Hsieh
  • Patent number: 5261384
    Abstract: A toy gun with a shooting control structure comprising an operation system, a transmission system, a bullet pushing system, and a shooting system, the operation system having a trigger to make two conductors contact with each other to power a motor in the transmission system to turn a half gear to move a piston in the shooting system, the bullet pushing system having an air valve around a tube at the front of a cylinder in the shooting system for a bullet to be shot through out of the opening of the barrel, the air valve being able to be moved forward to push a bullet in the barrel and also function as the extension of the tube, the shooting system having a cylinder and a tubular piston to extend in the cylinder and to be moved by a rack provided with the piston engaging with and moved by a half gear in the transmission system so as to compress the air in the tube to shoot out a bullet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Inventor: Shih-Che Hu
  • Patent number: 5242323
    Abstract: An air-pulse powered arrow shooting toy set provided with at least one soft arrow whose shaft is formed of resilient, flexible foam material, the rear section of the shaft having an axial bore so that the arrow is slidable onto a launching tube which then extends into the bore. Coupled to the tube is an air gun which, when cocked and then fired, produces a compressed air pulse which is delivered to the launching tube to shoot off the arrow. The air gun includes a barrel having a piston slidable therein which is attached to a piston rod that extends out of one end of the barrel to join a handle. Surrounding the piston rod between the one end of the barrel and the piston is a compressible helical spring. A hand grip attached to the barrel is provided with a spring-biased trigger having a latching finger which when the trigger is inactive extends into a slot in the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Inventor: Mark Rappaport
  • Patent number: 5205271
    Abstract: An air rifle of the hinged barrel type has an injection molded single piece fork member (7) connected for articulation with the barrel (1), the fork member having a cylinder portion (8) extending therefrom that is secured in the compression chamber (3) integral with the buttstock. The barrel casing has a widened portion (4) located at the rear end of the barrel and includes an articulation pin (5) pivotally connected with the fork member (7), a resilient catch (6) within a recess (14) and a locking point (12) of the compressed air piston (27) driving lever (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: Industrias El Gamo, S.A.
    Inventor: Francisco Casas Salva
  • Patent number: 5199411
    Abstract: A toy missile projector comprises a tubular missile body, an outer tube and an inner tube placed within the missile body such that the outer tube is fixed to an annular groove on the missile body and maintains contact with a reset spring located in the annular groove. A piston is mounted in the lower end of the missile body, a compression spring is placed in an axial hole at the end of the piston rod, a spring and a movable pin is placed in a longitudinal key way on the outer wall of the piston body such that the movable pin is aligned with a stop hole on the missile body so that when a launching button at the stop hole is triggered, the compression spring is released and the piston rod is displaced rapidly for firing. The missile body can be formed in three sections--first, intermediate, and last outer tubes, and assembled with a guide tube and a piston rod and with a reset spring placed between the guide tube and the last outer tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1993
    Inventor: Yung-Chi Tsao
  • Patent number: 5186156
    Abstract: An air operated toy gun for successively launching a plurality of projectiles is disclosed. Said gun utilizes a movable air nozzle for successive engagement with a plurality of projectile launching barrels. The gun may be used with darts or other projectiles adapted to form a seal with the launching barrels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Inventor: Richard A. Clayton
  • Patent number: 5133331
    Abstract: In a recoilless air gun in which opposing pistons are arranged to be propelled simultaneously in opposite directions when the gun is fired, to compress a charge of air to propel a projectile, the pistons are attached to opposing locations on an endless chain or flexible belt extending around spaced apart reversing pulleys, so that as the attachment point of one piston to the chain or flexible belt moves in one direction along one of the runs thereof between the pulleys, the attachment point of the other piston moves in the opposite direction along the other of the runs. The pistons are propelled by respective similar springs so that the effective masses of the springs are also balanced and the flexible belt or chain is required merely to ensure the desired relative positioning of the pistons and is not required to provide the accelerative and air-compressing force for either piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1992
    Inventor: Roy Hutchinson
  • Patent number: 5129383
    Abstract: Improved loading mechanism for weapons which principally consists of a piston (15), driven by a spring (16) and an electric driving motor (4) with reduction gear, characterized in that the spring (16) is compressed by the piston (15) of which the compression movement which results in putting the aforementioned spring (16) under tension is controlled by the piston (15) working together with a continuous traction device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Inventor: Jean Rutten
  • Patent number: 4899717
    Abstract: An airgun in which a spring-operated piston is provided for compressing air n a chamber, wherein arming of the gun is accomplished by a transport mechanism which acts on the piston to compress the spring, with the transport mechanism being driven by a battery-powered electric motor, the transport mechanism, electric motor and battery being incorporated within the airgun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1990
    Assignee: Centre D'Innovations Et De Recherches Appliquers, societe anonyme
    Inventors: Leon Rutten, Jean Rutten
  • Patent number: 4850328
    Abstract: An air gun, especially an air pistol, with a piston (2) movable in a weapon housing in a pressure chamber and adapted to be brought to a cocking position against a spring pressure by a cocking arrangement (7, 8, 9) that engages said piston (2). The barrel (6) has a rear barrel opening (5) in which is insertable an elongated profiled bullet (4). In the weapon housing is situated a bullet magazine (16) for several consecutively arranged bullets (4), the inner space (17) of the bullet magazine is at least approximately adapted to the profile of the bullets and the bullets are prestressed in the direction toward the barrel opening (5) via a feed device (19, 20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Fritz Barthelmes KG
    Inventor: Gerhard Sindel
  • Patent number: 4850329
    Abstract: A firing mechanism for an air weapon in which air is compressed in a cylinder and expelled through a discharge port in the cylinder to propel a projectile along a barrel by a piston executing a firing stroke. The mechanism comprises a piston slidably located within a cylinder with the crown of the piston facing towards the discharge port. A spring urges the piston towards the discharge port. A bobbin is located behind the piston crown, which is axially movable with the piston during at least a portion of the firing stroke and is axially movable relative to the piston at the end of the firing stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: UTEC B.V.
    Inventors: Hugh F. Taylor, David R. Theobald, Derek J. C. Bernard
  • Patent number: 4848307
    Abstract: A toy air pistol for launching missile bullets includes chiefly an air-compression mechanism and a triggering mechanism, a revolving cylinder, and a barrel. The revolving cylinder has several cartridge chambers for loading missile bullets. The air hole of the air-compression mechanism can be aligned with any one of the cartridge chambers. The triggering mechanism releases the compression spring and piston to generate a powerful air pressure out of the air hole to launch the missile bullet out of the barrel. The missile bullet has a trumpet-shaped tail and an air chamber extending almost the whole length of the body thereof for receiving the air pressure as a propelling force for the missile bullet. The front end of the missile bullet may be mounted with an explosive charge or a protective cap so as to have the bullet look and act like a real one, or to increase its safety during play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Inventor: Yung-Chi Tsao
  • Patent number: 4841655
    Abstract: A device in the form of a hammer or firing-pin, movable angularly, with an arched attachment forming a piston, the cylinder being extended like an arched recess with its axis almost coinciding with that of the articulated joint of the hammer, and with the spring for acting on the piston acting on the said device by urging it angularly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1989
    Inventor: Giampiero Ferri
  • Patent number: 4819609
    Abstract: A compressed gas powered marking gun for firing marking pellets and similar projectiles each of which is generally spherical and sufficiently fragile so as to break upon impact with a target is disclosed including a compressed gas source, a projectile supply magazine containing a plurality of projectiles, and means for sequentially aligning projectiles from the supply magazine with the gun barrel through which projectiles may be sequentially discharged. The firing mechanism includes a user actuable trigger for selectively supplying compressed gas from the source to expel a projectile through the barrel, and a selector mechanism movable between a first position where the trigger actuated supplying of gas is disabled, a second position where one actuation of the trigger supplies gas to expel a single projectile, and a third position where compressed gas is repeatedly periodically supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Inventor: Dennis J. Tippmann