Patents Assigned to NPF Limited
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Patent number: 7302943Abstract: A pneumatic gun firing ram for firing one or more paintballs. The paintball gun includes a body defining a bore, with the bore being in communication with a valve for selectively releasing compressed gas to fire a paintball. A piston is located within the bore, and a rod is mounted within the piston for sliding movement. A hammer is mounted on an end of the rod opposite the piston, the hammer being movable between a first position and a second position relative the piston. A clamp substantially surrounds the rod at a region adjacent the hammer, and a pneumatic valve is adapted to move the pneumatic ram from a first position in the bore at a distance from the poppet valve to a second position in the bore proximate the poppet valve.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2004Date of Patent: December 4, 2007Assignee: NPF LimitedInventor: John Ronald Rice
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Patent number: 7127845Abstract: A paintball marker comprises a main body 10, a barrel 12 defining a firing axis X-X, and a grip frame assembly including a frame 26 and a trigger 22 pivotably mounted in the frame 26. The trigger has an upper finger engaging portion 50 and a lower finger engaging portion 52 so that it can be operated by two fingers 54, 56. The lower finger engaging portion 52 is curved round so that its finger engaging surface 66 ends in a horizontal part 68. The pivot axis of the trigger is adjustable between a number of positions, one of which is offset to the rear of the finger engaging portions 50, 52 so that the trigger can be operated by pulling downwards on the horizontal part 68 of the finger engaging surface 66.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2003Date of Patent: October 31, 2006Assignee: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
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Patent number: 6973748Abstract: A paintball gun trigger system includes a trigger, an emitter arranged to emit light and collector arranged to receive an amount of the light that varies with the position of the trigger and produce a signal that varies with the position of the trigger. A controller is arranged to determine from the signal when the trigger has been pulled and released. In one embodiment, the light beam from the emitter is pulsed on and off and the signal from the collector is sampled at regular intervals. Variations in the pulsed collector signal are used to detect when the trigger has moved to a pulled position and a released position, and when the collector is swamped with light from another source.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2003Date of Patent: December 13, 2005Assignee: NPF LimitedInventor: John Ronald Rice
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Patent number: 6948487Abstract: A control system for a paintball marker having a breach, the control system comprising a contact sensor, a controller, and a paintball firing mechanism, the sensor being arranged to be located within the paintball marker, to sense a paintball being in contact therewith and to produce a signal indicative of the presence of the paintball within the breech, and the controller being arranged to receive the signal and to control the actuation of the firing mechanism in response to the signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2003Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
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Patent number: 6941693Abstract: A paintball gun is disclosed which includes a data link for transferring data to and/or from a remote terminal. The link may be a contact or contactless one. A removable data carrier may be used.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2003Date of Patent: September 13, 2005Assignee: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
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Patent number: 6896366Abstract: A goggle, for use, for example, in paintball, comprises a lens 12, a body structure 14 for the lens and a strap 16. The body structure defines an ocular chamber 34 that covers the wearer's eyes, and an exhalation chamber 36 that covers the wearer's nose and mouth. An inlet plenum channel 42 leads from an inlet chamber 44 in the front of the goggle 10 up to the lower edge of the lens 12, and a fan 46 in the plenum channel 42 blows air from the inlet upwards across the inner surface of the lens 12. Air exhaled by the wearer leaves the exhalation chamber through outlet apertures 56 in the bottom of the mask, and is therefore directed away from the duct inlet chamber 44.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2004Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Mark Andrew Walker
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Patent number: 6860259Abstract: An electronically controlled pneumatic paintball gun, comprising means for monitoring and/or controlling one or more parameters of the gun's operation and alphanumeric display means for displaying data related to said monitoring or control on a display panel integral with the gun.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2004Date of Patent: March 1, 2005Assignee: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
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Publication number: 20050036100Abstract: A goggle, for use, for example, in paintball, comprises a lens 12, a body structure 14 for the lens and a strap 16. The body structure defines an ocular chamber 34 that covers the wearer's eyes, and an exhalation chamber 36 that covers the wearer's nose and mouth. An inlet plenum channel 42 leads from an inlet chamber 44 in the front of the goggle 10 up to the lower edge of the lens 12, and a fan 46 in the plenum channel 42 blows air from the inlet upwards across the inner surface of the lens 12. Air exhaled by the wearer leaves the exhalation chamber through outlet apertures 56 in the bottom of the mask, and is therefore directed away from the duct inlet chamber 44.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2004Publication date: February 17, 2005Applicant: NPF LimitedInventors: John Rice, Mark Walker
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Publication number: 20040216727Abstract: An electronically controlled pneumatic paintball gun, comprising means for monitoring and/or controlling one or more parameters of the gun's operation and alphanumeric display means for displaying data related to said monitoring or control on a display panel integral with the gun.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2004Publication date: November 4, 2004Applicant: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
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Patent number: 6748938Abstract: An electronically controlled pneumatic paintball gun. The paintball gun includes an apparatus for monitoring and/or controlling one or more paramaters of the gun's operation. The gun also includes a system for providing information to a user related to the monitoring or control, including but note limited to firing mode, valve dwell time, ambient temperature, whether the gun is in live or safe mode, whether or not a fault has been detected, maximum rate of fire, battery status, and combinations thereof.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2002Date of Patent: June 15, 2004Assignee: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
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Patent number: 6739322Abstract: A paintball feed system (10) comprises flexible detent beams (32a,b) that flex about first and second support points (33,34) such that they allow a paintball (22a) to pass from a hopper (18) into a feed tube (12) leading to a paintball marker's breech (16) under it's own weight when flexing about the first support point (33). The beams (32a,b) are rigid enough, when flexing about the second support pint (34), to prevent the return of the paintball (22a) back into the hopper (18) from the feed tube (12).Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2003Date of Patent: May 25, 2004Assignee: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks, Fraser Colley
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Patent number: 6729497Abstract: A paintball container comprises a body 12 and a lid 14. The lid 14 is hinged to the body 12 at one side, and has a tab 42 at the other side to facilitate opening of the container. The body 12 has a guard 26 formed on it adjacent to the tab 42 on the lid. The guard is substantially U-shaped and bounds a recess 30 into which a user can insert their thumb to pull up the tab 42 to release the lid. The guard 26 prevents accidental opening of the lid, for example when the container is being removed from a harness in which it is being carried.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2002Date of Patent: May 4, 2004Assignee: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Mark Andrew Walker
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Publication number: 20040055588Abstract: A paintball gun is disclosed which includes a data link for transferring data to and/or from a remote terminal. The link may be a contact or contactless one. A removable data carrier may be used.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2003Publication date: March 25, 2004Applicant: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
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Publication number: 20040011344Abstract: A paintball marker comprises a main body 110 and a barrel 112 defining a firing axis X-X, a trigger 122, and a grip 120 arranged to be held in a hand of a user which operates the trigger. The grip 120 has a rear edge 134 arranged to engage the palm of the hand of a user, the rear edge 134 being substantially vertical so as to enable the marker to be held in a comfortable and controlled manner during use.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2002Publication date: January 22, 2004Applicant: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks, Mark Andrew Walker
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Publication number: 20030221684Abstract: A paintball gun trigger system includes a trigger, an emitter arranged to emit light and collector arranged to receive an amount of the light that varies with the position of the trigger and produce a signal that varies with the position of the trigger. A controller is arranged to determine from the signal when the trigger has been pulled and released. In one embodiment, the light beam from the emitter is pulsed on and off and the signal from the collector is sampled at regular intervals. Variations in the pulsed collector signal are used to detect when the trigger has moved to a pulled position and a released position, and when the collector is swamped with light from another source.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2003Publication date: December 4, 2003Applicant: NPF LIMITEDInventor: John Ronald Rice
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Patent number: 6615814Abstract: A paintball gun is disclosed which includes a data link for transferring data to and/of from a remote terminal. The link may be a contact or contactless one. A removable data carrier may be used.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2000Date of Patent: September 9, 2003Assignee: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
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Publication number: 20030154968Abstract: An electronically controlled pneumatic paintball gun, comprising means for monitoring and/or controlling one or more parameters of the gun's operation and alphanumeric display means for displaying data related to said monitoring or control on a display panel integral with the gun.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2002Publication date: August 21, 2003Applicant: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
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Publication number: 20030121927Abstract: A paintball container comprises a body 12 and a lid 14. The lid 14 is hinged to the body 12 at one side, and has a tab 42 at the other side to facilitate opening of the container. The body 12 has a guard 26 formed on it adjacent to the tab 42 on the lid. The guard is substantially U-shaped and bounds a recess 30 into which a user can insert their thumb to pull up the tab 42 to release the lid. The guard 26 prevents accidental opening of the lid, for example when the container is being removed from a harness in which it is being carried.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2002Publication date: July 3, 2003Applicant: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice , Mark Andrew Walker
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Patent number: D473910Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2002Date of Patent: April 29, 2003Assignee: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks, Mark Andrew Walker
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Patent number: D484926Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2002Date of Patent: January 6, 2004Assignee: NPF LimitedInventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks, Mark Andrew Walker