Patents by Inventor Daniel N. Van Elderen

Daniel N. Van Elderen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4875459
    Abstract: A Gattling-like gun provides for manual control of the rate of firing of projectiles in the form of balls. The balls are fed through two successive nip regions formed by pinch rollers. The first is manually controlled by a crank to vary the rate of firing. Balls delivered from the first nip region are fired at high speed by a fast rotating, fixed speed second pinch roller. The gun fires balls at round targets supported on rotating carousels. Dislodged targets roll to the front of an enclosure for dispensing to the player. The balls are separated and fed by an Archimides' spiral to a feed tube connected to the gun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: 501 Atari Games
    Inventors: Daniel N. Van Elderen, Gerald J. Lichac
  • Patent number: 4807886
    Abstract: A Gattling-gun-like amusement game provides for manual control of the rate of firing and dispensing of dislodged targets as prizes to the player. The gun fires balls at round targets supported on rotating carousels. Dislodged targets roll to the front of an enclosure for dispensing to the player. The balls are separated and fed by an Archimedes' spiral to a feed tube connected to the gun. A sensor is used with controls to limit the number of balls provided to a player. The balls are fed through two successive nip regions formed by pinch rollers. The first is manually controlled by a crank to vary the rate of firing. Balls delivered from the first nip region are fired at high speed by a fast rotating, fixed speed second pinch roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: Atari Games
    Inventors: Daniel N. Van Elderen, Gerald J. Lichac