By Spring-driven Plunger Patents (Class 124/66)
  • Publication number: 20100065033
    Abstract: A duplex control structure of toy gun includes a main body (3), a control portion (1), a transmission portion (2), and a motor (4). The main body (3) further consists of a left and right main bodies (3a), (3b), a barrel (31), two motor's positioning plates (32a) and (32b), a multiplicity of supporting shaft rods (33), (34), a left and right handle portions (35a), (35b), check plates (36a), (36b), and two sliding ways (37a), (37b). The control portion (1) further consists of a trigger (11), a control rod (12), a propping up plate (13), a brake (14), a slider rod (15), a positioning plate (25), a pull knob (17), and a power switch (18). The transmission portion (2) consists of a gun machine socket (21), a piston (22), springs (23), (24), a positioning plate (25), a check piece (26), a clip piece (27), a small transmission gear (28), and a large transmission gear (29). The motor (4) is connected to a DC power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Inventor: Chung-Kuan Yang
  • Patent number: 7677235
    Abstract: A toy gun includes a firing mechanism activated to cause rapid movement of a pneumatic piston to cause rapid ingress of air into a cartridge to cause firing of a soft projectile. A release mechanism causes ejection of spent cartridges from the gun after firing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Buzz Bee Toys (H.K.) Co., Limited
    Inventor: Jeffrey C. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 7658302
    Abstract: A retractable spring loaded pop-up shield for a water gun. The shield can assume one of two positions of either a folded, reclined position or of an unfolded, upright standing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Inventor: Stephen Berman
  • Publication number: 20090235911
    Abstract: A hardball weapon for use in exercises or shooting games and designed as military gun is made with a weapon housing (3) containing two coaxial pistons (21, 26) which are mounted directly in the weapon housing (3) and driven by an electric motor (10) via a gear wheel mechanism (12, 18) and toothed racks (24, 25). The first outer piston (21) functions as a movable bolt for loading the cartridge chamber with cartridges (7) with solid balls (6), and the other piston (26) functions as a pressurised air piston for creating an overpressure for firing the balls (6). The weapon housing (3) can be opened by pivoting, thereby giving access to the parts in the firing mechanism for inspection, repair and adjustment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventor: Martin Klarborg
  • Patent number: 7549416
    Abstract: A launch vehicle includes an air pump, an injection valve, a connecting member, a trigger, and a projectile. Thus, the launch vehicle is operated on the ground and is also operated in a hand-held manner, thereby enhancing the amusement effect of the launch vehicle. In addition, the user only needs to hold the air pump and the trigger so as to launch the projectile easily and conveniently in an energy-saving manner, thereby facilitating the user operating the launch vehicle. Further, the launch vehicle has a simplified construction to perform the hand-held launching function, thereby decreasing the costs of fabrication. Further, the launch vehicle is further provided with a safety device to prevent the trigger from being triggered unintentionally to protect the user's safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Inventor: Jeng-Chian Lin
  • Publication number: 20090050128
    Abstract: A bow-type projectile launcher for launching soft projectiles. The projectile launcher features a pump assembly having a cylinder and piston. The piston is attached to a bow string so that a pressure charge is generated when the user draws and releases the bow string. The pressure charge is released into a chamber which contains a soft projectile. A removable magazine is provided for containing a plurality of soft projectiles. A magazine receiver is provided for attaching the removable magazine to the projectile launcher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventor: Jeffrey R. Mitchell
  • Publication number: 20080289613
    Abstract: A bullet cartridge for toy air gun (air soft gun BB-gun) in which a gasket member is mounted with a metal bush and stopped at an annular stop flange between a front air chamber and a rear air chamber to support a reciprocating motion of a piston rod, and a compression spring is mounted on the piston rod and stopped between the metal bush and a collar of the piston rod to hold the piston rod in the close position where the front stop flange of the piston rod is stopped at the front side of the gasket member to seal the air passage between the CO2 steel cylinder and the jet nozzle through which compressed gas passes to drive a bullet out of the toy air gun.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Inventors: Jhih-Wun Liao, Yi-Sing Chen
  • Patent number: 7404398
    Abstract: A propulsion system consisting of a handle, trigger, receiver, hammer assembly, spring, fastener and plunger used for propelling small portions of semi-solid biodegradable objects such as a potato or apple. The combination of these parts provides a compact yet easy to use system for loading and shooting a small piece (otherwise known as the Slug) of the semi-solid biodegradable object. It also is a platform to generate, store and release in a controlled manor potential energy with the end result being to compress a separate, self resetting compression chamber filled with air and propel the small portions of the semi-solid biodegradable object from the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Inventor: Matthew Joseph Henricks
  • Patent number: 7275529
    Abstract: A projectile launcher is provided. One aspect provides a device for launching projectiles comprising a slide, a barrel, and a pivoting element configured so that a delivery element contacts the barrel and delivers a catalyst or reactant to a projectile to be launched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Inventor: Cyril T. Boys
  • Patent number: 7191775
    Abstract: A gun replica includes a grip portion, a gun butt portion detachably connected to the grip portion and a cylinder portion received in a barrel portion which is detachably connected to the grip portion and having a piston movably received inside the cylinder portion so as to press a recoil mechanism and to compress air inside the cylinder of the cylinder portion to fire a bullet from the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Inventor: Wen-Ho Lo
  • Patent number: 7156085
    Abstract: A toy gun includes a barrel having a bay for receiving a soft projectile loaded within a cartridge. A stock is connected pivotally to the barrel and encases a pneumatic cylinder and piston that is primed upon pivotally opening the stock and barrel. The pneumatic cylinder and piston communicate with the bay when the stock and barrel are closed. A trigger releases the piston to force air into the bay for dispatching the projectile from the cartridge—leaving the cartridge within the bay for ejection upon opening of the stock and barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Buzz Bee Toys (H.K.) Co., Limited
    Inventors: Michael G. Lewis, Jeffrey C. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 7114493
    Abstract: The invention concerns a pump for compressed gas for a replica weapon for the projection of balls, comprising: A cylinder (7) forming a gas retention compartment (72) and provided with a cylinder head (71) forming a lateral wall of the said retention compartment, said cylinder head comprising a central orifice (73) A gas ejection nozzle (9) having a first end opening into the retention compartment (72) and a second end opening into a barrel (1) of the replica weapon, and A piston (8) provided with a piston head (81) which is movable in the retention compartment and suitable for compressing the gas in the said compartment, in which, on the one hand, the piston head is conical in shape and, on the other, the cylinder head has the shape of a funnel, complementary to the conical shape of the piston head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Cybergun S.A.
    Inventor: Bertrand Marsac
  • Patent number: 6997770
    Abstract: An air pressure projectile launcher toy comprising at lease one soft foam projectile and a telescopic tube assembly, adapted on one end for releasably securing a projectile, and capable of generating a high speed compressed air stream, which is buffered by a large available air volume, intended to accelerate lightweight foam projectiles without generating an undesirable shock wave, caused by the rapid build-up of high internal pressures, thereby making it possible for children to launch safe foam projectiles with less effort and increased accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Inventor: Brian Lapointe
  • Patent number: 6925997
    Abstract: The invention relates to a paintgun with pneumatic feeding and discharging process characterized by a pneumatic delivery mechanism. The pneumatic delivery mechanism comprises a flow-guiding body forming a major air channel at front end and a flow-guiding chamber at rear end thereof, a flow-guiding movable body utilizing a valve body to divide the flow-guiding chamber into a front and a rear air pressure chamber with different pressure area and a delivery tube placed around a tube at front part of the flow-guiding body. Moreover, a stopper controls the opening or closing of air flow channel, thereby changing the pressure difference between the front and the rear air pressure chambers. The delivery tube is shifted forward by a small amount of air flow fed into a minor air channel for pushing a paintball a little forward. Thereafter, the paintball is discharged by thrust of air flow into the major air channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Inventor: Chih-Sheng Sheng
  • Patent number: 6612298
    Abstract: A new safety that is incorporated to a sporting pellet or air gun by which the accidental firing of the gun is prevented even when the gun is loaded, making it necessary to remove it in order to fire the gun. This safety includes a square bulky button with cut edges at the top that make it look like a trapezium in its cross-section view; and grooves on the surface to hold and move it manually, and that on its lower face is curved having the correlative shape of the barrel, and also has a side bore where a peg that joins the base of the safety is introduced. A base of the safety, placed under the safety that is a rectangular piece acts as a cam to place the latch when the gun is loaded, from which a second piece also rectangular in shape sticks out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Inventor: Hector Mendoza-Orozco
  • Patent number: 6601780
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a paintgun with pneumatic feeding and discharging process which mainly includes a pneumatic delivery mechanism. The pneumatic delivery mechanism consists of a flow-guiding body, a flow-guiding piston and a delivery tube. The flow-guiding body consists of a major air channel at the front end and a flow-guiding chamber at the rear end thereof. The flow-guiding chamber contains an input port at one side thereof which is in connection with an air pressure source and an output port at the other side thereof which communicates with a minor air channel at the wider part of the flow-guiding body. A stopper is used to control the opening and closing of the air flow channel. The flow-guiding piston is disposed within the flow-guiding chamber. The flow-guiding chamber is divided by the valve body into a front and a rear air pressure chambers with different pressure area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Inventor: Chih-Sheng Sheng
  • Publication number: 20030098019
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a motorized toy gun including a bullet feeding device, a power set, and a trigger operation set. The power set includes a motor, a first drive gear, a second drive gear, and a force output gear. The trigger operation set includes a trigger, a connecting arm push plate, a trigger arm, a lift member, a connecting arm, a switch arm, a locking member, and a microswitch. Thus, forward movement of the piston cylinder may be accelerated by the restoring force of the piston spring and by a power provided by the force output gear and the rack, thereby increasing the pressure in the cylinder, so that the BB bullet may be ejected outward quickly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Publication date: May 29, 2003
    Inventor: Shih-Che Hu
  • Publication number: 20030098020
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a BB bullet feeding device of a toy gun, including a cylinder, a piston cylinder, a front spring guide tube, a piston spring, a rear spring guide tube, a nozzle, a sealing tube, a bullet feeding spring, and a trigger operation set. Thus, the piston cylinder may be moved in the cylinder horizontally, and the BB bullet may be rapidly and stably pushed to a predetermined position by the restoring force of the piston spring and the bullet feeding spring during the single rearward stroke of the piston cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Publication date: May 29, 2003
    Inventor: Shih-Che Hu
  • Patent number: 6568381
    Abstract: A paint ball gun includes a body portion, a handle, and a triggering mechanism mounted within the body portion and the handle, improvement wherein the triggering mechanism comprises a trigger pivotally mounted in the body portion, a micro-switch mounted within the handle and having a contact button disposed behind the trigger, a solenoid valve having a valve rod, means for controlling the valve rod of the solenoid valve by way of the micro-switch, a magnet mounted within the handle for attracting the valve rod to original position, a lever having a lower portion aligned with the valve rod and an upper end extending into a passage of the body portion, a first spring urging the upper end of the lever into the passage, a striking rod slidably fitted in the passage and having a bottom formed with a recess, and a second spring fitted in the passage and having an end urging against an end of the striking rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Inventor: Yung Che Chang
  • Patent number: 6564788
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a motorized toy gun including a bullet feeding device, a power set, and a trigger operation set. The power set includes a motor, a first drive gear, a second drive gear, and a force output gear. The trigger operation set includes a trigger, a connecting arm push plate, a trigger arm, a lift member, a connecting arm, a switch arm, a locking member, and a microswitch. Thus, forward movement of the piston cylinder may be accelerated by the restoring force of the piston spring and by a power provided by the force output gear and the rack, thereby increasing the pressure in the cylinder, so that the BB bullet may be ejected outward quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Inventor: Shih-Che Hu
  • Patent number: 6564789
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a BB bullet feeding device of a toy gun, including a cylinder, a piston cylinder, a front spring guide tube, a piston spring, a rear spring guide tube, a nozzle, a sealing tube, a bullet feeding spring, and a trigger operation set. Thus, the piston cylinder may be moved in the cylinder horizontally, and the BB bullet may be rapidly and stably pushed to a predetermined position by the restoring force of the piston spring and the bullet feeding spring during the single rearward stroke of the piston cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Inventor: Shih-Che Hu
  • Patent number: 6553707
    Abstract: A butt structure for a pneumatic gun includes a butt frame, a sleeve, a pneumatic control means and an inner tube. The sleeve has a front end with the outer peripheral surface forming a screw section and a lateral side forming a first slot. The pneumatic control means includes an adjusting ring, a retain ring and a push rod. The adjusting ring is coupled on the screw section and has an inner peripheral surface forming a retain trough. The retain element is to anchor the push rod and has a pin located on the lateral side. The inner tube is housed in the sleeve and fastened to the rear end of the duct of the pneumatic gun and has the lateral side forming a second slot corresponding to the first slot. The retain element and the push rod of the pneumatic control means are housed in the inner tube. The pin of the retain element runs through the first and the second slots and engages with the retain trough of the adjusting ring; The front end of the push rod presses the retain rod of the cartridge firing mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Inventor: Water Tseng
  • Publication number: 20030010331
    Abstract: This invention refers to a new safety that is incorporated to a sporting pellet or air gun by which the accidental firing of the gun is prevented even when the gun is loaded, making it necessary to remove it in order to fire the gun.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventor: Hector Mendoza-Orozco
  • Patent number: 6505577
    Abstract: A bird launcher for training dogs having a support frame, a pivot arm mounted on the support frame for pivotal movement between a bird loading position and a bird launching position, a magazine carried by the support frame for holding a plurality of birds to be launched by the pivot arm during successive movements of the pivot arm from the loading position to the launching position, a loader carried by the support frame for loading a bird from the magazine onto the pivot arm, and a power assembly such as a pressurized air supply carried by the support frame for pivoting the pivot arm with sufficient force to launch the bird by flinging it in an arc away from the pivot arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Inventor: Howard Gene Putnam
  • Patent number: 6371099
    Abstract: A paint ball gun includes a gun barrel mounted on a gun handle. The gun barrel is formed with parallel propelling and recuperator chambers for respectively receiving a propelling member and a recuperating unit. A connecting rod interconnects the propelling member and a recuperator member such that the propelling member is movable together with the recuperator member. A manually operable pull unit is mounted in the propelling chamber posteriorly of the propelling member, and includes a pull rod with a front rod portion formed with an elongated slot and a rear rod portion which extends out of the propelling chamber. The connecting rod extends through and is slidable along the elongated slot. The pull unit further has a biasing spring for biasing the pull rod forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Inventor: Yi-Hsin Lee
  • Patent number: 6352070
    Abstract: The present invention is a safety formed in a sporting pellet or air rifle which prevents the accidental firing of the rifle even when it is loaded. The safety utilizes a loading pull lever, a crescent-shaped portion positioned generally at the middle of the loading pull lever, a pusher located at an end of the loading pull lever, a piston positioned within the barrel of the rifle so as to be cooperative with the pusher, a piston stopper connected to an end of the piston, a hand-activated safety, a safety base supporting the stem of the safety, a trigger having a particular shape for cooperation with the safety, and a retaining lever which is movable so as to touch the piston stopper and is movable downwardly to secure the rod of the piston. The lever is positioned in front of the trigger so as to prevent the firing of the rifle before the pull lever has been fully depressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Inventor: Hector Mendoza-Orozco
  • Patent number: 6250294
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an air compression type shooting device comprising: a fixed compression tube having a rubber ring for holding a bullet attached to the end thereof; a movable compression tube placed movably back and forth by the rear grip and the spring in the fixed compression tube; a piston biased by the spring in the movable compression tube and moved back and forth in a guide tube to inhale and compress the air; and a trigger for holding and releasing the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Inventor: Bak Gyu Lim
  • Patent number: 6076513
    Abstract: A toy gun for launching foam projectiles includes a forward housing having a launch chamber and a rearward housing slidably connected to the forward housing. The rearward housing is adapted to be shiftable between a forward or retracted position disposed within or generally adjacent to the forward housing and an extended position. A releasable latch is provided which is adapted to engage the rearward housing as the rearward housing is shifted to the extended position, thereby maintaining the rearward housing in the extended position. A pneumatic launcher having a spring operated plunger, an actuating trigger, and a compression chamber in flow communication with the launch chamber is disposed within the forward and rearward housings. The plunger is shiftable to between a cocked position in response to rearward movement of the rearward housing toward the extended position and is retained by the actuating trigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory J. Doherty, Karl Christopherson
  • Patent number: 6067975
    Abstract: A toy gun having a pair of reciprocating barrels for an alternating sequence of foam projectiles. The toy gun includes a body and a pair of barrels slidably mounted to the body and being adapted for movement along a longitudinal path between a rearward position and a forward position. Each of the barrels includes a longitudinal rack and an internal pneumatic plunger assembly. The forward portion of each barrel defines a launch chamber adapted to receive one or more foam projectiles. The gun includes a moveable handle engaging one of the barrels, and an actuating pinion mounted to the body engages each of the barrel racks, so that the actuating pinion moves the barrels in opposite directions between their respective forward and rearward positions in response to movement of the handle, such that each plunger assembly pressurizes its adjacent launch chamber in response to rearward movement of the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne M. Ginn
  • Patent number: 5988152
    Abstract: A toy gun which fires at least two projectiles with a single cycle of an actuation device is disclosed. The gun includes a piston for developing a firing force and a magazine having at least two stations, each of which receives a projectile. The magazine is movable to sequentially position each of the stations in a firing position to receive the firing force from the piston. The actuating device operatively engages the piston and the magazine for periodic actuation thereof. In some embodiments, the actuating device comprises an elongated strip with a plurality of spaced abutments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Halter, Brian S. Dengler
  • Patent number: 5975068
    Abstract: A toy gun having a pneumatic projectile launcher for launching a foam projectile and a retractable sighting mechanism which automatically raises to an operative viewing position when the gun is cocked. The pneumatic launcher having a plunger is concealed by a sliding housing which simulates the action of an automatic weapon, and the sight is pivotally mounted to the housing. When the gun is cocked by sliding the housing rearwardly relative to the body of the gun, the sight contacts an actuator which rotates the sight to an operative viewing position. When the gun is fired, the housing moves forwardly in unison with the plunger, and the sight automatically rotates to its inoperative position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Halter, Joseph J. Smith, Gerard M. O'Shea
  • Patent number: 5901693
    Abstract: A toy gun for launching a foam projectile from a launch station that is offset from the axis of the launcher. The gun includes a pneumatic launcher having a retractable plunger that reciprocates in a cylinder to define a compression chamber. One or more air ports are provided to communicate air from the compression chamber to the launch station in order to eject a projectile therefrom. The plunger incorporates a hollow shaft having transparent ends which are aligned with the transparent compression chamber, thus providing a continuous line of sight through said shaft and the compression chamber for aiming the gun toward an intended target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph J. Smith
  • Patent number: 5819717
    Abstract: A launching chamber (20) with an exhaust orifice (32) covered by an obstruction member (34, 36) is in fluid-pressure dependent mechanical communication with an equilibrium chamber (40) such that when the two chambers are in fluid pressure equilibrium and fluid pressure in the equilibrium chamber is decreased to a predetermined amount less than the fluid pressure in the launching chamber the obstruction member uncovers the exhaust orifice. The equilibrium chamber (40) is vented through a turbine tube (70) which drives a turbine wheel (72).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Johnson Research and Development Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Lonnie G. Johnson, John T. Applewhite
  • Patent number: 5797385
    Abstract: A toy gun is disclosed as having a trigger with opposing first and second ends. First and second barrels are provided, each holding at least one ammunition. The toy gun further includes a first housing adjacent the first end of the trigger and coupled to the first barrel, the first housing having a firing mechanism coupled to the trigger for firing the ammunition from the first barrel. The toy gun also includes a second housing adjacent the second end of the trigger and coupled to the second barrel, the second housing having a firing mechanism coupled to the trigger for firing the ammunition from the second barrel. The toy gun may be operated such that one ammunition at each of the first and second barrels are fired simultaneously upon actuation of the trigger. Alternatively, one ammunition at the first barrel may be fired without firing any ammunition at the second barrel, upon actuation of the trigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Placo Toys International, Ltd.
    Inventor: Douglas Thai
  • Patent number: 5791326
    Abstract: There is disclosed a toy projectile launcher having a slidable launch tube capable of sliding in a cylinder to compress gas and receiving that compressed gas to launch a projectile. The toy projectile launcher may also include focusable lights that improve accuracy up to a certain distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Brown, Michael A. Moore, Hampton R. Woodhouse
  • Patent number: 5738079
    Abstract: A toy projectile launcher includes a body portion, two pairs of launching assemblies on the body portion, and a trigger assembly for actuating the launching assemblies for launching projectiles from the body portion. The trigger assembly includes a single trigger element which is alternatively operative for actuating one pair of the launching assemblies for simultaneously launching two projectiles or for actuating both pairs of launching assemblies for substantially simultaneously launching four projectiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan R. Keller, Robert Louis Brown, Daniel G. Meiser, Kurt Wierwille
  • Patent number: 5724954
    Abstract: There is disclosed a projectile launcher having a housing, a launch tube slidably engaged to the housing, and a spring-loaded piston that is cocked by sliding the launch tube relative to the housing. After cocking, when it is desired to launch a projectile, a trigger is pulled, thereby uncocking the spring-loaded piston and launching the projectile. The projectile launcher may include one or more appendages joined to the housing and the trigger for movement when the trigger is pulled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph J. Smith
  • Patent number: 5715802
    Abstract: There is disclosed a projectile launcher with a firing mechanism that can be either hand-held or secured to a body plate. When secured to a body plate, the firing mechanism is attached to a conduit that has on its distal end, a secondary launch tube that can be hand-held or secured to head gear worn by the user and aimed with sights mounted on the head gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1998
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Moore, Robert L. Brown
  • Patent number: 5701878
    Abstract: The toy gun disclosed includes a trigger mechanism for launching projectiles from a flexible tail or other appendage. The tail bends and compressed gas is released in response to pulling the trigger to its full extent so that the projectile is launched when the flexible tail is bent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Moore, David R. Griffin, Jeffery Dubose
  • Patent number: 5680853
    Abstract: A mechanical projectile launcher utilizes novel cocking, advancement and indexing mechanisms for sequentially launching projectiles from a plurality of barrels. A linearly traveling handle is employed in the operations of both a firing mechanism and an advancement mechanism. A novel indexing mechanism utilizes a series of drive surfaces and alignment channels on a rotary element to allow a single advancement drive member, such as a pawl, to induce precise sequential alignment between a plurality of launching barrels and a firing mechanism, without the need for additional indexing members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1997
    Inventor: Richard A. Clayton
  • Patent number: 5660159
    Abstract: A multi-shot airgun employs a hand crank for cocking and firing of an air pump, and advancement of a multi-projectile magazine. Turning the crank causes the pump's plunger to be cycled back and forth to cock and discharge the pump. Turning the crank additionally actuates a projectile advancement mechanism. The advancement mechanism sequentially positions a plurality of projectiles in firing alignment with an air discharge port of the pump. Continuous rotation of the crank results in discharge of the projectiles in rapid succession. A high capacity magazine is provided in the form of a long, continuously looped ammunition belt to allow extended firing time between loadings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Inventor: Richard A. Clayton
  • Patent number: 5655509
    Abstract: Improvements in air guns of the rifle or pistol type. The air gun comprises a compression chamber-fork one-piece assembly (10), to be fastened to a buttstock of a gun, made of plastic material with a reinforcing web portion (14) connecting lower portions of both fork limbs (15) and with a plurality of anchoring appendages (34) projecting from the lower outer wall of the chamber to fit into matching slots of the buttstock. A one-piece body (16) made of plastic material integrates a stopper (25), spring guide (21), embellisher (33) and a support comprised of two parallel walls (17, 18) for a ratchet, trigger and intermediary elements of the gun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Industrias el Gamo, S.A.
    Inventor: Francisco Casas Salva
  • Patent number: 5653215
    Abstract: An air-powered projectile launcher includes a housing defining a cylindrical launch tube for receiving a projectile and a cylindrical cylinder bore. A piston having an extending piston rod is sealingly movable within the cylinder bore and is coupled at its forward end to a coil spring. The piston rod extends rearwardly through a trigger and cocking mechanism which in turn is coupled to a pivotal pump handle. A ratcheting mechanism is operatively coupled between the pivoting pump handle and the piston rod to facilitate the incremental drawing motion of the piston rod and piston stretching the power spring. The trigger mechanism holds the piston rod against the force of the stretched spring until the user pulls the trigger into its release position. Thereafter, the stored energy of the spring drives the piston forward against the launch tube and projectile providing an air burst which launches the projectile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: Caleb Chung, Steve Fouke, John Handy, Terry Benson, Nathan Proch
  • Patent number: 5622159
    Abstract: A toy weapon firing a shapeless solid charge includes a reciprocating air pump and an extruder including a reservoir of the shapeless flowable solid material. A tubular nozzle member is mounted on the outlet end of the air pump and includes a transversely extending nipple providing a fluid coupling with the outlet of the extruder. A portion of the housing is configured to form a hand grip while a separate hand grip is coupled with the air pump piston to permit reciprocation of the air pump piston by reciprocating the hand grip portions towards one another and away from one another. The extruder may be operated separately from the air pump or linked with the air pump for simultaneous operation to feed a charge of the shapeless, flowable solid material into the nozzle member before or while the air pump is reciprocated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: LCD International, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Dexter C. T. Liu, Douglas Melville, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5605140
    Abstract: A toy gun includes a gun body having a handle portion, a primary barrel on the gun body and a concealed secondary barrel in the handle portion. The gun further includes a piston and cylinder assembly which is operable for selectively delivering blasts of compressed air to the primary or secondary barrels for selectively launching projectiles therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Tonka Corporation
    Inventor: David R. Griffin
  • Patent number: 5575482
    Abstract: A volleyball launcher comprising a vertically extending tubular member, a ball cradle, a lift rod, a cross bar and a pair of ball propelling arms. The lift rod is mounted in the tubular member and is adapted for limited longitudinal travel therein. The tubular member has a pair of longitudinal slots in opposite sides thereof. The ball cradle is mounted on the upper end of the tubular member. The cross bar is mounted at its midsection to the tubular member near the upper end thereof. The outer end of each propelling arm is pivotally monted approximate a respective end of the cross bar. The inner end of each propelling arm extends through the slots under the lower end of the lift rod. An energy storing element is provided to impel the lift bar upwards. A stop member is positioned to contact the outer ends of the propelling arms, whereby during the upward travel the ball receives a launch impulse from the lift rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Inventor: Bill Butler, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5570676
    Abstract: This invention is related to a kit to retrofit a mechanically spring-powered air gun to a gas spring-powered air gun, and to a self-contained gas piston for an air gun. The gas piston has a center latch which engages the center latch operated by the trigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Inventor: Thomas D. Gore
  • Patent number: 5535729
    Abstract: A projectile launcher includes a launcher body having a nonrotatable projectile magazine thereon, a piston and cylinder assembly in the launcher body, and a lever operated actuating mechanism on the launcher body. The actuating mechanism is operative for loading and releasing the piston in the cylinder for producing individual blasts of compressed air and also for rotating the cylinder so that sequential blasts of compressed air are delivered to sequential launching chambers on the magazine in order to launch sequential projectiles therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Griffin, Ronald C. Boyle
  • Patent number: 5531210
    Abstract: A toy gun includes a housing, a forwardly biased plunger assembly in the housing, first and second rack gears in the housing, and a transmission gear assembly in the housing. The transmission gear assembly is operative for communicating rearward movement of the second rack gear to the first rack gear in order to move the first rack gear and the plunger assembly into rearward cocked positions in the housing. The transmission gear assembly is adapted so that once the first rack gear and the plunger assembly have been moved to the cocked positions thereof in housing, the second rack gear is freely movable without interference from the transmission gear assembly and the first rack gear, and so that the first rack gear and the plunger assembly are freely releasable to the uncocked positions for causing the plunger assembly to produce a blast of compressed air in order to launch a projectile from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel G. Meiser, Randolph C. Stewart
  • Patent number: RE37616
    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: November 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Inventor: Dean Patrick Schumacher