Mechanical guns and projectors – Fluid pressure – With control for discharge of fluid pressure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-09
2004-11-23
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Mechanical guns and projectors
Fluid pressure
With control for discharge of fluid pressure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06820608
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to compressed gas powered guns. More specifically, the invention relates to training guns duplicating various characteristics of guns firing gunpowder propelled projectiles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Guns firing projectiles propelled by compressed air or gas are commonly used for recreational target shooting or as training devices for teaching the skills necessary to properly shoot guns firing gunpowder propelled projectiles. Ammunition for air guns is significantly less expensive than gunpowder propelled ammunition. A typical gas powered projectile has significantly lower velocity and energy than a gunpowder propelled projectile, making it much easier to locate a safe place to shoot an air gun, and much less expensive to construct a suitable backstop. Additionally, the low velocity and energy of air powered projectiles makes air guns significantly less useful as weapons than guns firing gunpowder propelled projectiles. Lack of usefulness as a weapon is an important factor in making air guns available in regions where national or local governments regulate firing gunpowder propelled projectiles (firearms).
To be an effective training tool, an air gun must duplicate the characteristics of a firearm as closely as possible. These characteristics include size, weight, grip configuration, trigger reach, type of sights, level of accuracy, method of reloading, method of operation, location of controls, operation of controls, weight of trigger pull, length of trigger pull, and recoil. The usefulness of a gas powered gun as a training tool is limited to the extent that any of the above listed characteristics cannot be accurately duplicated.
Presently available air guns increasingly tend to have an exterior configuration resembling that of a gun firing a powder propelled projectile. Presently available air guns may be used in a semi-automatic (one shot per pull of the trigger) or very rarely full automatic (more than one shot per pull of the trigger) mode of fire, although the cyclic rate of full automatic fire typically does not duplicate the cyclic rate of a full automatic firearm firing a projectile powered by gunpowder. The vast majority of presently available airguns which are advertised as being semiautomatic are actually nothing more than double-action revolver mechanisms disguised within an outer housing that simply looks like a semiautomatic gun. However, because they are true double-action mechanisms, the weight of trigger pull is much heavier than the weight of trigger pull of the present invention, which has a true single-action trigger. Presently available air guns have also been designed to simulate the trigger pull and reloading of guns firing gunpowder propelled projectiles.
Presently available air guns do not duplicate the recoil of a gun firing a powder propelled projectile. The inability to get a trainee accustomed to the recoil generated by conventional firearms is one of the greatest disadvantages in the use of air guns as training tools. Additionally, although presently available air guns can be made extremely accurate, variations in gas pressure can cause differences in shot placement from shot to shot, or from the beginning of a gas cartridge to the end. Further, duplication of the cyclic rate of a conventional firearm within an air gun would enable a trainee to learn how to properly depress the trigger to fire short bursts of approximately three shots in full automatic mode of fire using an air gun. Because recoil is significantly more difficult to control during full automatic fire than during semi-automatic fire, an air gun simulating both recoil and the cyclic rate of a conventional firearm would be particularly useful as a training tool.
Accordingly, there is a need for an air powered gun duplicating the recoil of a conventional firearm. Additionally, there is a need for an air powered gun maintaining a consistent compressed gas pressure behind the projectile from shot to shot, thereby maintaining a constant velocity, energy, and point of impact for each projectile. Further, there is a need for an air gun duplicating the full automatic cyclic rate of a conventional full automatic firearm. There is also a need to combine these characteristics into an air gun that is not particularly useful as a weapon, thereby facilitating safe use by inexperienced trainees, making training facilities easier and more economical to construct, lowering the cost of ammunition and training, reducing noise levels, and broadening the legality of ownership.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The preferred embodiment of the invention is an air or gas powered gun providing a recoil similar to that of a gun firing a powder propelled projectile. The compressed gas powered gun includes an improved magazine and magazine indexing system, contributing to the accuracy of the gun. The compressed gas powered gun preferably also duplicates many other features of a conventional firearm, for example, the sights, the positioning of the controls, and method of operation. One preferred embodiment simulates the characteristics of an AR-15 or M-16 rifle, although the invention can easily be applied to simulate the characteristics of other conventional firearms.
The operation of a compressed gas powered gun of the present invention is controlled by the combination of a trigger assembly, bolt, buffer assembly and valve. Preferred embodiments will be capable of semi-automatic fire, full automatic fire at a low cyclic rate, and full automatic fire at a high cyclic rate. One of the two full automatic cyclic rates preferably approximately duplicates the cyclic rate of a conventional automatic rifle, for example, an M-16 rifle.
The trigger assembly includes a trigger having a finger-engaging portion and a selector-engaging portion, a selector switch, a trigger bar, a sear trip, and a sear. The selector switch will preferably be cylindrical, having three bearing surfaces corresponding to safe, semi-automatic fire, and full automatic fire at a low cyclic rate, and a channel corresponding to full automatic fire at a high cyclic rate. These surfaces and channel of the selector bear against the selector engaging portion of the trigger, permitting little or no trigger movements if safe is selected, and increasing trigger movement for semi-automatic fire, low cyclic rate full automatic fire, and high cyclic rate full automatic fire, respectively. The sear is mounted on a sliding pivot, and is spring-biased towards a rearward position. The sear has a forward end for engaging the sear trip, and a rear end for engaging the bolt. The bolt preferably contains a floating mass, and reciprocates between a forward position and a rearward position. Although the bolt is spring-biased towards its forward position, the bolt will typically be held in its rearward position by the sear except during firing. The valve assembly includes a reciprocating housing containing a stationary forward valve poppet, a sliding rear valve poppet, and a spring between the front and rear valve poppets. The spring pushes the rear valve poppet rearward, causing the rear poppet to bear against the housing, thereby closing the rear valve and pushing the housing rearward. Pushing the housing rearward causes the housing to bear against the front valve poppet, thereby closing the front valve.
The valve assembly includes a reciprocating housing containing a stationary forward valve poppet, a sliding rear valve poppet, and a spring between the front and rear valve poppets. The spring pushes the rear valve poppet rearward, causing the rear poppet to bear against the housing, thereby closing the rear valve and pushing the housing rearward. Pushing the housing rearward causes the housing to bear against the front valve poppet, thereby closing the front valve.
Before the trigger is pulled, the trigger is in its forwardmost position, the bolt is held to the rear by its engagement with the sear, and the sear, although spring-biased rearward, is pushed towards its forwardmost position b
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott , LLC
Holzen Stephen A.
Jordan Charles T.
Lang IV William F.
New-Matics Licencing, LLC
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