Ring airfoil launching system

Details Ring airfoil launching system Ring airfoil launching system

2002-06-20

2004-06-01

Banks, Derris H. (Department: 3712)

Mechanical guns and projectors

Spring

Elastic band

C124S020100, C446S039000, C446S064000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06742509

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a launcher for a ring airfoil projectile.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a number of devices for launching projectiles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,012 employs a rod within a barrel to facilitate the launching of a grenade.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,663 has a rod containing a helical groove for launching a ball that spins as it moves longitudinally. Lines
63
through
65
in column
3
declare, “. . . the rod
18
is a hollow cylinder with a long, thin aperture
51
describing a portion of a helical path about its exterior.” Furthermore, lines
9
through
14
in column
3
explain, “. . . the trigger operating device
22
presses against the trigger (not shown in
FIG. 1
) of the launcher
24
. This releases the launcher
24
which is spring driven to impel the ball
28
along the length of the rod [member]
18
and cause it to be thrown in a line in the direction of the axis of the rod
18
.” And lines
31
through
35
in column
4
indicate, “It should be noted that in the preferred embodiment the launcher
24
travels a helical path described by the aperture
51
so that a spin is imparted to the ball.”
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,970,970 and 6,079,398 both cover a launching rod having a fixed helical groove or aperture to launch a ring airfoil with a spin having been imparted to the airfoil through interaction of the launch platform with the groove.
The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,970 also explains, “Propelling element
62
is associated with ring airfoil support
60
and is configured to move the ring airfoil support along member
58
. Such movement may involve acceleration and deceleration. Propelling element
62
is best seen in FIG.
8
. In launcher
20
, propelling element
62
takes the form of a spring having two ends, where one end is attached to a knob
82
inside the forward end of member
58
and the other end is attached to pin
78
as it passes through member
58
.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,970 further clarifies, “Trigger
28
. . . holds ring airfoil support
60
in the first, cocked position, in which energy is stored in the launcher, and releases ring airfoil support
60
upon actuation of the trigger to permit the ring airfoil support to move along member
58
to the second, fired position, in which energy is transferred to the ring airfoil.”
Finally, the disclosure in U.S Pat. No. 5,970,970 says, “Member
58
also may have a channel
68
disposed along at least a portion of its length. This channel may take a number of forms. In launcher
20
, channel
68
takes the form of two helical slots disposed on opposite sides of member
58
and making about one-quarter turn along the length of the member.” It does not appear that any other embodiment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,970 for causing the airfoil to rotate.
And U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,398 provides, “further secured over forward end
140
is a launch spring
148
(illustrated as a cylinder and preferably a metal coil spring) and a launch chuck
150
. Chuck
150
includes a sleeve portion
152
having an inner diameter
154
in which a pair of tabs (not shown) are formed. The tabs engage slots
138
. Slots
138
form a helical twist which causes a rotation of chuck
150
as it moves axially along shaft
100
. Launch spring
148
bears between collar
142
and chuck
150
, and chuck
150
is retained on forward end
140
by a bumper
156
and a retainer
158
that is secured to forward end
140
. Chuck
150
is formed with a plurality of radially outwardly extending arms
160
, that are adapted to engage inner surface
46
of a ring airfoil
34
, and outwardly extending tabs
162
adapted to engage trailing edge
45
of ring airfoil
34
.
None of the preceding patents provide for altering the degree of spin.
In application Ser. No. 10/000,274 of John w. Hunter, Ph.D., though, the rotation of the airfoil is adjustable and is accomplished with two or more resilient bands. The degree of axial rotation is determined by the amount which a spin guide is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the launch guide. The two resilient bands are angularly rotated by the spin guide to the same extent as is the spin guide.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Surprisingly, however, the present inventors have discovered that adjustable rotation of the airfoil can be successfully accomplished without any channel or spin guide. For this purpose, a grip is simply attached to the pusher.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3949731 (1976-04-01), Caso
patent: 4050438 (1977-09-01), Pfotenhauer
patent: 4154012 (1979-05-01), Miller
patent: 4169453 (1979-10-01), Hunsicker
patent: 4291663 (1981-09-01), Buck et al.
patent: 4335701 (1982-06-01), Bozich
patent: 5125388 (1992-06-01), Nicely et al.
patent: 5970970 (1999-10-01), Vanek et al.
patent: 6079398 (2000-06-01), Grimm
patent: 6599161 (2003-07-01), Hunter

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