U.S. patent application number 09/862647 was filed with the patent office on 2001-10-25 for paint ball gun.
Invention is credited to Yoshimura, Haruhiko.
Application Number | 20010032638 09/862647 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25491620 |
Filed Date | 2001-10-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010032638 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yoshimura, Haruhiko |
October 25, 2001 |
Paint ball gun
Abstract
The present invention includes a device for increasing distance
traversed by a projectile. The device includes a main body
comprising a tubular component wherein the tubular component
defines an orifice. The main body also comprises a collar component
positionable about the tubular component. The collar component
enclosed a second orifice for receipt of a screw. A tab is
positioned adjacent to the orifice which is defined by the tubular
component. The tab includes an oblique section. A screw is
positionable in the collar component and extends through the
orifice defined by the tubular component. The screw is in moveable
contact with the oblique segment of the tab.
Inventors: |
Yoshimura, Haruhiko;
(Kanagawaken, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCHWEGMAN, LUNDBERG, WOESSNER & KLUTH
P.O. BOX 2938
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402
US
|
Family ID: |
25491620 |
Appl. No.: |
09/862647 |
Filed: |
May 22, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09862647 |
May 22, 2001 |
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08951376 |
Oct 16, 1997 |
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5988153 |
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08951376 |
Oct 16, 1997 |
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09447327 |
Nov 22, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
124/81 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41B 11/00 20130101;
F41A 21/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
124/81 |
International
Class: |
F41B 011/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A device for increasing distance traversed by a projectile,
comprising: a main body that includes a tubular component wherein
the tubular component defines an orifice; a collar component
positionable on the tubular component, the collar component
enclosing a second orifice for receipt of a screw; a tab positioned
adjacent to the orifice defined by the tubular component, the tab
including an oblique segment; and a screw positionable in the
collar component, extending through the orifice defined by the
tubular component wherein the screw is in moveable contact with the
oblique segment of the tab.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the main body further includes a
second annular component substantially perpendicular to the first
annular component.
3. The device of claim 1 and further including attachment means for
attaching the device to a gun.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the tab is made of a latex
rubber.
5. A method for increasing distance traversed by a projectile,
comprising: providing a main body with an annular section that
encloses an orifice and a collar section positionable about the
orifice, the collar section also include an orifice for receipt of
a screw, and a tab having an oblique segment attached adjacent the
orifice defined by the tubular section; turning the screw until the
oblique section of the tab is contacted by the screw and is moved
downwardly; attaching the main body to a barrel of a gun; adding a
projectile to the gun; and activating the gun so that the
projectile contacts the tab which imparts a backspin to the
projectile and increases the distance traversed by the
projectile.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the projectile is a paint
ball.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the projectile is activated by
compressed air.
8. The projectile of claim 5 wherein the projectile is activated by
solidified carbon dioxide.
9. A paint ball gun comprising: a barrel that defines an orifice; a
collar component positionable on the barrel, the collar component
enclosing a second orifice for receipt of a screw; a tab position
adjacent to the orifice defined by the barrel, the tab including an
oblique segment; and a screw positionable in the collar component,
extending through the orifice defined by the barrel wherein the
screw is in moveable contact with the oblique segment of the
tab
10. The device of claim 9 wherein second annular component is
attached to the barrel substantially perpendicular to the barrel
for receipt of paint balls.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a device for extending
distances of projectiles shot from a gun and to a method for
increasing distance traversed by a projectile shot from a gun.
[0002] Guns are made in a variety of different sizes utilizing a
variety of different propellants. Guns are comprised generally of a
main body that includes a barrel closeable at one end by a sliding
block, known as a breach block or a screw. The breach block defines
a chamber for receipt of a propellant charge such as a bullet or a
paint ball charge. Extending from the chamber is a tapered
transition region to the barrel.
[0003] In one embodiment, the barrel, which includes an inner
radial surface, is provided with spiral grooves on the inner radial
surface. These spiral grooves are also known as "rifles." The
rifles also called "rifling" impart a spinning motion to the
projectile. Rifling is typically at a pitch which is expressed as a
multiple of a bore diameter defined by the barrel. For instance,
the pitch may be forty times the bore, which means that the
projectile performs one revolution about its longitudinal axis over
a distance equal to forty times the bore diameter of the
barrel.
[0004] When the gun is loaded, a soft metal driving band at one end
of the projectile is pressed into the rifling grooves, thereby
centering the projectile in the barrel. When the gun is fired, a
firing pin strikes a primer. This action ignites the charge which
may be either enclosed in a cartridge, or entirely separate from
the projectile. Explosive powder in the charge burns extremely
rapidly and develops a very high gas pressure in the chamber, on
the order of 45,000 psi. When the gas pressure exceeds the pressure
with which the driving band is gripped in the rifling, the
projectile is set in motion so that the space behind the projectile
increases in volume as the gas expands. After an initial pressure
builds up in the chamber, there is a drop in pressure as the
projectile travels along the barrel. At the instant the projectile
leaves the muzzle of the gun, the gas still has a high pressure
which causes the report when the gas escapes into the
atmosphere.
[0005] Gas pressure developed when the gun is fired produces high
stresses, particularly in the interior of the barrel. Because of
these high stresses, one piece barrels, called "mono-block"
barrels, are used principally for guns of relatively small caliber.
Medium and large caliber guns are barrels of a composite
construction.
[0006] In a firing position, the breach block is locked against the
force of any exploding charge. In addition to a mechanism for
moving the block, the breach block also includes a firing pin and
an extraction system for removing the spent cartridge case when the
breach block is opened after the gun has been fired.
[0007] Typically in a gun, the expulsion of the projectile is
accompanied by a recoil movement of the barrel. Hydraulic breaking
cylinders may be used to arrest this movement. A piston rod
attached to the barrel pulls the piston back when the barrel
recoils so that hydraulic fluid behind the piston is forced through
narrow passages into a space in front of the piston, thereby
producing a breaking effect.
[0008] This general type of gun device has been used to project
everything from bullets to paint balls. Several patents are
directed specifically to paint ball guns. The Gardner patent, U.S.
Pat. No. 5,228,427, describes an improved barrel for a paint ball
gun. The barrel includes a number of radial holes drilled in a
spiral pattern in order to cause the paint ball to spin around its
longitudinal axis in flight. The Gardner patent describes the paint
ball as stabilized in flight by imparting angular momentum to the
ball about its longitudinal axis. No aerodynamic effect is
described.
[0009] The Slonaker et al. patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,945, issuing
Jun. 24, 1997, describes a paint ball and gun that improve the
range and accuracy of paint ball projections. The paint ball
includes an external surface contoured to increase frictional
interaction with air. The barrel and paint ball gun interact so
that a significant back spin is imparted to the ball. The
interaction includes a plurality of closed internal recesses and
open internal recesses. The open internal recesses are vented to
the atmosphere.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective embodiment of the projectile
distance enhancing device of the present invention when installed
on a paint ball gun.
[0011] FIG. 2a is a top plan view of a first component of the
projection enhancing device of the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 2b is a top plan view of a second component of the
projection enhancing device of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the projection enhancing
device of the present invention wherein the second component is
installed on the first component.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a side view of the projection enhancing device of
the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 5a is a side cutaway view of the projection enhancing
device of the present invention with a tab component in the
"lowest" position.
[0016] FIG. 5b is a side cutaway view of the projection enhancing
device of the present invention with the tab component in an
intermediate position.
[0017] FIG. 5c is a side cutaway view of the projection device of
the present invention with the tab component in the "highest"
position.
[0018] FIG. 6a is a side cutaway view of the tab of the present
invention in a first position.
[0019] FIG. 6b is a side cutaway view of the tab of the present
invention in a second position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The present invention includes a device for increasing
distance traversed by a projectile. The device includes a main body
that comprises a tubular component wherein the tubular component
defines an orifice. A collar component is positionable on the
tubular component. The collar component encloses a second orifice
for receipt of a screw. A tab is positioned adjacent to the orifice
defined by the tubular component. The tab includes an oblique
segment. A screw is positionable in the collar component. The screw
extends through the orifice defined by the tubular component. The
screw is in moveable contact with the oblique segment of the
tab.
[0021] The present invention also includes a method for increasing
distance traversed by a projectile. The method includes providing a
main body with an annular section that encloses an orifice and a
collar section positionable about the orifice. The collar section
also includes an orifice for receipt of a screw. The main body
further includes a tab having an oblique segment attached adjacent
to the orifice defined by the tubular section. Next, the screw is
turned until the oblique section of the tab that is contacted by
the screw is moved downwardly by the screw. The main body is
attached to a barrel of a gun. A projectile is added to the gun and
the gun is activated so that the projectile contacts the tab which
imparts a backspin to the projectile and increases the distance
traversed by the projectile.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] The projection enhancing device of the present invention
illustrated generally at 10 in FIGS. 2a and 2b includes an annular
main body 12, a second annular portion 14 attached to the annular
main body 12 so that the second annular portion 14, for receipt of
a paint ball, is substantially perpendicular to the annular main
body 12 and a collar component 16, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3,
the collar component 16 slidably positionable over the main body
12, as illustrated in cross section in FIG. 3. The slidable collar
component 16 is, in particular, positioned over an orifice 18
defined by the main body 12 in FIG. 2a. Fastened adjacent to the
orifice 18 is a tab 20 that is attached to the main body 12 and
that extends within the orifice 18 into a space or barrel 22
defined by the annular main body 12 and shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
6a.
[0023] The device 10 and in particular the tab 20, are sized,
positioned and shaped in order to generate a back spin on
projections such as paint balls 28, enabling the projections to
travel longer distances than hereto expected once the device 10 is
installed on a paint ball gun 30. As the paint ball 28 is propelled
out of the barrel 22 of the main body 12 of the paint ball gun, the
paint ball 28 contacts the tab 20, which is preferably made of a
silicone rubber gum as is shown in FIG. 4.
[0024] Contact with the tab 20 imparts a resistance to one or more
of the linear momentum or the angular momentum of the ball 28. In
particular, the resistance imparts to the paint ball 28, a back
spin which, it has been found, enables the ball to travel a longer
distance as shown in FIG. 4.
[0025] The device of the present invention 10 also includes a screw
24 positioned through the collar component 16 and over the tab 20
as shown in FIG. 6a. The tab 20 includes a vertical segment 21,
attached to the main body 12 and an oblique segment 22 integral
with the vertical segment 21. It is also contemplated that the tab
include a single oblique portion. The screw 24 changes the position
of the oblique segment 22 of the tab 20 with respect to the annular
wall of the main body 12. In particular, the screw 24 is manually
rotated until the screw 24 contacts the oblique segment 22 of the
tab 20 as shown in FIG. 6b. Further movement of the screw 24
repositions the oblique segment 22 of the tab 20 into the barrel.
The positions include a "low" position wherein the oblique segment
22 of tab 20 is only slightly offset from the inner annular wall of
main body 12 as shown in FIG. 5b. The oblique segment 22 of tab 20
may also be positioned to a "high" position where the oblique
segment 22 of tab 20 is further removed from the inner wall of the
annular main body 12, as shown in FIG. 5c.
[0026] By turning the screw 24, counterclockwise, the tab 20 is
adjusted to produce a projectile having a reduced or lesser back
spin. Turning the screw 24 clockwise adjusts the tab 20 to produce
a projectile that has an increased or greater back spin. When the
oblique segment 22 of tab 20 is in the "high" position, the tab 20
imparts a greater resistance to the ball 28. This greater
resistance creates a greater back spin and allows the ball to
travel further. With minor trim or movement of the screw 24, the
oblique segment 22 of the tab 20 is adjustable over a wide variety
of resistance possibilities.
[0027] While a tab 20 with a vertical segment and an oblique
segment are described, it is understood that the tab 20 may be a
single unit having an oblique orientation with respect to the
horizontal. With this embodiment, the screw 24 contacts the tab,
thereby changing the tab's orientation within the barrel 32 of a
gun.
[0028] The device of the present invention may be used in a paint
ball gun of the invention, illustrated in FIG. 1, which includes an
elongated barrel 32, a pistol grip 34, a trigger 36, a magazine for
supply of paint balls 14, a compressed gas cartridge for supplying
propellant gas and other conventional parts.
[0029] The type of gun illustrated in FIG. 1 is a type of "pump"
gun. A user physically compresses propellant gas or stores energy
in a spring. Conventional mechanical features of the gun are
generally applicable to the gun of the present invention, together
with such additional improvements as may be made in the fixture.
The improvements made in the present invention relate to the barrel
of the gun and to an interaction between the paint ball and the
gun.
[0030] The device of the present invention may be utilized as an
integral part of the paint gun 30 such as is shown in FIG. 1. In
particular, the device 10 is an integral part of the barrel 32. The
device 10 may also be threaded into a barrel of a conventional
paint ball gun or may be attached by another conventional
attachment mechanism.
[0031] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will
recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *