U.S. patent application number 10/013099 was filed with the patent office on 2003-06-12 for non-lethal handgun.
Invention is credited to Verini, Nicholas A..
Application Number | 20030106545 10/013099 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21758302 |
Filed Date | 2003-06-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030106545 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Verini, Nicholas A. |
June 12, 2003 |
Non-lethal handgun
Abstract
A weapon is disclosed for discharging high velocity, non-lethal
projectiles utilizing pressurized gas. The weapon includes a
housing having a handle and a projectile storage cylinder sized and
shaped to receive a plurality of substantially spherical-shaped
projectiles. A discharge barrel is mounted proximate the projectile
storage cylinder and has an open muzzle end and a closed base end,
while a projectile loading chamber is disposed at the barrel base
end and communicates with the projectile storage cylinder. An
enclosure is provided in the housing for receiving a removable
pressurized gas storage source. A gas discharge cell communicates
with the gas storage source in the enclosure and is adapted to
receive a charge of compressed gas for selective projectile
discharge. The weapon further includes a hammer and striker
assembly for selectively releasing a charge of compressed gas from
the gas discharge cell into the loading chamber to discharge a
projectile through the barrel, and a trigger assembly selectively
operates the hammer and striker assembly. Finally, a valve assembly
is associated with the gas discharge cell and is adapted to permit
selective variance of the compressed gas charge pressure released
by the hammer assembly to correspondingly vary the velocity and
impact of the discharged projectiles.
Inventors: |
Verini, Nicholas A.;
(Lafayette, CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
John L. Isaac, Esq.
Isaac & Associates
Suite 900
143 Union Blvd.
Lakewood
CO
80228-1829
US
|
Family ID: |
21758302 |
Appl. No.: |
10/013099 |
Filed: |
December 6, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
124/74 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41B 11/724 20130101;
F41B 11/62 20130101; F41B 11/723 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
124/74 |
International
Class: |
F41B 011/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A weapon for discharging high velocity, non-lethal projectiles
utilizing pressurized gas, said weapon comprising: a housing
including a handle and a projectile storage cylinder sized and
shaped to receive a plurality of substantially spherical-shaped
projectiles; a discharge barrel having an open muzzle end and a
closed base end proximate said projectile storage cylinder; a
projectile loading chamber disposed at said barrel base end and
communicating with said projectile storage cylinder; an enclosure
for receiving a removable pressurized gas storage source; a gas
discharge cell communicating with a gas storage source in said
enclosure and adapted to receive a charge of compressed gas for
selective projectile discharge; a hammer and striker assembly for
selectively releasing a charge of compressed gas from said gas
discharge cell into said loading chamber to discharge a projectile
through said barrel; a trigger assembly for selectively operating
said hammer and striker assembly; and a valve assembly associated
with said gas discharge cell adapted to permit selective variance
of the compressed gas charge pressure released by said hammer
assembly to correspondingly vary the velocity and impact of the
discharged projectile.
2. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure of said
gas charge released by said gas discharge cell may be selectively
varied between 400-800 psig. per charge.
3. The weapon as claimed in claim 2, wherein said removable gas
storage source comprises a replaceable gas cartridge disposed in
said enclosure and containing compressed gas of an amount
sufficient for up to 20 charges.
4. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said trigger assembly
further comprises a cocking bolt adapted for reciprocal movement
within said housing to control loading of a projectile from said
projectile storage cylinder to said loading chamber while
simultaneously controlling the return of said hammer and striker
assembly to an armed position.
5. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said projectiles
comprise spheres, and wherein said projectile storage chamber
further includes a spring bias mechanism for urging movement of
said spheres into said loading chamber.
6. The weapon as claimed in claim 5, wherein said spheres are
approximately 0.5"-0.8" in diameter and 5-10 grams in weight.
7. The weapon as claimed in claim 6, wherein said spheres are
constructed from material selected from the group consisting of
aluminum, stainless steel, nylon, and other dense solid
materials.
8. The weapon as claimed in claim 7, wherein said spheres are
selected from the group consisting of solid aluminum and hollow
stainless steel balls.
9. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said weapon further
includes a gas pressure gauge for indicating the pressure of the
gas remaining in the storage source disposed in said enclosure.
10. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said weapon comprises
a semi-automatic pistol.
11. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said weapon comprises
a revolver.
12. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hammer and
striker assembly comprises a striker flange adapted for reciprocal
movement between first and second striker positions, a hammer
element adapted for reciprocal movement between first and second
hammer element positions, a first spring bias member for urging
said hammer element in a first direction from said first hammer
element position to said second hammer element position to impact
said striker flange and move it to said second striker position, a
gas discharge valve adapted for releasing a charge of gas from said
gas discharge cell to said loading chamber upon movement of said
striker flange to said second striker position resulting from
impact by said hammer element, a cocking bolt responsive to the
release of gas from said gas discharge cell and adapted to return
said hammer element to its first hammer element position, said
trigger assembly selectively retaining said hammer element in its
first hammer element position until release, and a second spring
bias member for returning said striker flange to its first striker
position and closing said gas discharge valve.
13. The weapon as claimed in claim 12, wherein said valve assembly
comprises a conduit member interconnecting said gas discharge cell
and said loading chamber, said gas discharge valve disposed in said
conduit, and a valve seat for opening and closing said valve.
14. The weapon as claimed in claim 13, wherein said valve assembly
further comprises a projectile velocity adjustment knob for
selectively varying the amount of gas discharged by said gas
discharge cell into said loading chamber in any one single charge
by selectively varying the volume of gas passing through said valve
when in an open position.
15. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said valve assembly
comprises a gas release element associated with said loading
chamber for selectively off gassing a portion of the gas from said
chamber upon release of a charge of compressed gas from said
pressurized gas discharge cell into said loading chamber to vary
the velocity of a projectile discharged through said barrel.
16. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said valve assembly
comprises a projectile velocity adjustment knob for selectively
varying the volume of gas discharged by said gas discharge cell
into said loading chamber in any one single charge.
17. In a weapon for discharging high velocity projectiles utilizing
pressurized gas, said weapon including a housing having a handle
and a projectile storage cylinder sized and shaped to receive a
plurality of projectiles, a discharge barrel having an open muzzle
end and a closed base end proximate the projectile storage
cylinder, a projectile loading chamber disposed at the barrel base
end and communicating with the projectile storage cylinder, an
enclosure for receiving a removable pressurized gas storage
cartridge, a hammer assembly for selectively releasing a charge of
compressed gas from the pressurized gas storage cartridge into the
loading chamber to discharge a projectile through the barrel, and a
trigger assembly for selectively operating the hammer assembly, the
improvement wherein said weapon is adapted for discharging high
velocity, non-lethal projectiles and further comprises a gas
discharge cell communicating with said gas storage cartridge and
adapted to receive a charge of compressed gas therefrom for
selective release into said projectile loading chamber for
projectile discharge, and a valve assembly associated with said gas
discharge cell adapted to control the release of gas into said
loading chamber for projectile discharge and to permit selective
variance of the amount of compressed gas pressure released from
said gas discharge cell in each charge to correspondingly vary the
velocity and impact of the discharged non-lethal projectiles.
18. The weapon improvement of claim 17, wherein said projectile
storage cylinder comprises a spring loaded magazine having a spring
bias member for urging the non-lethal projectiles into said
projectile loading chamber.
19. The weapon improvement of claim 17, wherein said improvement
further comprises a gas pressure gauge disposed on said housing for
indicating the pressure of the gas remaining in the removable
pressurized storage cartridge disposed in said enclosure.
20. The weapon improvement of claim 17, wherein said hammer
assembly comprises a striker flange adapted for reciprocal movement
between first and second striker positions, a hammer element
adapted for reciprocal movement between first and second hammer
element positions, a first spring bias member for urging said
hammer element in a first direction from said first hammer element
position to said second hammer element position to impact said
striker flange and move it to said second striker position, a gas
discharge valve adapted for releasing a charge of gas from said gas
discharge cell to said loading chamber upon movement of said
striker flange to said second striker position resulting from
impact by said hammer element, a cocking bolt responsive to the
release of gas from said gas discharge cell and adapted to return
said hammer element to its first hammer element position, said
trigger assembly selectively retaining said hammer element in its
first hammer element position until release, and a second spring
bias member for returning said striker flange to its first striker
position and closing said gas discharge valve.
21. The weapon improvement of claim 20, wherein said valve assembly
comprises a conduit member interconnecting said gas discharge cell
and said loading chamber, said gas discharge valve disposed in said
conduit, and a valve seat for opening and closing said valve.
22. The weapon as claimed in claim 21, wherein said valve assembly
further comprises a projectile velocity adjustment knob for
selectively varying the amount of gas discharged by said gas
discharge cell into said loading chamber in any one single charge
by selectively varying the volume of gas passing through said valve
into said conduit when in an open position.
23. The weapon as claimed in claim 21, wherein said valve assembly
further comprises a projectile velocity adjustment knob for
selectively varying the amount of gas discharged into said gas
discharge cell from said gas storage cartridge to vary the volume
of gas in any one single charge for release into said loading
chamber.
24. A semi-automatic pistol for discharging high velocity,
non-lethal projectiles utilizing pressurized gas, said pistol
comprising: a housing including a handle, a discharge barrel having
an open muzzle end and a closed base end, a projectile storage
cylinder sized and shaped to receive a plurality of aligned and
substantially spherical-shaped projectiles and positioned adjacent
and substantially parallel to said discharge barrel, and a sleeve
for containing pistol operating elements; a projectile loading
chamber disposed at said barrel base end and communicating with
said projectile storage cylinder; an enclosure for receiving a
removable pressurized gas storage cartridge; a gas discharge cell
disposed in said sleeve for communicating with the gas storage
cartridge in said enclosure and adapted to receive a charge of
compressed gas for selective projectile discharge; a hammer and
striker assembly disposed in said sleeve for selectively releasing
a charge of compressed gas from said gas discharge cell into said
loading chamber to discharge a projectile through said barrel; a
trigger assembly for selectively operating said hammer and striker
assembly; and a valve assembly disposed in said sleeve and
associated with said gas discharge cell to control the release of
gas into said loading chamber for projectile discharge and to
permit selective variance of the amount of compressed gas pressure
released from said gas discharge cell in each charge to
correspondingly vary the velocity and impact of the discharged
non-lethal projectiles.
25. The semi-automatic pistol as claimed in claim 24, wherein said
sleeve is positioned coaxially with said barrel.
26. The semi-automatic pistol as claimed in claim 24, wherein said
sleeve is spaced adjacent and substantially parallel to said
barrel.
27. The semi-automatic pistol as claimed in claim 24, wherein said
hammer and striker assembly comprises a striker flange disposed
within said sleeve proximate said projectile loading chamber and
adapted for reciprocal movement therewithin between first and
second striker positions to control the release of a compressed gas
charge from said gas discharge cell into said loading chamber to
discharge a projectile through said barrel, a hammer element
disposed within said sleeve for reciprocal movement therewithin
between first and second hammer element positions to control the
operation of said striker flange, a first spring bias member
disposed in said sleeve for urging said hammer element in a first
direction from said first hammer element position to said second
hammer element position to impact said striker flange and move said
striker flange to said second striker position, a gas discharge
valve disposed in said sleeve adapted for releasing a charge of gas
from said gas discharge cell to said loading chamber upon movement
of said striker flange to said second striker position resulting
from impact by said hammer element, a cocking bolt responsive to
the release of gas from said gas discharge cell and adapted to
return said hammer element to its first hammer element position in
opposition to said first spring bias member, said trigger assembly
selectively retaining said hammer element in its first hammer
element position until release, and a second spring bias member
disposed in said sleeve for returning said striker flange to its
first striker position and closing said gas discharge valve.
28. The semi-automatic pistol as claimed in claim 27, wherein said
cocking bolt is disposed in said sleeve.
29. The semi-automatic pistol as claimed in claim 27, wherein said
valve assembly comprises a conduit member interconnecting said gas
discharge cell and said loading chamber, said gas discharge valve
disposed in said conduit, and a valve seat for opening and closing
said valve.
30. The semi-automatic pistol as claimed in claim 29, wherein said
valve assembly further comprises a projectile velocity adjustment
knob for selectively varying the amount of gas discharged by said
gas discharge cell into said loading chamber in any one single
charge by selectively varying the volume of gas passing through
said valve into said conduit when in an open position.
31. The semi-automatic pistol as claimed in claim 24, wherein said
pistol further includes a gas pressure gauge for indicating the
pressure of the gas remaining in the gas storage cartridge disposed
in said enclosure.
32. A revolver for discharging high velocity, non-lethal
projectiles utilizing pressurized gas, said revolver comprising: a
housing including a handle, a discharge barrel having an open
muzzle end and a closed base end, and a revolving cylinder having a
plurality of chambers each sized and shaped for each to receive a
substantially spherical-shaped projectile, said chambers being
positioned to successively align each said chamber with said
discharge barrel; an enclosure for receiving a removable
pressurized gas storage cartridge; a gas discharge cell
communicating with the gas storage cartridge in said enclosure and
adapted to receive a charge of compressed gas for selective
projectile discharge; a hammer and striker assembly for selectively
releasing a charge of compressed gas from said gas discharge cell
into one chamber of said revolving cylinder to discharge a
projectile through said barrel; a trigger assembly for selectively
operating said hammer and striker assembly; and a valve assembly
associated with said gas discharge cell adapted to control the
release of a gas charge into a chamber of said revolving cylinder
for projectile discharge and to permit selective variance of the
amount of compressed gas pressure released from said gas discharge
cell in each charge to correspondingly vary the velocity and impact
of the discharged non-lethal projectiles.
33. The revolver as claimed in claim 32, wherein said hammer
assembly comprises a striker flange adapted for reciprocal movement
between a fixed first striker position and a variable second
striker position, a hammer element adapted for reciprocal movement
between a variable first hammer element position and a fixed second
hammer element position, a first spring bias member for urging said
hammer element in a first direction from said first hammer element
position to said second hammer element position to impact said
striker flange and move it to said second striker position, a gas
discharge valve adapted for releasing a charge of gas from said gas
discharge cell to said loading chamber upon movement of said
striker flange to said second striker position resulting from
impact by said hammer element, said trigger assembly selectively
retaining said hammer element in its first hammer element position
until release, and a second spring bias member for returning said
striker flange to its first striker position and closing said gas
discharge valve.
34. The revolver as claimed in claim 33, wherein said valve
assembly comprises a conduit member interconnecting said gas
discharge cell and said loading chamber, a striker tube disposed
within said discharge cell and having an open end communicating
with said conduit and a closed end forming said striker flange,
said gas discharge valve being in the form of a valve port disposed
in said striker tube to control the access between the interior of
said gas discharge cell and the open end of said striker tube, a
valve seat for opening and closing said valve port, and a spring
member for urging said valve seat to a closed position and said
striker flange to said first striker position, movement by said
striker tube to said second striker position urging said valve seat
and valve port to an open position in opposition to said spring
member to discharge gas from said discharge cell to said loading
chamber.
35. The revolver as claimed in claim 34, wherein said revolver
further comprises a projectile velocity adjustment member for
selectively varying the amount of gas discharged by said gas
discharge cell into said loading chamber in any one single charge,
said adjustment member selectively varying the position of said
hammer element in its first position to vary the force of impact by
said hammer element on said striker flange which in turn varies the
second striker position and thereby varies the amount of time said
valve port is in its open position.
36. The revolver as claimed in claim 32, wherein said revolver
further comprises a projectile velocity adjustment member for
selectively varying the amount of gas discharged into said gas
discharge cell from said gas storage cartridge to vary the volume
of gas in any one single charge for release into said loading
chamber.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to handguns and,
more particularly, to weapons designed for self-defense.
Specifically, the present invention relates to handguns including
revolvers and semi-automatic pistols which are nonlethal in design
yet capable of delivering sufficient impact to stop an
assailant.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Due to the actual or perceived threat of violence in today's
society, firearms are more likely to be the weapon of choice for
law enforcement personnel, the military and the public in
situations where individuals believe that they must arm themselves
in preparation for immediate retaliation or defense as a result of
a threat of unknown force. Unfortunately, such firearms are
typically weapons such as rifles, semi-automatic pistols and
revolvers, all of which are intended to fire lethal projectiles
which are intended to maim and/or kill.
[0005] As an alternative to lethal firearms, less lethal
projectiles for firearms have been developed such as rubber bullets
or fabric bagged bullets containing lead shot or heavy metal
powder. Rubber bullets are generally relatively hard, are sometimes
contained in a metallic core, and deliver their impact energy over
a relatively small area. As a consequence, there is still a high
probability of serious injury or even death to persons subjected to
the impact of rubber bullets. Other types of nonlethal projectiles
have been developed along with weapons for firing the same and are
illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,727, U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,809,
U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,795 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,548.
[0006] A number of such non-lethal devices have been developed for
use in circumstances that do not require lethal force. However,
only a few have been sufficiently successful to be readily
accepted. Some of these devices use a shotgun-size or larger
caliber dedicated launcher to project a solid, soft projectile,
while others use a smaller caliber launcher with variations of the
rubber bullet concept to inject a tranquilizer drug or just stun
the targeted person. Other defense methods used also include fire
hoses, water cannons, mace, pepper spray and a variety of electric
shock inducers.
[0007] Another technique for reducing the impact of projectiles
involves the use of compressed gas. A variety of air and compressed
gas guns are known and are capable of firing a variety of
projectiles including BB's, lead pellets and paint balls. One
common type of gun uses small cylinders containing compressed
carbon dioxide. These metal cylinders have an end that can be
punctured in order to release a high pressure gas. Guns of this
type have been used for quite some time to fire lead pellets for
purposes of game shooting and target shooting and more recently
have been developed and adapted to fire paint pellets. These
pellets are in the form of spherical gelatin capsules filled with a
marking solution or paint. Guns that fire paint pellets are used in
mock "war games" where the users of the guns attempt to hit other
game participants with a paint color. Protective gear is worn to
prevent inadvertent injury during such games. Examples of such
compressed gas weapons are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,251,
U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,939, U.S. Pat No. 5,363,834, U.S. Pat. No.
5,634,456, U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,150 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,736. In
addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,211 discloses a pellet loading device
for a pellet gun. Unfortunately, these devices either do not fire
with sufficient impact to stop an assailant, or else they utilize
small pellets which can in fact be extremely harmful and even
lethal at times due to their ability to penetrate the human skin.
As a result, there remains a need for the general public as well as
specific applications such as airplane pilots, policemen and riot
control personnel, for a non-lethal weapon which has the capability
of providing sufficient impact to temporarily debilitate an
assailant yet is not designed to impart permanent injury or death.
The present invention addresses this significant problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to
provide a weapon for discharging high velocity, non-lethal
projectiles.
[0009] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
weapon for defensive use which avoids the use of deadly force.
[0010] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
semi-automatic gun or revolver which is capable of stopping an
assailant without the use of projectiles designed to penetrate the
human body or materials such as aircraft windows or fuselage.
[0011] Still another object of the present invention is to provide
an impact weapon which offers the consumer an alternative to deadly
firearms for defensive purposes.
[0012] To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance
with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described herein, a weapon is disclosed for discharging high
velocity, non-lethal projectiles utilizing pressurized gas. The
weapon includes a housing having a handle and a projectile storage
cylinder sized and shaped to receive a plurality of substantially
spherical-shaped projectiles. A discharge barrel is mounted
proximate the projectile storage cylinder and has an open muzzle
end and a closed base end, while a projectile loading chamber is
disposed at the barrel base end and communicates with the
projectile storage cylinder. An enclosure is provided in the
housing for receiving a removable pressurized gas storage source. A
gas discharge cell communicates with the gas storage source in the
enclosure and is adapted to receive a charge of compressed gas for
selective projectile discharge. The weapon further includes a
hammer and striker assembly for selectively releasing a charge of
compressed gas from the gas discharge cell into the loading chamber
to discharge a projectile through the barrel, and a trigger
assembly selectively operates the hammer and striker assembly.
Finally, a valve assembly is associated with the gas discharge cell
and is adapted to permit selective variance of the compressed gas
charge pressure released by the hammer assembly to correspondingly
vary the velocity and impact of the discharged projectiles.
[0013] In one modification of the invention, the pressure of the
gas charge released by the gas discharge cell may be selectively
varied between 400-800 psig. per charges while the removable gas
storage source may be in the form of a replaceable gas cartridge
disposed in the enclosure containing compressed gas of an amount
sufficient for up to 20 charges. Additionally, the projectiles are
preferably spheres, and the projectile storage chamber may further
include a spring bias mechanism for urging movement of the spheres
into the loading chamber. The spheres may preferably be made of
solid or hollow aluminum, stainless steel, nylon or any other dense
material, and are approximately 0.5"-0.8" in diameter and 5-10
grams in weight.
[0014] Another modification of the invention provides for a gas
pressure gauge mounted on the weapon housing for indicating the
pressure of the gas remaining in the storage source disposed in the
housing enclosure. Moreover, the weapon may preferably be in the
form of a semi-automatic pistol or revolver.
[0015] In another modification of the invention, the hammer and
striker assembly may include a striker flange adapted for
reciprocal movement between first and second striker positions, and
a hammer element adapted for reciprocal movement between first and
second hammer element positions. In this instance, a first spring
bias member is included for urging the hammer element in a first
direction from the first hammer element position to the second
hammer element position to impact the striker flange and move it to
the second striker position. A gas discharge valve is adapted for
releasing a charge of gas from the gas discharge cell to the
loading chamber upon movement of the striker flange to the second
striker position resulting from impact by the hammer element. A
cocking bolt is provided and is responsive to the release of gas
from the gas discharge cell and is adapted to return the hammer
element to its first hammer element position. The trigger assembly
selectively retains the hammer element in its first hammer element
position until release, and a second spring bias member returns the
striker flange to its first striker position and closes the gas
discharge valve.
[0016] Yet another modification of the invention includes a weapon
for discharging high velocity projectiles utilizing pressurized gas
wherein the weapon includes a housing having a handle and a
projectile storage cylinder sized and shaped to receive a plurality
of projectiles. A discharge barrel has an open muzzle end and a
closed base end proximate the projectile storage cylinder, and a
projectile loading chamber is disposed at the barrel base end and
communicates with the projectile storage cylinder. An enclosure is
provided for receiving a removable pressurized gas storage
cartridge. A hammer assembly is included for selectively releasing
a charge of compressed gas from the pressurized gas storage
cartridge into the loading chamber to discharge a projectile
through the barrel, and a trigger assembly selectively operates the
hammer assembly. An improvement to this weapon is provided wherein
the weapon is adapted for discharging high velocity, non-lethal
projectiles. To this end, the weapon includes a gas discharge cell
communicating with the gas storage cartridge and which is adapted
to receive a charge of compressed gas therefrom for selective
release into the projectile loading chamber for projectile
discharge. A valve assembly associated with the gas discharge cell
is adapted to control the release of gas into the loading chamber
for projectile discharge and to permit selective variance of the
amount of compressed gas pressure released from the gas discharge
cell in each charge to correspondingly vary the velocity and impact
of the discharged non-lethal projectiles.
[0017] Another modification of the above improvement has the
projectile storage cylinder in the form of a spring-loaded magazine
which has a spring bias member for urging the non-lethal
projectiles into the projectile loading chamber. Additionally or
alternatively, a gas pressure gauge is disposed on the weapon
housing for indicating the pressure of the gas remaining in the
removable pressurized storage cartridge disposed in the housing
enclosure.
[0018] In yet another modification of the above improvement, the
valve assembly includes a conduit member interconnecting the gas
discharge cell and the loading chamber, a gas discharge valve
disposed in said conduit and adapted for releasing a charge of gas
from the gas discharge cell to the loading chamber through the
conduit member, and a valve seat for opening and closing the gas
discharge valve. In one arrangement, the valve assembly further
includes a projectile velocity adjustment knob for selectively
varying the amount of gas discharged by the gas discharge cell into
the loading chamber in any one single charge by selectively varying
the volume of gas passing through the gas discharge valve into the
conduit member when in an open position. In an alternate
arrangement, the projectile velocity adjustment knob selectively
varies the amount of gas discharged into the gas discharge cell
from the gas storage cartridge to vary the volume of gas in any one
single charge for release into said loading chamber.
[0019] Still another modification of the invention provides for a
semi-automatic pistol for discharging high velocity, non-lethal
projectiles utilizing pressurized gas. The pistol includes a
housing having a handle, a discharge barrel with an open muzzle end
and a closed base end, a projectile storage cylinder sized and
shaped to receive a plurality of aligned and substantially
spherical-shaped projectiles and positioned adjacent and
substantially parallel to the discharge barrel, and a sleeve for
containing pistol operating elements. A projectile loading chamber
is disposed at the barrel base end and communicates with the
projectile storage cylinder, while an enclosure is provided in the
housing for receiving a removable pressurized gas storage
cartridge. A gas discharge cell is disposed in the sleeve for
communicating with the gas storage cartridge in the enclosure and
is adapted to receive a charge of compressed gas for selective
projectile discharge. A hammer and striker assembly is also
positioned in the sleeve for selectively releasing a charge of
compressed gas from the gas discharge cell into the loading chamber
to discharge a projectile through the barrel, while a trigger
assembly selectively operates the hammer and striker assembly.
Finally, a valve assembly is disposed in the sleeve associated with
the gas discharge cell to both control the release of gas into the
loading chamber for projectile discharge as well as permit
selective variance of the amount of compressed gas pressure
released from the gas discharge cell in each charge to
correspondingly vary the velocity and impact of the discharged
non-lethal projectiles.
[0020] A further modification of the invention is in the form of a
revolver for discharging high velocity, non-lethal projectiles
utilizing pressurized gas. The revolver includes a housing having a
handle, a discharge barrel with an open muzzle end and a closed
base end, and a revolving cylinder with a plurality of chambers
each sized and shaped for each to receive a substantially
spherical-shaped projectile. The chambers are positioned to
successively align each one with the discharge barrel. An enclosure
is provided in the housing for receiving a removable pressurized
gas storage cartridge, while a gas discharge cell communicates with
the gas storage cartridge in the enclosure and is adapted to
receive a charge of compressed gas for selective projectile
discharge. A hammer and striker assembly is provided for
selectively releasing a charge of compressed gas from the gas
discharge cell into one chamber of the revolving cylinder to
discharge a projectile through the revolver barrel, and a trigger
assembly selectively operates the hammer and striker assembly.
Finally, a valve assembly is positioned associated with the gas
discharge cell and is adapted to control the release of a gas
charge into a chamber of the revolving cylinder for projectile
discharge as well as to permit selective variance of the amount of
compressed gas pressure released from the gas discharge cell in
each charge to correspondingly vary the velocity and impact of the
discharged non-lethal projectiles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and form
a part of the specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the
present invention and, together with a description, serve to
explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a first semi-automatic
pistol embodiment constructed in accordance with the present
invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view, with some parts in section
and some parts in shadow, of a second semi-automatic pistol
embodiment constructed in accordance with the present
invention;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, with parts in elevation,
of one gas discharge cell and valve assembly embodiment constructed
in accordance with the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of an alternate valve assembly
control embodiment constructed in accordance with the present
invention;
[0026] FIG. 5 is an end view taken substantially along line 5-5 of
FIG. 4;
[0027] FIG. 6 is a partial side elevation view of the trigger
assembly of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2;
[0028] FIG. 7 is an enlarged side elevation view of the trigger and
cam components of the trigger assembly of the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 6;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a side elevation view, with some parts in section
and some parts in shadow, of yet another semi-automatic pistol
embodiment constructed in accordance with the present
invention;
[0030] FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view, with parts in elevation,
of one gas discharge cell and valve assembly embodiment useful with
the embodiment of FIG. 8 and constructed in accordance with the
present invention;
[0031] FIG. 9 is a side elevation view, with some parts in shadow,
of a revolver embodiment constructed in accordance with the present
invention;
[0032] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side elevation view of one gas
discharge cell and hammer and striker assembly embodiment
constructed in accordance with the present invention for use with
the revolver embodiment of FIG. 10;
[0033] FIG. 11 is an enlarged side elevation view of a projectile
velocity adjustment member for use with the revolver hammer and
striker assembly embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11; and
[0034] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view, with some parts in
elevation, of the gas discharge cell and valve assembly embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0035] Referring to FIG. 1, a non-lethal handgun 10 is disclosed
and uses compressed gas to fire a lightweight aluminum or similar
material projectile at sufficient velocity to cause significant
pain upon impact but not penetrate the human body. This impact or
striker gun preferably contains a replaceable gas cartridge as
disclosed below and may fire up to six or more non-breakable
projectiles or "bullets". In preferred form, the spherical bullets
are approximately 0.5-0.8 inches in diameter, 5-10 grams in weight
and are made of hollow stainless steel, although solid spherical
bullets can be utilized as well. Preferably, the projectiles may be
made of aluminum, stainless steel, nylon or any other appropriate
dense material. Moreover, the replaceable gas cartridge may contain
compressed carbon dioxide, nitrogen or air and preferably contains
sufficient gas to discharge up to 20 bullets before replacement is
necessary. As a result, the spherical bullets are fired at
velocities up to approximately 300 fps. This projectile size,
shape, weight and velocity combination is sufficient to stop an
aggressive attacker at close range without causing fatal wounds.
Although this gun is designed to be non-lethal, it is possible to
still cause lethal injuries if a bullet were to strike a person at
a vulnerable spot under certain limited circumstances. Nonetheless,
the difference between the present invention and a typical firearm
is that the prior art firearm is designed to fire a high velocity
bullet that penetrates the human body and causes severe internal
injuries, while this device is not designed to do so.
[0036] The bullets of the invention can be solid or hollow and are
preferably held in a straight, horizontal magazine as disclosed
below. A spring mechanism as further discussed in greater detail is
associated with the magazine to allow semi-automatic firing in
several of the embodiments. The velocity of the spherical bullets
allows them to hit the attacker with varying force as a situation
requires, because the present invention includes a mechanism for
varying and regulating the pressure utilized to discharge the
projectiles as the circumstances warrant.
[0037] Referring again to FIG. 1, the handgun 10 of the present
invention includes a housing 12 having a handle 14, a barrel 16 and
a projectile or bullet storage cylinder or magazine 18. The barrel
16 preferably includes an open muzzle end 20 and a closed base end
22 serving as a projectile loading chamber. A plurality of
preferably spherical projectiles 24 are disposed in the magazine 18
in aligned fashion and are maintained under slight compression by a
muzzle spring member 26. The spring member 26 provides the force to
urge a single projectile 24 into the projectile loading chamber 22
through a loading port 27 after a previously loaded projectile is
fired from the barrel 16. While the exemplary embodiments are all
handguns of one form or another, it should be understood that the
present invention is not so limited and that any type of hand held
weapon, i.e. rifles, handguns and the like, that embodies the
inventive concepts disclosed and claimed herein.
[0038] An enclosure is provided in the housing 12, preferably in
the handle 14 in this particular embodiment, which is sized and
shaped to receive a replaceable gas storage cartridge, such as the
CO.sub.2 cartridge discussed above. The gas from the cartridge is
directed into a gas discharge cell 28, after which the gas is then
injected one charge at a time into the projectile loading chamber
22 to discharge a projectile 18 from the barrel 16 as discussed in
greater detail below. A trigger 30 and a hammer and striker
assembly, as discussed below, are utilized to control the gas
discharge and projectile loading processes. A velocity adjustment
knob 32 is provided to adjust the amount of gas pressure per charge
so as to adjust the velocity and impact of the projectile 18
leaving the muzzle opening 20. Finally, the gas pressure remaining
in the gas cartridge is monitored by a pressure gauge 34 so that a
user of the handgun 10 will know exactly how much charge is left
for firing the weapon 10.
[0039] Referring now to FIGS. 2-7, a second embodiment of the
invention is disclosed in greater detail to illustrate the
operation of the various operating components of the handgun of the
invention. It should be noted that like components are identified
with like numerals throughout all of the Figs. of this
specification. In this embodiment, the handgun 10' is in the form
of a semi-automatic weapon and, as in the previous embodiment,
includes a housing 12, a handle 14, a barrel 16, a projectile or
bullet storage cylinder or magazine 18', an open muzzle end 20, a
projectile loading chamber 22, and a loading port 27. A plurality
of preferably spherical projectiles 24 are disposed in the magazine
18 in aligned fashion and are maintained under slight compression
by a muzzle spring member 26. The spring member 26 provides the
force to urge a single projectile 24 into the projectile loading
chamber 22 through the loading port 27 after a previously loaded
projectile is fired from the barrel 16. In this particular
embodiment, the magazine 18' is mounted over the barrel 16 and the
rest of the housing 12. A rear opening 36 is provided in the end of
the magazine 18', and a plug element 38 is threadably engageable
therewithin. The projectiles 24 are loaded into the magazine 18'
through the opening 36, and the spring member 26 is engaged and
tightened against the loaded projectiles 24 by the threading action
of the plug 38.
[0040] A cylindrical sleeve 40 is formed in the housing 12 coaxial
with the barrel 16 and is sized and shaped to contain the operating
components of the gun 10', as described below. The handle 14, as
described above, includes an enclosure 42 which is accessed through
an opening 44 and maintained in a closed position by a closure
member 46. A removable compressed gas cylinder or cartridge 48 is
positioned within the enclosure 42 and provides the firing
propellant for the projectiles 24. The operating components of the
weapon 10' include a hammer and striker assembly 50, a gas
discharge cell with valve assembly 52, a cocking bolt 54 adapted to
move within a bolt slot 55, and a velocity adjustment control 56. A
gas pressure gauge 34, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is included on the
exterior side of the gas discharge cell with valve assembly 52.
[0041] In preferred form, the gas cartridge 48 is inserted into the
enclosure 42 but not activated until needed by twisting the loading
closure member or knob 46, which presses the cartridge 48 into
place and causes the end 49 of the cartridge 48 to puncture.
Appropriate seals 51 may be utilized to hold the gas pressure until
needed. The seals 51 may hold the gas pressure after the cartridge
end 49 is punctured for months. As previously stated, an integral
pressure gauge 34 indicates the pressure remaining in the cartridge
48. The gauge 34 informs the user that the cartridge end 49 has
been punctured and that sufficient gas remains for firing. The gas
then passes from the punctured end 49 through a tube 58 into the
gas discharge cell 52. A valve assembly 60 is provided in the
discharge cell 52 for rapidly delivering a charge of expanding gas,
which preferably varies from 400-800 psi, into the loading chamber
22, upon pulling the trigger 30, to propel a projectile 24 out of
the barrel 16. The valve assembly 60 is integrally associated with
the hammer and striker assembly to accomplish this.
[0042] Referring now with particularity to FIGS. 2 and 3, a hammer
element 62 is maintained in position within the sleeve 40 by a
trigger assembly 64, as described in greater detail below. A
discharge conduit 66 extends from its open distal end 68 in the
loading chamber 22 along the sleeve 40 through the gas discharge
cell 52 and terminates in a threaded adjustment portion 70 exterior
to the housing 12. The hammer element 62 is disposed along the
conduit 66 and is adapted to move longitudinally therealong. A
striker flange is fixed to the conduit 66 between the hammer
element 62 and the distal end 68 of the conduit 66 and is sized and
shaped to engage the impact end 74 of the hammer element 62 when
the hammer element 62 is moved along the conduit 66 through the
sleeve 40. A spring member 76 engages the opposite end of the
hammer element 62 to provide a bias force against the hammer
element 62 to urge it along the conduit 66 toward the striker
flange 72, the trigger assembly 64 maintaining the hammer element
62 in its "cocked" or "loaded" condition with the spring member 76
under compression. A sliding bolt 78 is mounted to the end of the
conduit 66 proximate the distal end 68 thereof. When the trigger
assembly 64 is released by the pulling of the trigger pull 30, the
spring member 76 forces the hammer element 62 quickly along the
conduit 66 to impact the striker flange 72 with the surface 74, and
this action moves the striker flange 72 along with the associated
conduit 66 longitudinally within the sleeve 40. It also moves the
sliding bolt 78 axially into the loading chamber 22 to slightly
impact the projectile 24 therein while simultaneously blocking the
loading port 27.
[0043] The gas discharge cell 52 is preferably in the form of a
sealed cylinder 80 having a front seal 82 through which the conduit
66 passes, which is further sealed by an O-ring 84, and a rear seal
86 abutting a rear retainer 88, through which the conduit 66 also
passes. A valve port 90 is provided in the conduit 66 within the
cylinder 80 of the cell 52 proximate the rear seal 86. When the
port 90 is open to the interior of the cylinder 80, discharge gas
passes therein into the conduit 66 and rapidly along its length
until it is discharged out of the distil end 68. When the valve
port 90 is closed by engagement within the rear seal 86, no gas is
discharged through the conduit 66. A valve seat 92 is secured to
the conduit 66 adjacent the valve port 90, and a spring member 94
engages a front plate 96 at the front seal 82 and the valve seat 92
within the cylinder 80. The spring member 94 is adapted to urge the
valve seat axially toward the rear seal 86 so as to normally
maintain the valve port 90 in a closed position within the seal
86.
[0044] When the conduit 66 and all of the components attached
thereto, i.e. the striker flange 72, the sliding bolt 78 and the
valve seat 92, are moved axially within the sleeve 40 toward the
conduit distil end 68 upon impact of the hammer element 62 against
the striker flange 72, the valve port 90 is momentarily opened and
exposed to the interior of the cylinder 80. At this moment,
compressed gas within the cell 52 rushes into the valve port 90
down along the length of the conduit 66 and out of the distil end
68 to propel the projectile 24 in the loading chamber 22 out of the
barrel 16 along with a slight impact provided by the sliding bolt
78. However, the primary propellant is the compressed gas
discharged out of the distil end 68. Therefore, the force imposed
on the projectile 24 and the resulting impact provided by the
projectile against its target is directly dependent on the amount
and resulting force of gas discharged at the distal end 68. This,
in turn, is then directly dependent on the amount of time the valve
port 90 is open and exposed to the interior of the cell 52.
[0045] As previously stated, the threaded adjustment portion 70 of
the conduit 66 is disposed exterior to the housing 12. The velocity
adjustment knob 56 is threadably engaged over the adjustment
portion 70 so that the inner adjustment plate 98 of the knob 56 is
designed to impact the rear retainer 88 when the conduit 66 is
moved longitudinally by the hammer element 62 and thereby terminate
the longitudinal travel of the conduit 66 and the components
attached thereto. Thus, the greater the distance between the rear
retainer plate 88 and the inner adjustment plate 98, the greater
the distance traveled by the conduit 66, which in turn means the
longer the valve port 90 remains in an open position and the
greater the amount of gas in the gas charge imposed on the
projectile 24. Likewise, if the distance between the rear retainer
plate 88 and the inner adjustment plate 98 is decreased, the time
the valve port will be in an open position is also decreased
thereby decreasing the gas discharge volume and resulting
projectile impact force. Consequently, the force of the fired
projectiles may be readily varied from shot to shot by simply
turning the velocity adjustment knob 56.
[0046] It should also be noted that once the spring member 94
within the cell 52 has urged the valve seat 92 against the rear
seal 86 and thereby closed the valve port 90, the spring member 76
along with the spring member 94 co-act to return the hammer element
62 to its initial "loaded" position. When this occurs, the trigger
assembly engages the hammer element 62 to retain it in this
position until the trigger pull 30 is pulled once again. Moreover,
when the hammer element 62 returns to its initial position, the
striker flange 72 and sliding bolt 78 also return to their
respective initial positions. This action resets the striker flange
72 for another impact by the hammer element 62, and the return
movement of the sliding bolt 78 opens the loading port 27. This
action by the sliding bolt 78 in turns enables the spring member 26
in the magazine 18' to urge another projectile 24 from the magazine
18' automatically into the loading chamber 22 to ready the gun 10'
for another firing. In addition, the cocking bolt 54 is attached to
the hammer element 62 and moves therewith. Since the bolt 54
projects out of the slot 55, the hammer element 62 may be manually
cocked to engage the trigger assembly 64 therewith by pulling the
bolt 54 rearwardly.
[0047] Referring now to FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, one preferred form of the
trigger assembly 64 is disclosed. In this embodiment, the assembly
64 includes a trigger pull 30 which is pivotally attached to the
housing 12 by a pivot pin 100. The trigger pull 30 includes a
forward extension arm 102 and a rearwardly extending cam 104 which
includes a cam surface 106. A trigger control arm 108 is mounted on
a slide pin 110 and includes a cam pin 112 extending from a first
end thereof to engage the cam surface 106 of the trigger pull 30.
The second control end 114 of the trigger control arm 108 is
adapted to selectively engage a catch 116 on the hammer element 62
to maintain the hammer element 62 is its loaded position in
opposition to the bias force of the spring member 76. When the
trigger pull 30 is moved rearwardly in the direction of the arrow
118, the cam surface 106 rotates the cam pin 112 and disengages the
control end 114 from the hammer catch 116, thereby releasing the
hammer element 62 to move forwardly within the sleeve 40 as
described above. When the hammer element 62 returns to its starting
position, the catch 116 reengages the control end 114 to retain the
hammer in its loaded position until the trigger pull is again moved
rearwardly.
[0048] A safety pin 120 is positioned forward of the trigger pull
30 and is adapted to move laterally relative to the longitudinal
axis of the housing 12 and includes a thick portion 122 and a thin
portion 124, as illustrated. The forward extension arm 102 is sized
so that it will strike the pin 120 when the trigger pull 30 is
pulled rearwardly in the direction of the arrow 118. In this
manner, when the pin 120 is in its safety position, the thicker
portion 122 of the pin 120 engages the forward extension arm 102 so
that the trigger pull is incapable of being moved rearwardly a
sufficient distance to disengage the control end 114 from the catch
116. When the pin 120 is moved laterally to present the thin
portion 124 for engagement with the forward extension arm 102, the
control end 114 disengages from the catch 116 permitting the hammer
element 62 to move.
[0049] As described above with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 2
and 3, the projectile 24 velocity is controlled by adjusting the
amount of compressed gas released from the discharge cell 52 into
the loading chamber 22 by changing the position of the velocity
adjustment control 56 on the conduit adjustment portion 70. Another
way of controlling the velocity of the projectiles 24 is by varying
the amount of gas introduced into the cell 52 from the cartridge 48
through the seals 49 while maintaining the control member 56 in a
stationary position. This accomplishes the same end as the prior
technique A third manner of controlling the velocity of the
projectiles 24 is by providing the same gas pressure in each gas
charge transferred from the cell 52 into the loading chamber 22,
and then venting varying portions of the discharged gas in the
loading chamber to thereby adjust the total gas pressure pushing
the projectile 24 out of the barrel 16. One arrangement for
accomplishing this third adjustment technique is illustrated in
FIG. 4. A vent opening 126 is provided in the bottom portion of the
barrel 16 at the loading chamber 22. A slide tube 128 is then
mounted snugly over the barrel 16 so as to cover the vent opening
126. The slide tube 128 includes an oblong aperture 130 which may
be aligned in part or in whole over the vent opening 128 so that a
portion of the gas discharged into the loading chamber 22 is vented
through the vent opening 128 and the aperture 130. By adjusting the
position of the aperture 130 over the vent opening 128, a variable
amount of gas may be vented thereby variably decreasing the amount
of gas available to discharge the projectile 24 through the barrel
16.
[0050] Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 8A, another embodiment of the
present invention is disclosed. In this embodiment, a
semi-automatic handgun 10" is illustrated and includes a housing
12, a handle 14, a barrel 16, a projectile or bullet storage
cylinder or magazine 18", an open muzzle end 20, a projectile
loading chamber 22, and a loading port 27. A plurality of
preferably spherical projectiles 24 are similarly disposed in the
magazine 18 in aligned fashion and are maintained under slight
compression by a muzzle spring member 26. The spring member 26
provides the force to urge a single projectile 24 into the
projectile loading chamber 22 through the loading port 27 after a
previously loaded projectile is fired from the barrel 16. In this
particular embodiment, as in the prior embodiment of FIG. 2, the
magazine 18" is mounted over the barrel 16 and the rest of the
housing 12. A front opening 132 is provided in the forward end of
the magazine 18", and a plug element 134 is threadably engageable
therewithin. The projectiles 24 are loaded into the magazine 18"
through the opening 132, and the spring member 26 is engaged and
tightened against the loaded projectiles 24 by the threading action
of the plug 134.
[0051] Unlike the prior embodiment which positioned the operating
components in a sleeve coaxial with the barrel 16, the present
embodiment includes a separate tubular element 136 as part of the
housing to enclose the operating components. The forward end of the
tubular element 136 includes an end opening 138 which has a
threadable knob 140 securable thereto. An enclosure 42' is
positioned in the forward portion of the tube 136 to carry the gas
cartridge 48 which is inserted into the enclosure 42'. As in the
prior embodiment, the cartridge 48 is activated when needed by
twisting the loading closure member or knob 140, which presses the
cartridge 48 into place and causes the end 49 of the cartridge 48
to puncture. Again, appropriate seals 51 may be utilized to hold
the gas pressure until needed. The seals may hold the gas pressure
after the cartridge end 49 is punctured for months. As previously
stated, an integral pressure gauge 34 (FIG. 1) indicates the
pressure remaining in the cartridge 48. The gas then passes from
the punctured end 49 directly into the gas discharge cell 52'. A
valve assembly 60' is provided in the discharge cell 52' for
rapidly delivering a charge of expanding gas into the loading
chamber 22, upon pulling the trigger 30, to propel a projectile 24
out of the barrel 16. The valve assembly 60' is integrally
associated with the hammer and striker assembly 142 to accomplish
this.
[0052] In this particular embodiment, the trigger assembly 64 is
arranged the same as in the previous embodiment of FIGS. 2-7. The
hammer 144 is positioned for longitudinal movement within the
tubular element 136 and is attached to the cocking bolt 54 by way
of a pin 146, the cocking bolt 54 and slot 55 being positioned
above the tubular element 136 behind the barrel 16. A hammer spring
148 functions in the same manner as the spring member 76 of the
prior embodiment, that is to create a bias force against the hammer
144 to urge it towards a striker 150 to activate the gas discharge
cell 52'. When the hammer 144 is released by the trigger assembly
64, the hammer 144 travels down the tubular element 136 and impacts
the striker 150. Once the striker 150 is impacted, the spring 148
returns the hammer 144 back to its loaded position, and the trigger
assembly 64 releasably locks the hammer 144 in position for another
projectile round to be fired.
[0053] The gas discharge cell 52' of this particular embodiment is
modified slightly from that of the prior embodiment. In this
embodiment, the cell 52' preferably includes a gas input opening
152 through which compressed gas from the cartridge 48 passes to
the interior of the cell 52'. The cell 52' is divided into two
portions, an input portion 154 which receives the gas from the
input opening 152, and a gas discharge portion 156. A wall seal 158
divides the two portions. A gas conduit 66' extends from the input
portion 154 through the wall seal 158, into the discharge portion
156, through a rear seal element 160 and terminates as the striker
150. The conduit is hollow from its end opening 160 up to where it
becomes the striker element, which is a solid end portion thereof.
A valve port 90' is positioned in the conduit 66' similar to the
prior embodiment, and a valve seat 92' is secured to the conduit
66' adjacent the valve port 90'. A spring member 94' engages the
wall seal 158 at one end and the valve seat 92' at its opposite
end. The spring member 94' is adapted to urge the valve seat 92'
axially toward the rear seal element 160 so as to normally maintain
the valve port 90' in a closed position within the seal element
160.
[0054] When the hammer 144 impacts the striker member 150, the
striker member 150 is moved longitudinally inwardly into the cell
52' against the bias spring 94'. When this occurs, the valve port
90' is moved into the gas discharge portion 156 and opened to
interior thereof. When this occurs, compressed gas in the input
portion 154 rushes into the conduit 66' through the opening 160,
out through the valve port 90' into the discharge portion 156, and
out through a gas loading duct 68' into the loading chamber 22 to
propel a projectile 24 out of the barrel 16. The greater the impact
from the hammer 144 onto the striker 150, the further the valve
port 90' is inserted into the discharge portion 156 of the cell
52', and the longer the valve port 90' is placed in an open
position. This in turn creates a greater amount of compressed gas
flow into the gas loading duct 68' and the loading chamber 22,
creating a greater velocity to the projectiles. A velocity
adjustment knob 56' is disposed at the terminal end of the tubular
element 136 and is threadably secured thereto against the spring
148. Therefore, velocity adjustment for this embodiment is
accomplished by turning the adjustment knob 56' to create greater
or reduced bias force against the hammer 144 by the spring 148,
which in turn creates, respectively, greater or reduced impact
force of the hammer 144 against the striker 150. It should be
understood, however, that other arrangements for the cell 52' may
be devised and still be within the scope of the present
invention.
[0055] Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated
in FIGS. 9-12. In this particular embodiment, a revolver 170 is
illustrated. Again, it should be understood that like parts carry
like numerals. In this embodiment, a housing 12, a handle 14, a
barrel 16, a projectile or bullet storage cylinder 172, an open
muzzle end 20, and a projectile loading chamber 22'. The handle 14,
as in the embodiment of FIG. 2, includes an enclosure 42 which is
accessed through an opening 44 and maintained in a closed position
by a closure member 46. A removable compressed gas cylinder or
cartridge 48 is positioned within the enclosure 42 and provides the
firing propellant for the projectiles. The operating components of
the weapon 170 include a hammer and striker assembly 174, a gas
discharge cell with valve assembly 176, a cocking bolt 178, and a
velocity adjustment control 180. A gas pressure gauge 34, as
illustrated in FIG. 1, is included on the exterior side of the gas
discharge cell with valve assembly 176.
[0056] In this arrangement, a rotating cylinder 172 carries a
plurality of projectiles within a plurality of chambers 182. In
this instance, a single chamber 182 is aligned with the barrel 16,
and when the gun 170 is discharged by pulling the trigger pull 30,
a single projectile is fired with the cylinder 172 then rotating an
amount sufficient to align the subsequent cylinder 182 with the
barrel 16 utilizing compressed gas from the cartridge 48. The gas
discharge cell 176 is a cross or combination in structure and
operation between those of the two prior embodiments illustrated
respectively in FIGS. 2-3 and FIGS. 8-8A. In this instance, the
cell 176 includes a cylinder 184 having a forward seal 186, a rear
seal 188 and a rear impact plate 190. A first conduit 192 is
provided and includes an open gas discharge end 194 disposed at the
projectile loading chamber 22' and is open at its opposite end 196
to the interior of the cell 176 on the discharge side of the wall
seal 186.
[0057] A second conduit 198 is provided and includes an open end
200 aligned with the end 196 of the first conduit 192, and a closed
opposite end which terminates in the form of the striker element
202. The second conduit 198 passes through both seals 186, 188 and
the rear impact plate 190 so that the striker element 202 projects
outwardly from the plate 190. A valve port 204 is disposed in the
second conduit 198 and is adapted to be covered by the rear seal
188 under normal circumstances. A valve seat 206 is attached to the
second conduit 198 at the valve port 204, while a compression
spring 208 is disposed between the forward wall seal 186 and the
valve seat 206 to create a bias force to urge the valve seat 206
and the valve port 204 closed and sealed within the rear seal 188.
When the striker element 202 is impacted by the hammer 210, the
valve port 204 is momentarily opened. When this occurs, compressed
gas from the cartridge 48 passes through a valve assembly duct 212
into the cell 176, through the valve port 204 to the first conduit
192 and then into the loading chamber 22 to fire a projectile from
a chamber 182 and out the barrel 16.
[0058] The hammer 210 is preferably mounted to pivot on a pin 214
and is maintained in a cocked position by a velocity adjustment
control arm assembly 180. The assembly 180 includes a control arm
216 pivotally mounted to a pivot pin 218, a spring member (not
illustrated) for creating a bias force against the hammer 210
similar to spring members 76 and 148 of the prior embodiments to
urge it to a forward position to impact the striker element 202,
and a control lever 220 mounted to the pin 218 and adapted to move
the control arm 216. The hammer 210 includes at least two and
preferably more notched portions 222 which are sized to receive the
end of the control arm 216. When the trigger assembly is activated
by pulling the trigger pull 30, the control arm 216 is disengaged
from its notched portion 222, and the hammer then rotates around
the pin 214 to impact the striker 202. The further back the hammer
210 is pulled and maintained by the control arm 216 and the notched
portions 222, the greater the impact of the hammer 210 on the
striker 202, which in turn increases the time the valve port 204 is
open which thereby increases the amount of compressed gas passing
into the loading chamber 22 to fire a projectile from a chamber
182.
[0059] As can be seen from the above, a non-lethal handgun is
disclosed which utilizes compressed gas to fire a lightweight
aluminum or similar metal bullet at sufficient velocity to cause
severe pain but not to penetrate the human body. As discussed
above, the projectiles can be solid or hollow and are fired at
velocities generated by gas pressures of from 400-800 psi per
firing. The variable velocity setting capability of the present
invention allows the bullets to hit the attacker with mild to
severe force as the situation requires. For example, a smaller
assailant might warrant a mild setting while a larger assailant
with a life-threatening attack may well warrant a severe impact
setting. The bullets can be brightly colored or even fluorescent to
make them more visible when fired as well as aid in aiming, similar
to tracer bullets.
[0060] Manually pulling back the cocking bolt of any of the
embodiments of the invention places the gun in an armed position by
pulling back the hammer, loading the first bullet and then allowing
gas to enter the valve assembly. Pulling the trigger activates the
hammer, opens the valve and allows gas to enter the bolt assembly,
thereby discharging a bullet. The trigger is spring-loaded, and the
return action loads the next bullet and refills the valve with gas
for the next firing, allowing for semi-automatic firing of the
bullets in several of the embodiments.
[0061] Loud noise is also an important factor in deterring an
attacker. Because of this, the weapon of the present invention may
incorporate a valve/hammer/bolt and barrel design that maximizes
the "bang" sound produced by the expanding gas when firing the gun.
Also, the surface profile of the bullets themselves can be shaped
in such a way as to produce a sound in flight that can be heard by
the attacker as the projectiles speed by, letting the attacker know
that he is being shot at.
[0062] Prior art firearms utilize levers and springs to accomplish
loading of bullets into the firing chamber, firing the bullets,
discharging the spent shells, and the like. Having gas pressure
available with the present invention allows the invention to use
pneumatics to accomplish all of these functions and more. The
pneumatics of the invention allow the weapon to control the exit
velocity of the projectiles, which cannot be done with a typical
firearm. Moreover, in a typical firearm the amount of gun powder is
pre-loaded in the shell of a bullet. The pneumatics of the present
invention, however, allows one to control functions away from the
trigger providing more design freedom and configuration options.
Moreover, prior art firearm bullets are dangerous in and of
themselves since they contain gun powder and can explode when
struck or overheated. The present invention permits projectiles to
be loaded and be completely safe until the gas cartridge is
activated. It is also equipped with a safety button that locks the
trigger and keeps it from moving.
[0063] The energy contained in compressed gas is considerable. The
energy contained in liquefied compressed gas such as carbon dioxide
is even more powerful. A standard 12-gram carbon dioxide gas
cartridge, as disclosed above, has sufficient power to fire up to
20 of the solid aluminum projectiles at a mild velocity setting or
10 projectiles at the severe impact velocity. Since there is
generally more gas available in one gas cartridge than needed to
fire an entire projectile magazine, some of the excess gas can be
utilized to maximize the "bang" sound as discussed above. Because
there is no gun powder involved in the weapon of the present
invention, a non-lethal gun constructed in accordance with the
present invention can be completely wet yet still fired
successfully. It can even be submerged and then used successfully.
While the present invention does not have the deadly stopping power
of a high velocity bullet fired from a prior art firearm, such
deadly force is generally not necessary to deter many typical
crimes. Moreover, there are many situations where deadly force is
either not needed, wanted or even permitted by law. In fact, many
states prohibit the use of deadly force unless one's own life or
the lives of one's family are at stake. Many crimes do not involve
this type of situation, such as burglaries, vandalism, robberies
and the like where your own life is clearly not in danger. As a
result, severe bruises inflicted on a criminal utilizing a weapon
constructed in accordance with the present invention would very
likely stop the crime in progress or at least provide a temporary
time break, permitting one to flee in safety.
[0064] The present invention is especially useful since it does
have the capability of varying the force with which a projectile is
shot as well as provides a visual indicator of the gas remaining
for firing additional projectiles. None of the prior references
provide such accommodation features in a non-lethal weapon which is
specifically designed to deter crime, rather than to provide
entertainment.
[0065] The foregoing description and the illustrative embodiments
of the present invention have been described in detail in varying
modifications and alternate embodiments. It should be understood,
however, that the foregoing description of the present invention is
exemplary only, and that the scope of the present invention is to
be limited to the claims as interpreted in view of the prior art.
Moreover, the invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably
may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not
specifically disclosed herein.
* * * * *