U.S. patent application number 10/844973 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-05 for non-lethal hand pistol.
Invention is credited to Nicholas A. Verini.
Application Number | 20070151551 10/844973 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38223084 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070151551 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Verini; Nicholas A. |
July 5, 2007 |
Non-lethal hand pistol
Abstract
A weapon, such as a semi-automatic gun pistol, 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
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 into said hammer and striker assembly to return said
weapon to a firing-ready condition. Finally, a trigger assembly
selectively operates the hammer and striker assembly.
Inventors: |
Verini; Nicholas A.;
(Lafayette, CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LAW OFFICE OF JOHN L. ISAAC
7114 W. JEFFERSON AVE.
SUITE 100
LAKEWOOD
CO
80235-2309
US
|
Family ID: |
38223084 |
Appl. No.: |
10/844973 |
Filed: |
May 13, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
124/74 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41B 11/721
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
124/074 |
International
Class: |
F41B 11/00 20060101
F41B011/00 |
Claims
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 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 and into said hammer and striker assembly to return said
weapon to a firing-ready condition; and a trigger assembly for
selectively operating said hammer and striker assembly.
2. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure of said
gas charge released by said gas discharge cell may be 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 hammer and
striker assembly comprises a hammer element and a striker recoil
element, both 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 element 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
substantially hollow, adapted for breakage upon impact and contain
a chemical solution for incapacitating the impact recipient.
8. 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.
9. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said weapon comprises
a semi-automatic pistol.
10. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said weapon further
comprises 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.
11. The weapon as claimed in claim 10, 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.
12. The weapon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hammer and
striker assembly comprises a striker recoil element 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 recoil element 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 recoil element to said second striker
position resulting from impact by said hammer element, a secondary
gas discharge aperture adapted to release a portion of said charge
of gas from said gas discharge cell within said hammer element to
return said hammer element to its first hammer element position
while closing said gas discharge valve, said trigger assembly
selectively retaining said hammer element in its first hammer
element position until release.
13. The weapon as claimed in claim 12, wherein said weapon further
comprises a conduit member interconnecting said gas discharge cell
and said loading chamber, said gas discharge valve being disposed
in said conduit within said gas discharge cell and including a
valve seat for opening and closing said valve.
14. The weapon as claimed in claim 13, wherein said conduit further
comprises a primary gas discharge opening disposed in the distal
end of said conduit at said firing chamber to release gas therein
and fire said projectile, said secondary gas discharge aperture
being disposed in said conduit proximate said distal end and
covered by said striker recoil element to divert gas into said
hammer element to return it to its first position.
15. 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.
16. The weapon improvement of claim 15, 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.
17. The weapon improvement of claim 15, wherein said hammer
assembly comprises a striker recoil element 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 recoil element and move it to said second striker
position, a gas discharge valve adapted for releasing a charge of
gas from said gas discharge cell through a primary gas discharge
opening into said loading chamber upon movement of said striker
recoil element to said second striker position resulting from
impact by said hammer element, a secondary gas discharge aperture
adapted to release a portion of said charge of gas from said gas
discharge cell within said hammer element to return said hammer
element to its first hammer element position while closing said gas
discharge valve, said trigger assembly selectively retaining said
hammer element in its first hammer element position until
release.
18. The weapon improvement of claim 17, wherein said weapon further
comprises a conduit member interconnecting said gas discharge cell
and said loading chamber, said gas discharge valve being disposed
in said conduit within said gas discharge cell and including a
valve seat for opening and closing said valve, said primary gas
discharge opening being disposed in the distal end of said conduit
at said firing chamber.
19. The weapon as claimed in claim 18, wherein said secondary gas
discharge aperture is disposed in said conduit proximate said
distal end and covered by said striker recoil element to divert gas
into said hammer element to return it to its first position.
20. The weapon as claimed in claim 18, 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.
21. 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 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; a conduit member interconnecting said gas
discharge cell and said loading chamber; a hammer element adapted
for reciprocal movement along said conduit member between first and
second hammer element positions; a striker recoil element adapted
for reciprocal movement along said conduit member between first and
second striker 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 recoil element and move it to said second striker
position; a primary gas discharge opening defined in the distal end
of said conduit at said loading chamber; a gas discharge valve
adapted for releasing a charge of gas from said gas discharge cell
through said conduit and said primary gas discharge opening into
said loading chamber upon movement of said striker recoil element
to said second striker position resulting from impact by said
hammer element; a secondary gas discharge aperture adapted to
release a portion of said charge of gas from said gas discharge
cell Within said hammer element to return said hammer element to
said first hammer element position while closing said gas discharge
valve; and a trigger assembly for selectively operating said hammer
element.
22. The semi-automatic pistol as claimed in claim 21, wherein said
sleeve is positioned coaxially with said barrel.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to hand pistols and,
more particularly, to weapons designed for self-defense.
Specifically, the present invention relates to hand pistols
including semi-automatic pistols which are nonlethal in design yet
capable of delivering sufficient impact, chemical retardant, or
both, 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 handguns 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, No. 5,221,809, No.
5,450,795 and 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,
No. 5,349,939, No. 5,363,834, No. 5,634,456, No. 5,704,150 and 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 or
other to temporarily debilitate or otherwise incapacitate 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 pistol 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 and/or chemical retardant delivery system 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 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 into said hammer and
striker assembly to return said weapon to a firing-ready condition.
Finally, a trigger assembly selectively operates the hammer and
striker assembly.
[0013] In one modification of the invention, the pressure of the
gas charge released by the gas discharge cell may be varied between
400-800 psig. per charge, 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 3-5
grams in weight. Alternatively, the spheres are substantially
hollow, adapted for breakage upon impact and contain a chemical
solution for incapacitating the impact recipient. Moreover, the
weapon may preferably be in the form of a semi-automatic
pistol.
[0014] In another modification of the invention, the hammer and
striker assembly is includes a striker recoil element adapted for
reciprocal movement between first and second striker positions, and
a hammer element is also adapted for reciprocal movement between
first and second hammer element positions. A first spring bias
member is provided 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 recoil element 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 recoil element
to the second striker position resulting from impact by the hammer
element. A secondary gas discharge aperture is adapted to release a
portion of the charge of gas from the gas discharge cell within the
hammer element to return the hammer element to its first hammer
element position while closing the gas discharge valve. Finally, a
trigger assembly selectively retains the hammer element in its
first hammer element position until release.
[0015] 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.
[0016] 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. An enclosure is provided and for
receives 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 adapted to receive a
charge of compressed gas for selective projectile discharge. A
valve assembly is further disposed in the sleeve and associated
with the gas discharge cell to control the release of gas into the
loading chamber for projectile discharge. A conduit member
interconnects the gas discharge cell and the loading chamber. A
hammer element is adapted for reciprocal movement along the conduit
member between first and second hammer element positions, while a
striker recoil element is adapted for reciprocal movement along the
conduit member between first and second striker positions. A first
spring bias member is provided 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 recoil element
and move it to the second striker position. A primary gas discharge
opening is defined in the distal end of the conduit at the loading
chamber. A gas discharge valve is then adapted for releasing a
charge of gas from the gas discharge cell through the conduit and
said primary gas discharge opening into the loading chamber upon
movement of the striker recoil element to the second striker
position resulting from impact by the hammer element. A secondary
gas discharge aperture is also provided and is adapted to release a
portion of the charge of gas from the gas discharge cell within the
hammer element to return the hammer element to the first hammer
element position while closing the gas discharge valve. Finally, a
trigger assembly is provided for selectively operating the hammer
element.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] 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:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, with some parts in section
and some parts in shadow, of a semi-automatic pistol embodiment
constructed in accordance with the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view, with parts in
elevation, of a gas discharge cell and valve assembly embodiment
constructed in accordance with the present invention and utilized
with the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 3A is an enlarged side view of a striker recoil element
embodiment utilized in conjunction with the hammer element of the
present invention;
[0021] FIG. 3B is an enlarged side view of an alternate striker
recoil element embodiment utilized in conjunction with the hammer
element of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a partial side view of a hammer element and
assembly embodiment utilized with the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a partial side elevation view of the trigger
assembly of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1; and
[0024] FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevation view of the trigger and
cam components of the trigger assembly of the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, a non-lethal hand pistol 10 is
disclosed and uses compressed gas to fire a lightweight aluminum or
similar material projectile or pepper spray ball at sufficient
velocity to cause significant pain or incapacity 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 projectiles, "bullets" or balls. In
preferred form, the spherical bullets are approximately 0.5-0.8
inches in diameter, or about 64-75 caliber, weigh 3-5 grams and are
made of hollow spheres containing pepper spray or other chemical
solution, are hollow stainless steel, or may be solid spherical
rubber or aluminum bullets. Preferably, the projectiles may be made
of nylon, plastic or any other appropriate material designed to
contain a chemical solution like pepper spray and to break upon
impact, thereby releasing the spray into the face of the
assailant.
[0026] 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. However, the preferred design will discharge about 6-7
spheres per gas cartridge. As a result, the spherical bullets are
fired at velocities up to approximately 400 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 solid metal and 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.
[0027] 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
may allow them to hit the attacker with varying force as a
situation requires, because the present invention includes a
mechanism for varying the amount of gas released to discharge the
projectiles as the circumstances warrant. Moreover, the preferred
embodiment utilizes hollow plastic spheres containing pepper spray
or mace. These are designed to break upon impact and dissipate the
spray in many directions, thereby temporarily incapacitating the
assailant or target due to impaired vision and the like.
[0028] Referring again to FIG. 1, the hand pistol 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. In preferred form, a rubber flap or other
flexible element 28 is provided in the interior of the barrel 16
downstream from a loaded projectile 24. The flap 28 maintains the
projectile 24 in the loading chamber 22 without interfering with
the firing of the projectile, since its elasticity simply allows it
to fold forward and not impede forceful outward movement of a fired
projectile. While the exemplary embodiment is a hand pistol, it
should be understood that the present invention is not so limited
and that any type of hand held weapon, i.e. rifles, hand pistols
and the like, that embodies the inventive concepts disclosed and
claimed herein.
[0029] 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.
[0030] 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, in
preferred form, 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 trigger 30, a hammer and striker assembly 50, a
gas discharge cell with valve assembly 52, and a cocking bolt 54
adapted to move within a bolt slot 55. A velocity adjustment
control 56 may be incorporated if desired, although this is not
essential to the invention.
[0031] 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 for months after the
cartridge end 49 is punctured. As previously stated, an integral
pressure gauge 34 may indicate 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.
[0032] Referring now with particularity to FIGS. 2-4, 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 portion 70 exterior to the
housing 12. The hammer element 62 is disposed along the conduit 66
and is adapted to move longitudinally therealong. The hammer
element 62 preferably includes a radially notched exterior area 63
sized and shaped to interact with the trigger assembly 64 as
described below. In addition, the interior of the hammer element 62
is hollow and includes an inner chamber 65 having an open front end
portion 71 and an interior end surface 67. A first O-ring 69 is
provided about the exterior of the hammer element proximate the
front end portion 71 and is adapted to seal the hammer element 62
against air blow-by as it moves longitudinally along the interior
of the sleeve 40.
[0033] A striker recoil element 72 or 72' is threadably secured to
the end of the conduit 66 proximate the distal end 68 thereof and
is sized and shaped to engage and impact the interior end surface
67 of the hammer element 62 when the hammer element 62 is moved
along the conduit 66 through the sleeve 40. The recoil element 72
and 72' each includes a central aperture 73 coaxially aligned with
the distal end 68 of the conduit 68 so that air may pass
therethrough into the firing chamber 22. Moreover, a second O-ring
75 is provided about the exterior surface of the recoil element 72
and 72' to prevent air blow-by thereof as it travels along the
inner chamber 65 of the hammer element 62. A spring member 76
engages the opposite end 74 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 recoil element 72 or 72', the trigger
assembly 64 maintaining the hammer element 62 in its "cocked" or
"loaded" condition with the spring member 76 under compression.
[0034] An aperture 78 is provided in the conduit 66 proximate the
distal end 68 and is located under the recoil element 72 or 72'
when attached thereto. The aperture 78 is in fluid communication
with both the interior of the conduit 66 and the interior 65 of the
hammer element 62. 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 through the sleeve
40 to impact the striker recoil element 72, 72' with the interior
surface 67. This action moves the striker recoil element 72, 72'
along with the associated conduit 66 longitudinally within the
sleeve 40. It also enables the hammer element 62 to move axially
into the loading chamber 22 to slightly impact the projectile 24
therein while simultaneously blocking the loading port 27. However,
the gas rapidly discharged out through the distal end 68 of the
conduit 66 is what propels the projectile 24 out of the barrel 16.
Moreover, a small amount of the discharged gas escapes through the
aperture 78 into the hammer element chamber 65 and thereby forces
the hammer element 62 longitudinally back to its cocked position
while compressing the spring 76 and reengaging the hemmer element
62 with the trigger assembly 64.
[0035] 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 primarily out of the distal end 68 to propel
the projectile 24 out of the barrel 16. The air is then secondarily
discharged through the aperture 78 to reverse the movement of the
hammer element 62 and conduit 66 to close the valve port 90. 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.
[0036] When the conduit 66 and all of the components attached
thereto or associated therewith, i.e. the striker recoil element
72, the aperture 78 and the valve seat 92, are moved axially within
the sleeve 40 toward the loading and firing chamber upon impact of
the hammer element surface 67 against the striker recoil element
72, 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 distal 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 hammer element 62. However,
the primary propellant is the compressed gas discharged out of the
distal end 68. As previously indicated, residual compressed gas
escapes through the aperture 78 to return the hammer element 62 and
conduit 66 to their initial position along with action by the
spring member 94. 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.
[0037] As previously stated, a threaded adjustment portion 70 of
the conduit 66 may be disposed exterior to the housing 12 to permit
adjustment of the gas discharge into the opening 90 by adjusting
the exposure of the port 90 to the interior of the chamber 52. It
should be understood, however, that this adjustment feature is
optional to the present invention. In this adjustment embodiment,
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.
[0038] It should also be noted that as the spring member 94 within
the cell 52 urges the valve seat 92 against the rear seal 86 and
thereby closes the valve port 90, the aperture 78 directs the gas
into the interior chamber 65 of the hammer element 62. This expands
and acts 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 recoil element 72, 72' also
returns to its respective initial position. This action resets the
striker recoil element 72, 72' for another impact by the hammer
element 62, and the return movement of the hammer element 62 opens
the loading port 27. This return action by the hammer element 62 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.
[0039] Referring now to FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, 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 formed in the notch 63 of
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.
[0040] A safety pin 120 is preferably 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.
[0041] As described above with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1
and 2, the projectile 24 velocity may be 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 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.
[0042] As can be seen from the above, a non-lethal hand pistol 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. Moreover, rubber
spheres as well as plastic spheres containing pepper spray or other
chemical incapacitating solution contained therein may be used with
the device of the present invention. Additionally, paint balls may
be adapted for use with the device of the invention for play. 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 one
embodiment of the present invention allows the bullets to hit the
attacker with mild to severe force as the situation may require.
Moreover, sufficient force to break spherical chemical projectiles
may be used.
[0043] Manually pulling back the cocking bolt of the present
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
hammer 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.
[0044] 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.
[0045] 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.
[0046] 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
6-7 projectiles at a 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. Moreover,
some of the gas is also used to re-cock the weapon. 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.
[0047] 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.
Alternatively, chemical spray, such as mace or pepper spray,
dispersed by broken projectiles upon impact can readily temporarily
incapacitate a person committing a crime.
[0048] The present invention is especially useful since it does
have the capability of varying the force with which a projectile is
shot. 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.
[0049] 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.
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