Removable Clip With Rotary Projectile Cylinder For A Gun

Abstract

The clip comprises a housing and a rotatably indexible cylinder in the housing having thereon spaced clutch teeth which releasably engage through a central opening in the back of the housing like teeth formed on an indexing shaft that is pivoted in the gun. A plurality of pellets are removably mounted in angularly spaced chambers in the cylinder. The housing is removably insertable into a gun rearwardly of the gun barrel to have a small opening in the front of the clip register with the rear end of the barrel. The pellet chambers are indexed successively into registry with the gun barrel and the opening in the front of the housing by the indexing shaft which is rotated step-by-step upon cocking of the gun. A leaf spring in the housing prevents accidental rotation of the cylinder.

Parent Case Text

This application is a division of our copending U. S. Pat. application Ser. No. 128,910, filed Mar. 29, 1971 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,189. Our prior application relates to pellet guns, and this application is restricted to novel ammunition clips for use with such guns.

Description

Prior to the development of the clip-fed gun disclosed in our above-noted pending patent application, gas-operated pellet guns were either of the single shot variety, in which pellets were loaded and fired one by one, or were of the revolver type, in which the pellets were inserted into a rotatable cylinder in the gun, which was indexible step-by-step to bring the pellets successively into firing position, or were of the magazine-fed variety in which a plurality of pellets were fed successively into firing position from a magazine built into the gun.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a removable and reloadable clip for holding a plurality of projectiles and feeding them successively into firing position when the clip is positioned in the gun.

Another object of this invention is to provide a removable and reloadable ammunition or pellet clip for use in a clip-fed gun of the type described in our above-identified pending application.

A further object of this invention is to provide a pellet clip of the type described, which has a plurality of pellet chambers that are rotatably indexible successively into the registry with the bore of a pellet gun, when the clip is properly positioned in the gun.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a gas-operated pellet gun with which there may be used a pellet clip made according to one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the central portion of this gun with the pellet clip, shown in full, positioned therein;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, on an even larger scale, taken along the line 3--3 in FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a still further enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4--4 in FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing by numerals of reference, 20 (FIG. 1) denotes generally a gas-operated pellet gun or rifle comprising a frame 21 having mating side sections 22 and 23 (FIG. 3), a conventional gun stock 25, which is secured in the usual manner to the rear end of frame 21, and a conventional valve block 27 (FIGS. 2 and 4), which is secured in the frame between sections 22 and 23. The gun barrel 30, which projects out of the forward end of frame 21, is fastened at its rear end in a bore formed in the upper end of block 27.

Adjacent its rear end barrel 30 has a radial port 53 (FIG. 2) which connects the bore of the barrel with a vertical duct 52 in the valve block 27. The lower end of duct 52 is connected by a port 51 to a gas (CO.sub.2) chamber 50 that is formed in block 27 beneath and parallel to the rear end of barrel 30. Port 51 is normally closed off from chamber 50 by a spring-loaded valve 55, the head 59 of which is normally seated sealingly by spring 58 against an annular boss 60 which is formed in the rear end of chamber 50 around port 51. Projecting rearwardly from valve head 59 is a reduced-diameter stem 62, which extends slidably and sealingly through the rear end of valve block 27 coaxially of port 51.

Secured adjacent to its forward end in a transverse partition 63 formed in frame 21 rearwardly of valve block 27, and extending toward the rear end of the frame coaxially of valve stem 62 is a hammer guiding sleeve 64 (FIG. 2). Mounted to reciprocate in sleeve 64 coaxially thereof is a hammer 65, which has on its forward end a reduced-diameter stem portion 66 that is axially aligned with valve stem 62.

Mounted between frame sections 22 and 23 for limited pivotal movement above and parallel to sleeve 64 is a shaft 90. The forward end of shaft 90 is journaled in a bearing 107, and has a reduced diameter portion 98, which carries a radial pin 99. Opposite ends of pin 99 project slidably into a pair of diametrally opposed, axially extending slots 101 formed in the bore of an annular coupling member 102, which is mounted over the forward end of shaft 90 for rotation thereby in an opening 103 in partition 63 above sleeve 64.

A coiled compression spring 106 surrounds the shaft section 98. It is seated at one end against bearing 107 and at its opposite end against an external shoulder 108 on coupling member 102. Partition 63 limits the movement of member 102 forwardly, or toward the right in FIG. 2.

Mounted in frame 21 for rotational and axial movement above and parallel to shaft 90 is a bolt 140. On its forward end bolt 140 has a reduced-diameter probe 141, which is reciprocable by the bolt between an advanced position in which it projects through the partition 63 and into the rear end of the bore of barrel 30 as shown in FIG. 2, and a retracted position (not illustrated) in which the front end of the probe is retracted into the partition 63. Rearwardly of probe 141 bolt 140 carries a resilient sealing ring 142 which seals the barrel rearwardly of the gas port 53, when the bolt is in its advanced or firing position as shown in FIG. 2.

The above-described parts are illustrated only fragmentarily in the drawings of this application. For a more detailed illustration thereof and of their operation, reference is made to parent application Ser. No. 128,910, above-mentioned. They have been illustrated and described here only to the extent necessary to an understanding of the cooperation of our removable and reloadable clip with our gun.

We shall now describe the clip. It is denoted at 111. It is shown in FIG. 2 in position for use, removably mounted in a chamber 110 (FIG. 1) that is formed in the frame section 22 of the gun rearwardly of valve block 27, and lying between partition 63 and block 27 above valve stem 62.

This clip comprises a generally rectangular casing 112 (FIGS. 3 and 4) having a closed front end adapted to seat against the rear end of barrel 30, and an open rear end over which is fastened a cover plate 113 that is adapted to seat against partition 63. A cylindrical post 115 (FIG. 4), which is integral with the closed end of the casing 112, projects through the casing and an opening 116 in the plate 113. The rear end of this post extends beyond plate 113 and is adapted to project into the bore of the coupling member 102 when the clip is in position in the gun in chamber 110.

Mounted to rotate about post 115 in casing 112 is a generally disc-shaped cylinder 118, which has therethrough a plurality (six in the embodiment illustrated) of equi-angularly spaced, axially extending pellet chambers 119, which register at their rear ends with circular opening 116 in plate 113. A leaf spring 130 in casing 112, which is fixed at one end to a pin 131, has a free, curved end 132 disposed normally to seat in one of six equi-spaced notches 134 in the periphery of cylinder 118, resiliently to resist rotation of the cylinder.

At its rear end confronting coupling member 102, the cylinder 118 has a plurality(six in the embodiment illustrated) of rigid coupling teeth 121, which are equi-angularly spaced about the axis of the post 115, and which are adapted to engage, when the clip is positioned in the gun, into the spaces between a like plurality of equi-angularly spaced, cooperating coupling teeth 122 formed on the right or forward end of the coupling member 102.

Before inserting a clip into the gun, it is loaded with pellets such as illustrated at P in FIG. 2 by manually indexing the cylinder 118 relative to the casing 112 successively to place each chamber 119 in registry with an arcuate recess 125 (FIG. 3) in cover plate 113, and inserting pellets one after another into the six chambers 119 when each registers with recess 125. The cylinder 118 projects, as at 118' (FIG. 3), slightly into a registering opening in the sidewall of the casing 112 for ease in loading. To load a clip with the gun, the hand grip 81 (FIG. 1) of the gun is drawn manually rearwardly, causing the bolt 140 to withdraw the probe 141 from the barrel and from chamber 110 of frame section 22. The loaded clip can then be inserted in the gun.

As the loaded clip 111 is inserted into chamber 110, the coupling member 102 (FIG. 4) of the gun is forced rearwardly and the post 115 in the clip casing enters the bore of this member and the coupling teeth 121 and 122 become engaged, and one of the loaded pellet chambers 119 registers with the rear end of barrel 30.

Grip 81 is then moved manually forwardly to its advanced position, thus advancing bolt 140 and probe 141 through the registering projectile chamber 119 in clip 111 to force the pellet P from that chamber through opening 124 in casing 112 and into firing position in barrel 30. This loads the gun and also prevents rotation of cylinder 118 during resetting of clutch member 102. Shaft 90 is then rotated clockwise (FIG. 3) by a mechanism that is disclosed in detail in application Ser. No. 128,910. This rotates coupling member 102 approximately 60.degree. clockwise, during which movement the inclined surfaces 122' on coupling teeth 122 slide over the inclined surfaces 121' on the cylinder teeth 121 so that the cylinder 118 remains motionless. When coupling member 102 has been rotated 60.degree. clockwise, its teeth 122 snap or advance forwardly under the pressure of the spring 106 into the spaces between the teeth 121 on the cartridge cylinder 118, where they are in position to drivingly engage teeth 121 when the shaft 90 is next indexed in a counterclockwise direction.

When the chamber 50 is filled with a propellant gas, and a cartridge clip 111 is in place, the gun can be fired by pulling trigger 73 (FIG. 1). When the trigger releases the hammer, the hammer 65 is urged suddenly forwardly in sleeve 64; and the stem 66 on the hammer strikes valve stem 62, momentarily unseating valve head 59. Compressed gas is thus admitted from chamber 50 through port 51, duct 52 and port 53 to the rear of the pellet P then disposed in the barrel, thus propelling this pellet from the barrel.

After initial impact of hammer stem 66 against valve stem 62, spring 58 returns valve 55 to closed position.

After the gun has been fired, hand grip 81 is moved manually rearwardly once again to cock hammer 65. During this movement, as soon as the forward end of bolt 140 has passed rearwardly of the clip 111, shaft 90 is once again indexed, this time to cause the teeth 122 on clutch member 102 to drive the pellet cylinder 118 sixty degrees in a counterclockwise direction about its axis (FIG. 3). This indexes a new, loaded pellet chamber 119 into registry with barrel 30, and causes the next notch on the periphery of cylinder 118 to be engaged by the free end of leaf spring 130. Cylinder 118 is then held against rotation by bolt 140 during advance of grip 81. During this subsequent advance bolt 140 forces the projectile P, which is now uppermost in clip 111, into firing position in barrel 30.

As will be apparent from the above description, the gun may be repeatedly loaded and fired until all six pellets have been discharged from a clip 111, after which the exhausted clip may be removed from the gun by sliding it out of chamber 110, and a new loaded clip 111 may be inserted in the gun.

The clips 111 are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and can readily be reloaded with a new supply of pellets each time one is emptied. Moreover, it is a relatively simple matter to insert a loaded clip 111 into, or to remove one from a gun. Also, the spring 130 automatically centers each chamber 119 successively with the rear of the gun barrel 30, so that it is not necessary for the cooperating coupling teeth 121 and 122 to effect exact registry of each chamber 119 with the gun barrel. Furthermore, once a clip 111 is inserted into the gun, the gun can be rapidly loaded and fired merely by operating hand grip 81 and pressing trigger 73.

Claims

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A projectile clip removably insertable into a gun and adapted to hold a plurality of projectiles, comprising

a housing having an opening in one end a means including a housing for enclosing a supply of projectiles and wherein said means is removably insertable into a gun, said means having an opening at one end thereof,

a cylinder for supporting projectiles and said cylinder being rotatably mounted in said housing with one end confronting said opening,

a plurality of equi-angularly spaced clutch teeth formed on said one end of said cylinder to register with said opening,

said cylinder having a plurality of circular projectile openings extending axially therethrough at equiangularly spaced points to successively register with a circular opening formed in the opposite end of said housing upon rotation of said cylinder about said axis, and having on its periphery at equi-angularly spaced points thereabout a plurality of notches equal in number to said projectile openings, and

resiliently actuated locking means in said housing engageable with successive notches during rotation of said cylinder and operative, when said cylinder is not rotating, resiliently to hold one of said projectile openings in registry with said circular opening.

2. A projectile clip as defined in claim 1, wherein

said projectile openings are radially spaced outwardly of said clutch teeth, and

said opening in said one end of said housing is circular and is disposed coaxially with the cylinder and intersects with the centers of said projectile openings.

3. A projectile clip as defined in claim 2, wherein said cylinder has a portion that projects from one side thereof through the opening in the side of said housing.