Rapid-firing projectile launcher

Abstract

A projectile launcher has a magazine of launching chambers for holding a plurality of projectiles at the launcher's front end. The projectiles are launchable by the delivery of a blast of compressed air through each chamber's respective air inlet. The air inlets are uniformly spaced in a substantially cylindrical array about the magazine. A piston with a handle is adjacent to the rear end of the launcher body. The piston has a longitudinal axis coaxial with the cylindrical array, and the piston is movable in back-stroke and fore-stroke motions along that axis for inhaling air into the launcher during the back-stroke and exhaling air from the launcher though one of said air inlets in blasts of compressed air during the fore-stroke. A rotatable diverter directs the blasts to one of the air inlets individually and sequentially upon successive backstroke and fore-stroke cycles of the piston.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a toy for shooting or launching projectiles in rapid succession. More specifically, it is a toy gun adapted to shoot a continuous stream of soft projectiles, powered by the compressed air created by a repeated pumping action. In the preferred embodiment, two identical launchers are arranged side-by-side to maximize that number of projectiles the may be launched without reloading. BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0002] Projectile launchers that shoot soft foam projectiles by delivering blasts of compressed air thereto have become very popular in recent years. Launchers that are capable of sequentially launching a plurality of projectiles without reloading have been found to have even greater levels of appeal. However, the prior art projectile launchers of this type have included complex, unreliable and expensive indexing arrangements for delivering blasts of compressed air to sequentially arranged projectiles. Fur...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] Prior art launchers, such, employ various mechanisms for compressing air for powering the projectile launching. Mechanisms such as that taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,729 require the user to pull a lever in a non-linear and rearward motion to launch a projectile. Aside from the complications of this elaborate mechanism, it is found to cause inaccuracy in aiming and shooting the projectiles. The piston and cylinder assembly of the present invention has an axis of translation that is co-axial with the axis of the launching magazine. The force applied by the user to actuate the piston is directly along the line of intended fire. Aside from providing a more simple and reliable mechanism for both the manufacturer and user, this arrangement has been found to enhance aiming and to improve the accuracy of projectiles being fired. Further, because the piston's motion is a short linear stroke, it is possible for a user to quickly and easily operate the piston and cylinder assembly in order to rapidly launch a plurality of sequential projectiles from the magazine without adversely effecting aim and accuracy.

[0007] Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an effective new launcher mechanism for easily and accurately launching a plurality of projectiles from a magazine of a projectile launcher without reloading the launcher.

Problems solved by technology

However, the prior art projectile launchers of this type have included complex, unreliable and expensive indexing arrangements for delivering blasts of compressed air to sequentially arranged projectiles.

Further, prior art firing mechanisms have been less than “user friendly”, resulting in both a slowing of actual launching and fatigue by the user.

Aside from the complications of this elaborate mechanism, it is found to cause inaccuracy in aiming and shooting the projectiles.

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