Compressively sealable magazine for an airgun

Abstract

A compressively sealable magazine for an airgun includes a housing defining a pair of coaxially aligned apertures in opposing sidewalls thereof, a sealing member at each aperture, and a carousel in the housing defining a plurality of projectile chambers that are configured to move sequentially into and out of alignment with the apertures. The magazine is compressible against a barrel of the airgun by a nozzle of the airgun upon the release of a compressed gas by the airgun so as to form a sealed flow path through which a projectile contained in a chamber aligned with the apertures is propelled from the chamber and through the barrel.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This non-provisional patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 733,062, filed Dec. 12, 2024 and titled “COMPRESSIVELY SEALABLE MAGAZINE FOR AN AIR GUN,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 733,102, filed Dec. 12, 2024 and titled “SELF RESETTING COMPRESSED GAS VALVE,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 733,112, filed Dec. 12, 2024 and titled “ACTUATION MECHANISM FOR COMPRESSED GAS VALVE OF AN AIRGUN,” the entire disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0003] Not Applicable.REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX

[0004] Not Applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of airguns. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a magazine for an airgun.

[0006] Airguns inherently rely on a finite amount of compressed gas, which is typically stored within an attached tank or reservoir and controlled by a valve actuated by a trigger. As such, gas conservation and pressure optimization are of paramount concerns. Unfortunately, even in optimal operating conditions with all components properly sealed, compressed gas can still be undesirably lost. Gas loss can lead to diminished firepower by decreasing projectile velocity and shot capacity. For example, a small portion of the compressed gas used to propel a projectile from a magazine and through the barrel can leak out at the rear and / or front of the magazine during firing. This can immediately result in reduced projectile velocity, and over time, the sum of this relatively small amount of gas loss per shot can cause significant reductions in shot capacity.

[0007] In small caliber airguns (e.g., .22 caliber and smaller), rotary magazines are often used to provide multiple shots without reloading. Projectiles used in small caliber airguns can be driven to acceptable speeds (e.g., 500 or more feet per second) from the magazine without the need to seal the projectile in the bore or chamber of the air gun. Conventional rotary magazines (by nature of their rotational movement), however, cannot provide a perfectly aligned and sealed compressed gas pathway between the magazine and the breech of the barrel. Hence, rotary magazines have traditionally not been used for high-power airguns (e.g., in excess of 300 foot-pounds of muzzle energy) or airguns chambered for large calibers (e.g., larger than .22 caliber). Instead, high-power, large caliber airguns typically use a single shot bolt action or a break action.

[0008] Accordingly, there exists a need for improvements in airguns and airgun magazines.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0009] This Brief Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Features of the presently disclosed invention overcome or minimize some or all of the identified deficiencies of the prior art, as will become evident to those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the information presented in this document.

[0010] An aspect of the disclosure provides a magazine for an airgun, comprising: a housing defining a pair of coaxially aligned apertures in opposing sidewalls thereof; a first sealing member on the housing at a first of the apertures; a second sealing member on the housing at a second of the apertures; and a carousel rotatably mounted in the housing, the carousel defining a plurality of chambers, each chamber configured to move sequentially into and out of alignment with the apertures; wherein the magazine is configured to be compressed upon the release of a compressed gas by the airgun so as to form a sealed flow path through which a projectile contained in a chamber aligned with the apertures is propelled from the chamber and through a barrel of the airgun.

[0011] Another aspect of the disclosure provides an airgun, comprising: a barrel having a bore and an inlet; a magazine well; a magazine defining a plurality of chambers receivable in the magazine well; a nozzle compartment; a nozzle in the nozzle compartment; and a valve configured to selectably release a compressed gas into the nozzle compartment; wherein the nozzle is configured to press the magazine against the barrel upon release of the compressed gas and thereby form a sealed flow path through which a projectile contained in a chamber aligned with the inlet and the nozzle is propelled from the chamber and through the bore.

[0012] Yet another aspect of the disclosure provides a magazine for an airgun, comprising: a housing defining a chamber port; a carousel rotatably mounted in the housing, the carousel defining a plurality of chambers, each chamber configured to align with the chamber port at a different respective angular position of the carousel; and a detent assembly in the housing configured to sequentially bias the carousel toward each of the different angular positions as the carousel rotates from one angular position toward another

[0013] Numerous other objects, advantages and features of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art upon a review of the following drawings and description of exemplary embodiments.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various drawings unless otherwise specified. In the drawings, not all reference numbers are included in each drawing, for the sake of clarity.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a left side perspective view of an airgun with a compressively sealable magazine formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 2 is an elevated right side fragmentary perspective view of the buttstock of the airgun of FIG. 1.

[0017] FIG. 3 is an elevated rear left side perspective view of the objects of FIG. 2 with the buttstock omitted for clarity.

[0018] FIG. 4 is an elevated rear right side perspective view of the magazine of FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 5 is an elevated rear right side perspective exploded view of the magazine of FIG. 4.

[0020] FIG. 6 is an elevated front right side perspective exploded view of the magazine of FIG. 4.

[0021] FIG. 7 is an elevated rear right side perspective view of the magazine of FIG. 4 with the housing member omitted for clarity and the sealing members and magnets shown suspended in place where normally positioned by the housing.

[0022] FIG. 8 is a rear plan view of the objects of FIG. 7 illustrating the carousel in an aligned angular position wherein a projectile chamber is aligned with the sealing members in a firing position. A roller bearing of the indexing mechanism is seated in a valley on the carousel. The chamber aligned with the sealing members is indexed to the valley in which the roller bearing is seated.

[0023] FIG. 9 is a rear plan view of the objects of FIG. 8 illustrating the carousel in an intermediate angular position wherein no projectile chamber is aligned with the sealing members in a firing position as the magazine is cycling to the next chamber. The roller bearing of the indexing mechanism is on a crest on the carousel.

[0024] FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the objects of FIG. 4 taken along line 10-10.

[0025] FIG. 11 is an elevated rear left side fragmentary perspective sectional view of the objects at location 11 of FIG. 3 taken along the bore axis of the barrel of the airgun. The movable nozzle is shown in an “at rest” or “retracted” position, the primary firing valve is shown in a forward sealed position, and the carousel of the magazine is shown in a first angular position in which the topmost projectile chamber is coaxially aligned with the sealing members, the barrel, and the nozzle. For clarity, the drive gear is shown in a retracted position not meshed with the drive wheel. During firing, the drive gear should be pushed forward into an extended position meshed with the drive wheel.

[0026] FIG. 12 is a left side elevational view of the objects of FIG. 11.

[0027] FIG. 13 is a magnified detail view of the objects of FIG. 12 at location 13. A projectile is shown positioned in the chamber ready for firing.

[0028] FIG. 14 is another magnified detail view of the objects of FIG. 13 showing the nozzle in a forward or extended working position compressing the magazine against the barrel while the primary valve is shown open and releasing compressed gas (indicated by arrows) from the airgun into the nozzle compartment to propel the projectile out of the chamber and through the bore.

[0029] FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of the nozzle of FIG. 11 in isolation.

[0030] FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of the nozzle of FIG. 11 in isolation.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The details of one or more embodiments of the present invention are set forth in this document. Modifications to embodiments described in this document, and other embodiments, will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the information provided herein. The information provided in this document, and particularly the specific details of the described exemplary embodiment(s), is provided primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. In case of conflict, the specification of this document, including definitions, will control.

[0032] While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that are embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific apparatus and methods described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.

[0033] While the terms used herein are believed to be well understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, a number of terms are defined below to facilitate the understanding of the embodiments described herein. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter disclosed herein belongs. The terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as “a,”“an,” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but rather include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not delimit the invention, except as set forth in the claims.

[0034] As described herein, an “upright” position is considered to be the position of apparatus components while in proper operation or in a natural resting position as described herein. Vertical, horizontal, above, below, side, top, bottom and other orientation terms are described with respect to this upright position during operation unless otherwise specified. The upright position of an airgun is a generally level firing position (i.e., held as if being intentionally discharged by a user at a target of the same general elevation as the user). “Vertical,”“horizontal,”“above,”“below,”“side,”“top,”“bottom,”“upper,”“lower,” and other orientation terms are described with respect to this upright position during operation, unless otherwise specified, and are used to provide an orientation of embodiments of the invention to allow for proper description of example embodiments. A person of skill in the art will recognize, however, that the apparatus can assume different orientations when in use.

[0035] As used herein, the terms “front” and “forward” means in a direction extending toward the muzzle of the gun. In some cases, the term “forward” can also mean forward beyond the muzzle of the gun. The terms “aft” and “rear” means in a direction extending away from the muzzle of the gun toward a rear end of a gun. In some cases, the term “rearward” can also mean rearward beyond the rear end or stock of the gun.

[0036] The term “when” is used to specify orientation for relative positions of components, not as a temporal limitation of the claims or apparatus described and claimed herein unless otherwise specified.

[0037] The terms “above”, “below”, “over”, and “under” mean “having an elevation or vertical height greater or lesser than” and are not intended to imply that one object or component is directly over or under another object or component.

[0038] The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,”“might,”“may,”“e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and / or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and / or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments.

[0039] All measurements should be understood as being modified by the term “about” regardless of whether the word “about” precedes a given measurement.

[0040] The terms “significantly”, “substantially”, “approximately”, “about”, “relatively,” or other such similar terms that may be used throughout this disclosure, including the claims, are used to describe and account for small fluctuations, such as due to variations in manufacturing or processing from a reference or parameter. Such small fluctuations include a zero fluctuation from the reference or parameter as well. For example, they can refer to less than or equal to ±10%, such as less than or equal to ±5%, such as less than or equal to ±2%, such as less than or equal to ±1%, such as less than or equal to ±0.5%, such as less than or equal to ±0.2%, such as less than or equal to ±0.1%, such as less than or equal to ±0.05%. In some contexts, and unless otherwise specifically defined hereinafter, the term “substantially” means what is considered normal or possible within the limits of applicable industry-accepted manufacturing practices and tolerances.

[0041] All references to singular characteristics or limitations of the present disclosure shall include the corresponding plural characteristic(s) or limitation(s) and vice versa, unless otherwise specified or clearly implied to the contrary by the context in which the reference is made.

[0042] All combinations of method or process steps as used herein can be performed in any order, unless otherwise specified or clearly implied to the contrary by the context in which the referenced combination is made.

[0043] The methods and devices disclosed herein, including components thereof, can comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the essential elements and limitations of the embodiments described herein, as well as any additional or optional components or limitations described herein or otherwise useful.

[0044] Referring generally to FIGS. 1-16, there is depicted a compressively sealable magazine 10 for an airgun 100. The magazine 10 is configured to automatically form a sealed gas flow path 15 through which compressed gas G can propel a projectile 2 out of the magazine and through the barrel 4 upon firing of the airgun 100 so as to eliminate gas loss or leakage at the magazine. When firing the airgun, the compressed gas G used to propel the projectile 2 also translates a nozzle 134, as described further herein, to compress and seal the magazine 10 inside the airgun 100. More specifically, some of the compressed gas G used to fire the projectile 2 applies a pushing force (indicated by arrows in FIG. 14) against one or more rear surfaces 136, 138, 154 of the nozzle 134. This slides the nozzle 134 forward into sealing engagement with a rear sealing member 22 on the back of magazine 10 and compresses a forward sealing member 22 on the front of the magazine 10 against an inlet 6 of the barrel 4 to form a sealed gas flow path 15 extending axially from the nozzle compartment 135, through the magazine 10, and into the barrel bore 8 via the barrel inlet 6. This practically eliminates gas loss at the magazine when firing a projectile so that the desired pressure is maintained until the projectile exits the muzzle. With no gas loss during firing, the sealed magazine 10 significantly improves shot consistency and helps to improve the accuracy and reliability of the airgun 100. No prior rotary magazine configured to compressively seal and thereby form a gas flow pathway through the magazine and into the barrel bore is known.

[0045] Referring now to FIGS. 4-10, the compressively sealable magazine 10 for an airgun includes a housing 12, an ammunition carousel 14 defining a plurality of projectile chambers 16, a drive wheel 18, a panel nut 20, two sealing members 22 formed from a resilient material, and an indexing mechanism 80. In general, the housing 12 contains the carousel 14 and drive wheel 18. The carousel 14 is secured to the housing 12 by engagement of the drive wheel 18 with the panel nut 20. The carousel 14 is sandwiched between the housing 12 and the panel nut 20. The sealing members 22 seal a pair of coaxially aligned chamber ports 26, 28 defined in the housing 12 that align with a bore axis 5 of the airgun barrel 4 when the magazine 10 is properly seated in a magazine well 125 of the airgun. The indexing mechanism 80 sequentially biases each projectile chamber 16 in the carousel into alignment with the chamber ports 26, 28 as the drive wheel 18 rotates the carousel 14 inside the housing 12 during cycling of the airgun 100. As described in more detail below, the collective design and arrangement of the sealing members, ports, and carousel enables the magazine to be compressed by the nozzle 134 of the airgun upon the release of the compressed gas G by the airgun so as to form the sealed flow path 15 through which a projectile 2 contained in a chamber 16 aligned with the ports 26, 28 is propelled from the chamber 16 and through the barrel 4 of the airgun 100.

[0046] The housing 12 defines an interior space 30 in which the carousel 14 and drive wheel 18 are rotatably receivable. The housing 12 includes a main body 32 and a removable cover plate 34. The main body defines the interior space 30. The cover plate 34 is receivable against the main body 32 over the carousel 14 and drive wheel 18 to releasably close the carousel and drive wheel in the housing 12. The removable cover plate 34 facilitates easy loading and reloading when ammunition in the carousel 12 is exhausted. The cover plate 34 includes a plurality of magnets 36 fixed thereto. Each magnet 36 is a disc secured in a respective recess 38 defined in the interior surface of the cover plate 34. The recesses 38 are arranged in a circle around the cover plate 34 so as to position the magnets 36 over at least a portion of a flange 40 of the drive wheel 18, which can be formed from a ferromagnetic material. In this way, the magnets 36 on the cover plate 34 can hold the cover plate 34 on the main body 32 and thereby close the housing 12 when the carousel 14 and drive wheel 18 are properly seated in the main body 32 as described herein. The magnets 36 slide over the surface of the drive wheel flange 40 as the carousel and drive wheel rotate within the housing 12, thereby maintaining the cover plate 34 in a closed position while the magazine 10 is in use. In other embodiments, the magazine 10 can additionally or alternatively (to a ferromagnetic flange 40 on the drive wheel 18) include an annular disc (not shown) formed from a ferromagnetic material that is fixed to drive wheel flange 40. The cover plate 34 is manually removable from the main body 32 to access the carousel 14 for quick and easy reloading. The cover plate 34 and main body 32 of the housing 12 can be formed from any suitably durable and rigid material, such as plastic.

[0047] The housing 12 includes a rear chamber port 26 and a forward chamber port 28. The forward chamber port 28 is spaced from the rear chamber port 26. The rear chamber port 26 is defined through the cover plate 34. The forward chamber port 28 is defined through the main body 32. The rear chamber port 26 is an aperture 26 in the cover plate 34 through which compressed gas G flows into a chamber 16 of the magazine 10 aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28 during firing of the airgun. The forward chamber port 28 is an aperture 28 in the main body 32 through which projectiles 2 pass out of the magazine 10 when propelled therefrom by the compressed gas G. The chamber ports 26, 28 are coaxially aligned when the housing 12 is assembled (i.e., closed). The chamber ports 26, 28 are arranged in the housing 12 so as to align with the bore axis 5 of the airgun 100 when the magazine 10 is properly seated in the magazine well 125 of the airgun. The chamber ports 26, 28 are positioned near a top of the magazine 10.

[0048] Each sealing member 22 is seated in one of the chamber ports 26, 28. One sealing member (i.e., the rear sealing member) 22 is configured to be engaged by the nozzle 134. The other sealing member (i.e., the forward sealing member) 22 is configured to engage the barrel 4 around the inlet 6. Both sealing members 22 are oriented the same way (i.e., point the same direction) in each port. Each sealing member 22 is arranged in the respective port 26, 28 so as to prevent the sealing member 22 from being pushed forwardly out of the port 26, 28. Specifically, each sealing member 22 includes an annular body 42 with a radially extending rim 44. A recess 45 is defined around the rear chamber port 26 in a rear surface of the cover plate 34, while another recess 45 is defined around the forward chamber port 28 in the interior surface of the main body 32. The annular body 42 of each sealing member 22 extends through each respective port 26, 28, while the rim 44 of each sealing member 22 is seated in the respective recess 45. Engagement of the recesses 45 by the rims 44 prevents the sealing members 22 from being pushed out of the ports 26, 28 by the compressed gas G or nozzle 134 when the airgun 100 is fired. This also provides a more secure and airtight seal than standard O-rings. In this way, the sealing member 22 at the rear chamber port 26 is configured to be sealingly engaged by the nozzle 134 of the airgun, while the sealing member 22 at the forward chamber port 28 is configured to sealingly engage the barrel 4 of the airgun when the sealing member 22 at the rear chamber port 26 is sealingly engaged by the nozzle 134. This enables the magazine 10 to be compressed by the nozzle 134 upon the release of the compressed gas G to form the sealed flow path 12 through which a projectile 2 contained in a chamber 16 aligned with the ports 26, 28 is propelled from the chamber 16 and through the barrel bore 8.

[0049] The main body 32 of the housing 12 includes a rearwardly extending tubular protrusion 46 in the interior space 30. The protrusion 46 acts as an axle about which the carousel 14 is rotatable when the carousel 12 is received in the housing 12 and seated on the protrusion 46. The protrusion 46 defines a central orifice 48 which coaxially aligns with a central cavity 50 defined through the cover plate 34 when the housing 12 is assembled.

[0050] The carousel 14 is a generally cylindrical body. Defined through the carousel 14 is a non-round central opening 52 and a plurality of chambers 16 in which projectiles for the airgun are receivable. The central opening 52 is non-round so as to provide contact surfaces for engagement by a complimentary protuberance 54 on the drive wheel 14. In the depicted embodiment, the central opening 52 is generally star-shaped, with a center void 53 and a plurality of slots 55 extending radially away from the central void 53. It is to be understood that the shape of the central opening 52 can differ from what is exemplified in the appended figures. A shallow circular recess 56 is defined in the rear surface of the carousel 14 around the central opening 52. A comparatively deeper circular recess 58 is defined in the forward surface of the carousel 14 around the central opening 52. The flange 40 of the drive wheel 18 is received in the shallow recess 56 when the magazine 10 is assembled. The protrusion 46 on the housing main body 34 is received in the deeper recess 58 when the magazine 10 is assembled such that a surface of the deeper recess rides on a rim of the protrusion 46, as best shown in FIG. 10.

[0051] The drive wheel 18 includes an externally threaded tubular portion 60 at the forward end defining a smooth interior cylindrical passage 65, the flange 40, a non-round protuberance or “key”64 on a forward surface of the flange 40, and a tapered concave (i.e., conical) working surface 66 in the form of a female pawl. A plurality of teeth 68 are formed on the working surface at the rear of the flange 40. The tubular portion 60 of the drive wheel 18 extends through the central opening 52 of the carousel 14 and into the central orifice 48 in the tubular protrusion 46 of the housing main body 34. The forward surface of the flange 40 rests in the shallow recess 56 of the carousel 14, while the non-round protuberance or key 64 on the forward surface of the flange 40 is seated in and engages the star-shaped central opening 52 of the carousel 14.

[0052] The protuberance 64 has a shape this is complimentary to the star-shaped central opening 52 of the carousel. The protuberance 64 rotates the carousel 14 inside the housing 12 during cycling of the airgun by effectively transferring rotary motion from the drive wheel 18 to the carousel 14. Rotary motion is imparted through the teeth 68 on the working surface 66 to the drive wheel 18 by a complimentarily toothed and tapered drive gear 140 (i.e., male pawl) housed in the airgun 100. The teeth 68 on the tapered concave working surface 66 meshes with the complimentary teeth 146 on the drive gear 140 to advantageously form a self-centering tapered conical interface gear. A forwardly extending retractable magazine pin 142 extends through a passage 155 in the drive gear 140 and directly into the central orifice 48 of the protrusion 46 when the drive wheel 18 is meshed with the drive gear 140. The pin 142 maintains the coaxial alignment of the drive wheel 18 and drive gear 140 during cycling of the airgun 100 and helps retain the magazine 10 in the magazine well 125 of the airgun 100 during use. The drive gear 140 is manually engageable with and retractable from the drive wheel 18 via a handle 148 on the airgun buttstock 116.

[0053] The carousel 14 is sandwiched between the housing main body 32 and the flange 40 of the drive wheel 18. The drive wheel 18 and carousel 14 are retained in the housing 12 by the panel nut 20. The panel nut 20 defines an internally threaded socket 70 that is designed to threadingly engage the external threads on the tubular portion 60 of the drive wheel 18. The panel nut 20 is receivable in the central orifice 48 of the housing main body 32 to threadingly engage the externally threaded forward end 60 of the drive wheel 18 and thereby releasably secure the drive wheel 18 and carousel 14 in the housing 12.

[0054] The projectile chambers 16 are arranged about the central opening 52 of the carousel proximate a peripheral edge of the carousel 14. The projectile chambers 16 and the central opening 52 extend through the carousel 14 parallel to one another. The projectile chambers 16 are equidistantly spaced from a center 75 of the carousel. The projectile chambers 16 are equally spaced from each other in a circle around the carousel 14. Each projectile chamber 16 is configured to align with the chamber ports 26, 28 of the housing 12 at a different respective angular position of the carousel 14 relative to the housing 12. In this way, each projectile chamber 16 is configured to be rotated sequentially into and out of coaxial alignment with the chamber ports 26, 28 in the housing main body 32 and cover plate 34 as the carousel 14 rotates inside the housing 12.

[0055] The indexing mechanism 80 can be a detent assembly 80. An exemplar detent assembly 80 can include two magazine pins 82, a tension spring 84, and a roller bearing 86 mounted to a distal end of a carrier arm 88 by a fastener 81. A window 90 is defined though a sidewall of the housing main body 32. The window 90 is in fluid communication with the interior space 30 of the housing 12 in which the carousel 14 rotates. The carrier arm 88 and attached roller bearing 86 are mounted to the housing main body 32 at the window 90. More specifically, a first magazine pin 82 secures the proximal end of the carrier arm 88 (i.e., the end opposite the roller bearing 86) to the housing 12. The first magazine pin 82 extends through the proximal end of the carrier arm 88 and is seated in a pair of coaxially aligned pin holes 92 defined in the housing main body 32 on opposing sides of the window 90. The carrier arm 88 is pivotable about the first magazine pin 82. A second magazine pin 82 is seated in another pair of coaxially aligned pin holes 94 defined in the housing main body 32. The second pair of pin holes 94 is spaced inwardly (i.e., closer to the outer circumferential surface 98 of the carousel 14) from the first pair of pin holes 92. One end of the tension spring 84 engages and is thus anchored to the second magazine pin 82, while the other end of the tension spring 84 engages and pulls against a lug 96 on the carrier arm 88. The tension spring 84 applies an inwardly-directed pulling force to the carrier arm 88 and attached roller bearing 86. The carrier arm 88 and tension spring 84 are sized and positioned so that the tension spring 84 biases the roller bearing 86 against the outer circumferential surface 98 of the carousel 14. In this way, the roller bearing 86 is biased against the carousel 14 by the spring 84. The roller bearing 86 rides along and transmits a force against the outer circumferential surface 98 of the carousel 14 as the carousel rotates in the housing 12. This aids in indexing projectile chambers 16 with the chamber ports 26, 28 as explained below.

[0056] The carousel 14 has a non-round outer circumferential surface 98. In the depicted embodiment, the carousel 14 has a wavy undulating or scalloped outer surface 98 with a plurality of valleys 102 and crests 104. Each crest 104 is radially adjacent a respective projectile chamber 16. Each valley 102 is centered between circumferentially adjacent crests 104 and respective pairs of circumferentially adjacent projectile chambers 16. Each valley 102 is indexed to a respective projectile chamber 16 spaced circumferentially around the carousel 14 from the valley 102. In the depicted embodiment, each valley 102 is indexed to a respective projectile chamber 16 spaced about one hundred eight degrees (i.e., 108°) around the carousel 14 from the valley 102. As such, when the carousel 14 is in a first aligned angular position with the roller bearing 86 fully seated in a given valley 102 as exemplified in FIG. 8, the projectile chamber 16 about one hundred eight degrees counterclockwise around the carousel 14 from the valley 102 will be coaxially aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28 and respective sealing members 22. In other embodiments, each valley 102 can be indexed to a respective projectile chamber 16 circumferentially spaced around the carousel 14 from the valley 102 more or less than one hundred eight degrees. The number and size of projectile chambers 16 formed in the carousel 14 influences this spacing. The carousel 14 has a different aligned angular position for each projectile chamber 16 around the carousel 14.

[0057] Regardless of the relative spacing, the roller bearing 86, by virtue of the force it applies to the contoured outer surface 98 of the carousel 14, sequentially biases the carousel toward each of the different aligned angular positions in which a chamber 16 is aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28 as the carousel is rotated (by the drive wheel 18) from one angular position toward another. Put another way, the force applied by the roller bearing 86 against the curved surface 98 of the carousel 14 as the bearing 86 rides over each crest 104 and into an adjacent valley 102 pushes the carousel 14 sequentially toward each of the different aligned angular positions and thereby aligns the corresponding chamber 16 indexed to that valley 102 with the chamber ports 26, 28. The carousel 14 is thus biased toward each consecutive position in which a chamber 16 is aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28 by the indexing mechanism 80, and the corresponding chamber 16 is thereby aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28 when the roller bearing 86 rides over each crest 104 from an intermediate angular position and down into an adjacent valley 102 to place the carousel 14 in the next aligned angular position.

[0058] Each valley 102 on the carousel 14 can also include a lip 106. Each lip 106 is a raised edge that disrupts the otherwise continuously smooth contour of the valley 102 and thereby provides light resistance to the roller bearing 86 riding out the valley 102 in one direction, as exemplified in FIG. 8. In this way, the carousel 14 can be configured to resist rotation out of each of the different angular positions in which a chamber 16 is aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28.

[0059] The window 90 in the main body 32 of the housing 12 provides clearance for the carrier arm 88 as the arm pivots radially away from the carousel 14 when the roller bearing 86 traverses the contours of the carousel outer surface 98. Put differently, the carrier arm 88 moves back and forth in and out of the window 90 as the roller bearing 86 moves into the valleys 102 and over the crests 104 along the outer surface 98 of the carousel 14.

[0060] Turning now to FIGS. 1-3 and 11-16, there is shown an airgun 100 with the compressively sealable magazine 10 seated therein. The airgun 100 generally includes a receiver 110, a grip 112, a trigger 114, a barrel 4, a buttstock 116, a tank of compressed gas 118, a regulator 120, an actuation mechanism 122, and a valve canister 124. The trigger 114 and grip 112 are attached to the bottom of the receiver 110. The barrel 4 is seated in and extends through an upper portion of the receiver 110. The barrel 4 has a bore 8 defining a bore axis 5 and an inlet 6 to the bore 8 at a rear end of the barrel 4. The inlet 6 can be at the rear end of the barrel 4 itself, or the rear end of a barrel nut, a barrel extension, or another structure that is attached to the rear end of the barrel 4 and fluidly communicated axially with the bore. In the depicted embodiment, the inlet 6 is defined by a barrel nut attached to a rear of the barrel 4. In all such instances, the barrel nut, barrel extension, or other structure is considered part of the “barrel”4 as that term is used herein.

[0061] The buttstock 116 is attached to the rear end of the receiver 110. The valve canister 124 and actuation mechanism 122 are housed in the buttstock 116. The valve canister 124 and buttstock 116 define a magazine well 125 in which the magazine is received. The magazine is partially retained in the magazine well 125 by the buttstock 116. The buttstock 116 includes a magazine holder 126 that prevents the magazine 10 from falling out of the right side of the buttstock 116. The tank of compressed gas 118 is mounted to the front end of the receiver 110 and operatively connected to the valve cannister 124 through the regulator 120 so as to supply compressed gas G to a shot chamber 130 (i.e., plenum) defined in the valve canister 124. The shot chamber 130 is sealed by a main firing valve 132.

[0062] Forward of the shot chamber 130 opposite the main firing valve 132 is a cylindrical nozzle compartment 135. A movable nozzle 134 is slidably received in the nozzle compartment 135. The valve canister 124 defines the nozzle compartment 135. The nozzle compartment 135 is adjacent a rear of the magazine well 125. As such, the nozzle compartment 135 is in fluid communication with the magazine well 125. The inlet 6 of the barrel 4 extends into the buttstock 116 and the valve canister 124 adjacent the magazine well 125. The barrel inlet 6 is adjacent a front of magazine well 125. As such, the barrel inlet 6 is in fluid communication with the magazine well 125. The nozzle compartment 135 is spaced from barrel inlet 6 by the magazine well 125. The nozzle compartment 135 is at an opposite side of the magazine well 125 from the inlet 6.

[0063] The buttstock 116 also houses the drive gear 140 and central pin 142. The drive gear 140 is a tapered male pawl having a convex (conical) working surface 144 on which is defined a plurality of teeth 146. The drive gear 140 is part of a mechanism that drives rotation of the ammunition carousel 14 inside the housing 12 around the central pin 142 when the drive gear 140 is in a forward or extended position. The drive gear 140 is in the forward or extended position when the teeth 146 of the drive gear 140 are meshed with the teeth 62 of the drive wheel 18. The central pin 142 is received in the cylindrical passage 65 of the tubular portion 60 of the drive wheel 18 when the drive gear 140 is in the forward or extended position. A magazine release handle 148 on the buttstock 116 is connected to the drive gear 140 and central pin 142. Moving the magazine release handle 148 longitudinally rearward away from the magazine 10 into a retracted position as depicted in the figures disengages the drive gear 140 and central pin 142 from the drive wheel 18 and thereby unlocks the magazine 10 for removal from the magazine well 125. It is to be understood that while the drive gear 140 is depicted in the retracted position disengaged from the drive wheel 18 throughout the figures, the drive gear 140 should be in the extended position wherein the drive gear 140 meshes with the drive wheel 18 and the central pin 142 is received in the cylindrical passage 65 of the drive wheel 18 when the airgun 100 is desired to be fired.

[0064] The actuation mechanism 122 is operatively connected to the trigger 114 such that depressing the trigger 114 activates the actuation mechanism 122 to actuate the pneumatic mechanism contained in the valve canister 124. Put another way, pulling the trigger 114 opens the firing valve 132 to release compressed gas G stored in the shot chamber (plenum) 130 to propel a projectile 2 in a magazine chamber 16 aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28 directly from the chamber 16, through the bore 8, and out of the muzzle of the barrel 4. As noted above, the magazine 10 is configured to be compressed against the barrel inlet 6 by the movable nozzle 134 upon release of the compressed gas G to form a sealed gas flow path 15. The sealed gas flow path 15 extends from the nozzle chamber 135 and through the magazine 10 and the barrel bore 8 so that the projectile 2 is propelled from the chamber 16 and through the barrel 4 at high speed with comparatively little or no gas loss at the magazine 10.

[0065] The nozzle 134 is a generally hollow cylindrical body. The nozzle 134 includes a flat rear end surface 136 and a tapered interior surface 138 defining a tapered bore 139. The tapered bore 139 extends axially through the nozzle 134. The tapered bore 139 provides an annular surface 138 against which the compressed gas G can evenly push to rapidly slide the nozzle 134 longitudinally forward in the nozzle compartment 135 when the compressed gas G is released by the firing valve 132 and the nozzle compartment 135 is subsequently pressurized. The nozzle compartment 135 is forward of and adjacent to a short duct 150. The duct 150 is forward of and adjacent the primary firing valve seat 152 (i.e., outlet) in the shot chamber 130. The nozzle compartment 135 has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the duct 150. The diameter of the nozzle compartment 135 can be sized such that the tapered interior surface 138 of the nozzle bore 139 smoothly connects to the interior surface of the duct 150.

[0066] The nozzle 134 is sealed against an interior surface 151 of the nozzle compartment 135. To this end, the nozzle 134 can include two resilient annular seals 154 (or sealing annuluses) fitted within respective channels or grooves 155 in the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle body 134. When the nozzle compartment 135 becomes pressurized, the nozzle 134 will slide forward and the annular seal(s) 154 on the nozzle 134 will compress against the interior surface 151 of the nozzle compartment 135, creating an airtight seal between the nozzle 134 and the nozzle compartment 135. With the nozzle compartment 135 fully sealed, the compressed gas must flow through the nozzle bore 139 toward the carousel 14 of the magazine 10. The airtight seal between the nozzle 134 and the interior surface 151 of the nozzle compartment 135 ensures that compressed gas released by the firing valve 132 enters the tapered bore 139 instead of venting through the nozzle compartment 135 around the nozzle 134 into magazine well 125 and to the atmosphere.

[0067] The movable nozzle 134 is configured to automatically slide back and forth inside the nozzle compartment 135. More specifically, the nozzle 134 can translate back and forth between a retracted position (FIG. 13) and an extended position (FIG. 14). The nozzle 134 is in the retracted position when the airgun 100 is at rest and the nozzle compartment 135 is not pressurized. The airgun 100 is at rest when the firing valve 132 is in a closed position wherein the end of the valve 132 seals the outlet 152 of the shot chamber 130 so that no compressed gas G is supplied to the nozzle compartment 135, as shown in FIG. 13. When in the retracted position, the nozzle 134 can be completely contained within the nozzle compartment 135 such that a space exists between the front end of the nozzle 134 and the rear wall of the magazine well 125, the front end of the nozzle 134 can rest flush against the rear wall of the magazine well 125, or the nozzle 134 may even protrude slightly into the magazine well 125 from the nozzle compartment 135.

[0068] As best shown in FIG. 14, the nozzle 134 is in the extended position when the front end of the nozzle 134 extends forwardly beyond the nozzle compartment 135 (and rear wall of the magazine well 125) and sealing engages the rear sealing member 22 at the rear chamber port 26 on the back of the magazine 10. More specifically, upon firing the airgun by pulling the trigger, the firing valve 132 will accordingly retract, opening the outlet 152 of the shot chamber 130 and allowing the compressed gas G to pass through the duct 150 and pressurize the nozzle compartment 135. The compressed gas G within the pressurized nozzle compartment 135 pushes against one or more surfaces of the nozzle 134 (e.g., the tapered interior surface 138, the flat rear end surface 136, and the rear sealing annulus 154 on the nozzle 134), applying a forwardly directed force thereon to rapidly slide the nozzle 134 forward in the nozzle compartment 135 and forcibly press the nozzle 134 against the rear sealing member 22 of the magazine 10. This compresses the entire magazine 10 along the bore axis 5 to form the sealed gas flow path 15 from the nozzle compartment 125 to the barrel bore 8.

[0069] In more detail, the force applied to the rear sealing member 22 by the nozzle 134 will in turn cause the rear sealing member 22 to compress against a rear end of a chamber 16 containing a projectile 2 that is aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28. The force transmitted to the rear end of the chamber 16 causes the front end of the chamber 16 to push against and sealingly engage the forward sealing member 22, which in turn causes the forward sealing member 22 to compress against and thereby sealingly engage the barrel inlet 6. Because the barrel 4 is immobilized on the receiver 110, the magazine 10 is thus compressed along the bore axis 5 between the nozzle 134 and the barrel 8. By directly engaging the rear sealing member 22 and compressing the magazine 10 to place the forward sealing member 22 in sealing engagement with the barrel 4 around the inlet 6, the nozzle 134 seals the gas flow pathway 15 from the nozzle compartment 135, through the magazine 10, and to the bore 8. The compressed gas G which pushes the nozzle 134 forward can simultaneously flow through the nozzle bore 139 to accordingly propel the projectile 2 out of the chamber 16 and through the barrel bore 8.

[0070] Once the projectile 2 exits the barrel bore 8, the pressure in the flow path 15 dissipates, the firing valve 132 closes the outlet 152 of the shot chamber 150, and the nozzle compartment 135 accordingly becomes unpressurized. This allows the nozzle 134 to automatically return to the retracted position. Specifically, as the pressure in the nozzle compartment 135 drops to less than the elastic potential energy of the material from which the two annular seals 154 on the nozzle 134 are formed, the annular seals 154 act against the interior surface 151 of the nozzle compartment 135 to retract or pull the nozzle 134 longitudinally rearward, back into the nozzle compartment 135 to the retracted position. In this way, the nozzle 134 is configured to automatically decouple from the rear sealing member 22 at the rear chamber port 26 of the magazine 10 between shots when the nozzle compartment 135 is unpressurized. In one embodiment, the annular seals 154 on the nozzle can be traditional O-rings formed from an elastic material, such as rubber.

[0071] In one embodiment, the nozzle may remain near the extended position such that the front end of the nozzle 134 still contacts the rear sealing member 22 on the magazine 10. However, without the requisite pressure from compressed gas pressurizing the nozzle compartment, the nozzle 134 does not press against the rear sealing member 22 sufficiently to compress the sealing member 22 and create an airtight seal therebetween. Accordingly, the position of the nozzle 134, whether or not touching the rear sealing member 22, does not interfere with or effect operation of the magazine 10, cycling of the airgun 100, or removal of the magazine 10 from the magazine well 125.

[0072] In another embodiment, the nozzle 134 can be spring-biased such that the nozzle 134 automatically slides rearwardly into its retracted position when the nozzle compartment 135 is not pressurized. For example, a spring washer, canted coil spring, or other biasing member (not shown) can be located in between corresponding surfaces of the nozzle compartment 135 and the nozzle 134 to bias the nozzle in its retracted position.

[0073] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, although the invention is exemplified in the present disclosure as a rotary magazine, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that the principles which enable the invention can also be adapted for use in linear chamber magazines.

[0074] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

[0075] It will be understood that the particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention may be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific apparatus and methods described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.

[0076] All of the compositions and / or methods disclosed and claimed herein may be made and / or executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of the embodiments included herein, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and / or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0077] Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0031]The details of one or more embodiments of the present invention are set forth in this document. Modifications to embodiments described in this document, and other embodiments, will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the information provided herein. The information provided in this document, and particularly the specific details of the described exemplary embodiment(s), is provided primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. In case of conflict, the specification of this document, including definitions, will control.

[0032]While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that are embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention ...

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This non-provisional patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 733,062, filed Dec. 12, 2024 and titled “COMPRESSIVELY SEALABLE MAGAZINE FOR AN AIR GUN,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 733,102, filed Dec. 12, 2024 and titled “SELF RESETTING COMPRESSED GAS VALVE,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 733,112, filed Dec. 12, 2024 and titled “ACTUATION MECHANISM FOR COMPRESSED GAS VALVE OF AN AIRGUN,” the entire disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0003] Not Applicable.REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX

[0004] Not Applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of airguns. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a magazine for an airgun.

[0006] Airguns inherently rely on a finite amount of compressed gas, which is typically stored within an attached tank or reservoir and controlled by a valve actuated by a trigger. As such, gas conservation and pressure optimization are of paramount concerns. Unfortunately, even in optimal operating conditions with all components properly sealed, compressed gas can still be undesirably lost. Gas loss can lead to diminished firepower by decreasing projectile velocity and shot capacity. For example, a small portion of the compressed gas used to propel a projectile from a magazine and through the barrel can leak out at the rear and / or front of the magazine during firing. This can immediately result in reduced projectile velocity, and over time, the sum of this relatively small amount of gas loss per shot can cause significant reductions in shot capacity.

[0007] In small caliber airguns (e.g., .22 caliber and smaller), rotary magazines are often used to provide multiple shots without reloading. Projectiles used in small caliber airguns can be driven to acceptable speeds (e.g., 500 or more feet per second) from the magazine without the need to seal the projectile in the bore or chamber of the air gun. Conventional rotary magazines (by nature of their rotational movement), however, cannot provide a perfectly aligned and sealed compressed gas pathway between the magazine and the breech of the barrel. Hence, rotary magazines have traditionally not been used for high-power airguns (e.g., in excess of 300 foot-pounds of muzzle energy) or airguns chambered for large calibers (e.g., larger than .22 caliber). Instead, high-power, large caliber airguns typically use a single shot bolt action or a break action.

[0008] Accordingly, there exists a need for improvements in airguns and airgun magazines.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0009] This Brief Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Features of the presently disclosed invention overcome or minimize some or all of the identified deficiencies of the prior art, as will become evident to those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the information presented in this document.

[0010] An aspect of the disclosure provides a magazine for an airgun, comprising: a housing defining a pair of coaxially aligned apertures in opposing sidewalls thereof; a first sealing member on the housing at a first of the apertures; a second sealing member on the housing at a second of the apertures; and a carousel rotatably mounted in the housing, the carousel defining a plurality of chambers, each chamber configured to move sequentially into and out of alignment with the apertures; wherein the magazine is configured to be compressed upon the release of a compressed gas by the airgun so as to form a sealed flow path through which a projectile contained in a chamber aligned with the apertures is propelled from the chamber and through a barrel of the airgun.

[0011] Another aspect of the disclosure provides an airgun, comprising: a barrel having a bore and an inlet; a magazine well; a magazine defining a plurality of chambers receivable in the magazine well; a nozzle compartment; a nozzle in the nozzle compartment; and a valve configured to selectably release a compressed gas into the nozzle compartment; wherein the nozzle is configured to press the magazine against the barrel upon release of the compressed gas and thereby form a sealed flow path through which a projectile contained in a chamber aligned with the inlet and the nozzle is propelled from the chamber and through the bore.

[0012] Yet another aspect of the disclosure provides a magazine for an airgun, comprising: a housing defining a chamber port; a carousel rotatably mounted in the housing, the carousel defining a plurality of chambers, each chamber configured to align with the chamber port at a different respective angular position of the carousel; and a detent assembly in the housing configured to sequentially bias the carousel toward each of the different angular positions as the carousel rotates from one angular position toward another

[0013] Numerous other objects, advantages and features of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art upon a review of the following drawings and description of exemplary embodiments.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various drawings unless otherwise specified. In the drawings, not all reference numbers are included in each drawing, for the sake of clarity.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a left side perspective view of an airgun with a compressively sealable magazine formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 2 is an elevated right side fragmentary perspective view of the buttstock of the airgun of FIG. 1.

[0017] FIG. 3 is an elevated rear left side perspective view of the objects of FIG. 2 with the buttstock omitted for clarity.

[0018] FIG. 4 is an elevated rear right side perspective view of the magazine of FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 5 is an elevated rear right side perspective exploded view of the magazine of FIG. 4.

[0020] FIG. 6 is an elevated front right side perspective exploded view of the magazine of FIG. 4.

[0021] FIG. 7 is an elevated rear right side perspective view of the magazine of FIG. 4 with the housing member omitted for clarity and the sealing members and magnets shown suspended in place where normally positioned by the housing.

[0022] FIG. 8 is a rear plan view of the objects of FIG. 7 illustrating the carousel in an aligned angular position wherein a projectile chamber is aligned with the sealing members in a firing position. A roller bearing of the indexing mechanism is seated in a valley on the carousel. The chamber aligned with the sealing members is indexed to the valley in which the roller bearing is seated.

[0023] FIG. 9 is a rear plan view of the objects of FIG. 8 illustrating the carousel in an intermediate angular position wherein no projectile chamber is aligned with the sealing members in a firing position as the magazine is cycling to the next chamber. The roller bearing of the indexing mechanism is on a crest on the carousel.

[0024] FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the objects of FIG. 4 taken along line 10-10.

[0025] FIG. 11 is an elevated rear left side fragmentary perspective sectional view of the objects at location 11 of FIG. 3 taken along the bore axis of the barrel of the airgun. The movable nozzle is shown in an “at rest” or “retracted” position, the primary firing valve is shown in a forward sealed position, and the carousel of the magazine is shown in a first angular position in which the topmost projectile chamber is coaxially aligned with the sealing members, the barrel, and the nozzle. For clarity, the drive gear is shown in a retracted position not meshed with the drive wheel. During firing, the drive gear should be pushed forward into an extended position meshed with the drive wheel.

[0026] FIG. 12 is a left side elevational view of the objects of FIG. 11.

[0027] FIG. 13 is a magnified detail view of the objects of FIG. 12 at location 13. A projectile is shown positioned in the chamber ready for firing.

[0028] FIG. 14 is another magnified detail view of the objects of FIG. 13 showing the nozzle in a forward or extended working position compressing the magazine against the barrel while the primary valve is shown open and releasing compressed gas (indicated by arrows) from the airgun into the nozzle compartment to propel the projectile out of the chamber and through the bore.

[0029] FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of the nozzle of FIG. 11 in isolation.

[0030] FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of the nozzle of FIG. 11 in isolation.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The details of one or more embodiments of the present invention are set forth in this document. Modifications to embodiments described in this document, and other embodiments, will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the information provided herein. The information provided in this document, and particularly the specific details of the described exemplary embodiment(s), is provided primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. In case of conflict, the specification of this document, including definitions, will control.

[0032] While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that are embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific apparatus and methods described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.

[0033] While the terms used herein are believed to be well understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, a number of terms are defined below to facilitate the understanding of the embodiments described herein. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter disclosed herein belongs. The terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as “a,”“an,” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but rather include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not delimit the invention, except as set forth in the claims.

[0034] As described herein, an “upright” position is considered to be the position of apparatus components while in proper operation or in a natural resting position as described herein. Vertical, horizontal, above, below, side, top, bottom and other orientation terms are described with respect to this upright position during operation unless otherwise specified. The upright position of an airgun is a generally level firing position (i.e., held as if being intentionally discharged by a user at a target of the same general elevation as the user). “Vertical,”“horizontal,”“above,”“below,”“side,”“top,”“bottom,”“upper,”“lower,” and other orientation terms are described with respect to this upright position during operation, unless otherwise specified, and are used to provide an orientation of embodiments of the invention to allow for proper description of example embodiments. A person of skill in the art will recognize, however, that the apparatus can assume different orientations when in use.

[0035] As used herein, the terms “front” and “forward” means in a direction extending toward the muzzle of the gun. In some cases, the term “forward” can also mean forward beyond the muzzle of the gun. The terms “aft” and “rear” means in a direction extending away from the muzzle of the gun toward a rear end of a gun. In some cases, the term “rearward” can also mean rearward beyond the rear end or stock of the gun.

[0036] The term “when” is used to specify orientation for relative positions of components, not as a temporal limitation of the claims or apparatus described and claimed herein unless otherwise specified.

[0037] The terms “above”, “below”, “over”, and “under” mean “having an elevation or vertical height greater or lesser than” and are not intended to imply that one object or component is directly over or under another object or component.

[0038] The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,”“might,”“may,”“e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and / or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and / or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments.

[0039] All measurements should be understood as being modified by the term “about” regardless of whether the word “about” precedes a given measurement.

[0040] The terms “significantly”, “substantially”, “approximately”, “about”, “relatively,” or other such similar terms that may be used throughout this disclosure, including the claims, are used to describe and account for small fluctuations, such as due to variations in manufacturing or processing from a reference or parameter. Such small fluctuations include a zero fluctuation from the reference or parameter as well. For example, they can refer to less than or equal to ±10%, such as less than or equal to ±5%, such as less than or equal to ±2%, such as less than or equal to ±1%, such as less than or equal to ±0.5%, such as less than or equal to ±0.2%, such as less than or equal to ±0.1%, such as less than or equal to ±0.05%. In some contexts, and unless otherwise specifically defined hereinafter, the term “substantially” means what is considered normal or possible within the limits of applicable industry-accepted manufacturing practices and tolerances.

[0041] All references to singular characteristics or limitations of the present disclosure shall include the corresponding plural characteristic(s) or limitation(s) and vice versa, unless otherwise specified or clearly implied to the contrary by the context in which the reference is made.

[0042] All combinations of method or process steps as used herein can be performed in any order, unless otherwise specified or clearly implied to the contrary by the context in which the referenced combination is made.

[0043] The methods and devices disclosed herein, including components thereof, can comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the essential elements and limitations of the embodiments described herein, as well as any additional or optional components or limitations described herein or otherwise useful.

[0044] Referring generally to FIGS. 1-16, there is depicted a compressively sealable magazine 10 for an airgun 100. The magazine 10 is configured to automatically form a sealed gas flow path 15 through which compressed gas G can propel a projectile 2 out of the magazine and through the barrel 4 upon firing of the airgun 100 so as to eliminate gas loss or leakage at the magazine. When firing the airgun, the compressed gas G used to propel the projectile 2 also translates a nozzle 134, as described further herein, to compress and seal the magazine 10 inside the airgun 100. More specifically, some of the compressed gas G used to fire the projectile 2 applies a pushing force (indicated by arrows in FIG. 14) against one or more rear surfaces 136, 138, 154 of the nozzle 134. This slides the nozzle 134 forward into sealing engagement with a rear sealing member 22 on the back of magazine 10 and compresses a forward sealing member 22 on the front of the magazine 10 against an inlet 6 of the barrel 4 to form a sealed gas flow path 15 extending axially from the nozzle compartment 135, through the magazine 10, and into the barrel bore 8 via the barrel inlet 6. This practically eliminates gas loss at the magazine when firing a projectile so that the desired pressure is maintained until the projectile exits the muzzle. With no gas loss during firing, the sealed magazine 10 significantly improves shot consistency and helps to improve the accuracy and reliability of the airgun 100. No prior rotary magazine configured to compressively seal and thereby form a gas flow pathway through the magazine and into the barrel bore is known.

[0045] Referring now to FIGS. 4-10, the compressively sealable magazine 10 for an airgun includes a housing 12, an ammunition carousel 14 defining a plurality of projectile chambers 16, a drive wheel 18, a panel nut 20, two sealing members 22 formed from a resilient material, and an indexing mechanism 80. In general, the housing 12 contains the carousel 14 and drive wheel 18. The carousel 14 is secured to the housing 12 by engagement of the drive wheel 18 with the panel nut 20. The carousel 14 is sandwiched between the housing 12 and the panel nut 20. The sealing members 22 seal a pair of coaxially aligned chamber ports 26, 28 defined in the housing 12 that align with a bore axis 5 of the airgun barrel 4 when the magazine 10 is properly seated in a magazine well 125 of the airgun. The indexing mechanism 80 sequentially biases each projectile chamber 16 in the carousel into alignment with the chamber ports 26, 28 as the drive wheel 18 rotates the carousel 14 inside the housing 12 during cycling of the airgun 100. As described in more detail below, the collective design and arrangement of the sealing members, ports, and carousel enables the magazine to be compressed by the nozzle 134 of the airgun upon the release of the compressed gas G by the airgun so as to form the sealed flow path 15 through which a projectile 2 contained in a chamber 16 aligned with the ports 26, 28 is propelled from the chamber 16 and through the barrel 4 of the airgun 100.

[0046] The housing 12 defines an interior space 30 in which the carousel 14 and drive wheel 18 are rotatably receivable. The housing 12 includes a main body 32 and a removable cover plate 34. The main body defines the interior space 30. The cover plate 34 is receivable against the main body 32 over the carousel 14 and drive wheel 18 to releasably close the carousel and drive wheel in the housing 12. The removable cover plate 34 facilitates easy loading and reloading when ammunition in the carousel 12 is exhausted. The cover plate 34 includes a plurality of magnets 36 fixed thereto. Each magnet 36 is a disc secured in a respective recess 38 defined in the interior surface of the cover plate 34. The recesses 38 are arranged in a circle around the cover plate 34 so as to position the magnets 36 over at least a portion of a flange 40 of the drive wheel 18, which can be formed from a ferromagnetic material. In this way, the magnets 36 on the cover plate 34 can hold the cover plate 34 on the main body 32 and thereby close the housing 12 when the carousel 14 and drive wheel 18 are properly seated in the main body 32 as described herein. The magnets 36 slide over the surface of the drive wheel flange 40 as the carousel and drive wheel rotate within the housing 12, thereby maintaining the cover plate 34 in a closed position while the magazine 10 is in use. In other embodiments, the magazine 10 can additionally or alternatively (to a ferromagnetic flange 40 on the drive wheel 18) include an annular disc (not shown) formed from a ferromagnetic material that is fixed to drive wheel flange 40. The cover plate 34 is manually removable from the main body 32 to access the carousel 14 for quick and easy reloading. The cover plate 34 and main body 32 of the housing 12 can be formed from any suitably durable and rigid material, such as plastic.

[0047] The housing 12 includes a rear chamber port 26 and a forward chamber port 28. The forward chamber port 28 is spaced from the rear chamber port 26. The rear chamber port 26 is defined through the cover plate 34. The forward chamber port 28 is defined through the main body 32. The rear chamber port 26 is an aperture 26 in the cover plate 34 through which compressed gas G flows into a chamber 16 of the magazine 10 aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28 during firing of the airgun. The forward chamber port 28 is an aperture 28 in the main body 32 through which projectiles 2 pass out of the magazine 10 when propelled therefrom by the compressed gas G. The chamber ports 26, 28 are coaxially aligned when the housing 12 is assembled (i.e., closed). The chamber ports 26, 28 are arranged in the housing 12 so as to align with the bore axis 5 of the airgun 100 when the magazine 10 is properly seated in the magazine well 125 of the airgun. The chamber ports 26, 28 are positioned near a top of the magazine 10.

[0048] Each sealing member 22 is seated in one of the chamber ports 26, 28. One sealing member (i.e., the rear sealing member) 22 is configured to be engaged by the nozzle 134. The other sealing member (i.e., the forward sealing member) 22 is configured to engage the barrel 4 around the inlet 6. Both sealing members 22 are oriented the same way (i.e., point the same direction) in each port. Each sealing member 22 is arranged in the respective port 26, 28 so as to prevent the sealing member 22 from being pushed forwardly out of the port 26, 28. Specifically, each sealing member 22 includes an annular body 42 with a radially extending rim 44. A recess 45 is defined around the rear chamber port 26 in a rear surface of the cover plate 34, while another recess 45 is defined around the forward chamber port 28 in the interior surface of the main body 32. The annular body 42 of each sealing member 22 extends through each respective port 26, 28, while the rim 44 of each sealing member 22 is seated in the respective recess 45. Engagement of the recesses 45 by the rims 44 prevents the sealing members 22 from being pushed out of the ports 26, 28 by the compressed gas G or nozzle 134 when the airgun 100 is fired. This also provides a more secure and airtight seal than standard O-rings. In this way, the sealing member 22 at the rear chamber port 26 is configured to be sealingly engaged by the nozzle 134 of the airgun, while the sealing member 22 at the forward chamber port 28 is configured to sealingly engage the barrel 4 of the airgun when the sealing member 22 at the rear chamber port 26 is sealingly engaged by the nozzle 134. This enables the magazine 10 to be compressed by the nozzle 134 upon the release of the compressed gas G to form the sealed flow path 12 through which a projectile 2 contained in a chamber 16 aligned with the ports 26, 28 is propelled from the chamber 16 and through the barrel bore 8.

[0049] The main body 32 of the housing 12 includes a rearwardly extending tubular protrusion 46 in the interior space 30. The protrusion 46 acts as an axle about which the carousel 14 is rotatable when the carousel 12 is received in the housing 12 and seated on the protrusion 46. The protrusion 46 defines a central orifice 48 which coaxially aligns with a central cavity 50 defined through the cover plate 34 when the housing 12 is assembled.

[0050] The carousel 14 is a generally cylindrical body. Defined through the carousel 14 is a non-round central opening 52 and a plurality of chambers 16 in which projectiles for the airgun are receivable. The central opening 52 is non-round so as to provide contact surfaces for engagement by a complimentary protuberance 54 on the drive wheel 14. In the depicted embodiment, the central opening 52 is generally star-shaped, with a center void 53 and a plurality of slots 55 extending radially away from the central void 53. It is to be understood that the shape of the central opening 52 can differ from what is exemplified in the appended figures. A shallow circular recess 56 is defined in the rear surface of the carousel 14 around the central opening 52. A comparatively deeper circular recess 58 is defined in the forward surface of the carousel 14 around the central opening 52. The flange 40 of the drive wheel 18 is received in the shallow recess 56 when the magazine 10 is assembled. The protrusion 46 on the housing main body 34 is received in the deeper recess 58 when the magazine 10 is assembled such that a surface of the deeper recess rides on a rim of the protrusion 46, as best shown in FIG. 10.

[0051] The drive wheel 18 includes an externally threaded tubular portion 60 at the forward end defining a smooth interior cylindrical passage 65, the flange 40, a non-round protuberance or “key”64 on a forward surface of the flange 40, and a tapered concave (i.e., conical) working surface 66 in the form of a female pawl. A plurality of teeth 68 are formed on the working surface at the rear of the flange 40. The tubular portion 60 of the drive wheel 18 extends through the central opening 52 of the carousel 14 and into the central orifice 48 in the tubular protrusion 46 of the housing main body 34. The forward surface of the flange 40 rests in the shallow recess 56 of the carousel 14, while the non-round protuberance or key 64 on the forward surface of the flange 40 is seated in and engages the star-shaped central opening 52 of the carousel 14.

[0052] The protuberance 64 has a shape this is complimentary to the star-shaped central opening 52 of the carousel. The protuberance 64 rotates the carousel 14 inside the housing 12 during cycling of the airgun by effectively transferring rotary motion from the drive wheel 18 to the carousel 14. Rotary motion is imparted through the teeth 68 on the working surface 66 to the drive wheel 18 by a complimentarily toothed and tapered drive gear 140 (i.e., male pawl) housed in the airgun 100. The teeth 68 on the tapered concave working surface 66 meshes with the complimentary teeth 146 on the drive gear 140 to advantageously form a self-centering tapered conical interface gear. A forwardly extending retractable magazine pin 142 extends through a passage 155 in the drive gear 140 and directly into the central orifice 48 of the protrusion 46 when the drive wheel 18 is meshed with the drive gear 140. The pin 142 maintains the coaxial alignment of the drive wheel 18 and drive gear 140 during cycling of the airgun 100 and helps retain the magazine 10 in the magazine well 125 of the airgun 100 during use. The drive gear 140 is manually engageable with and retractable from the drive wheel 18 via a handle 148 on the airgun buttstock 116.

[0053] The carousel 14 is sandwiched between the housing main body 32 and the flange 40 of the drive wheel 18. The drive wheel 18 and carousel 14 are retained in the housing 12 by the panel nut 20. The panel nut 20 defines an internally threaded socket 70 that is designed to threadingly engage the external threads on the tubular portion 60 of the drive wheel 18. The panel nut 20 is receivable in the central orifice 48 of the housing main body 32 to threadingly engage the externally threaded forward end 60 of the drive wheel 18 and thereby releasably secure the drive wheel 18 and carousel 14 in the housing 12.

[0054] The projectile chambers 16 are arranged about the central opening 52 of the carousel proximate a peripheral edge of the carousel 14. The projectile chambers 16 and the central opening 52 extend through the carousel 14 parallel to one another. The projectile chambers 16 are equidistantly spaced from a center 75 of the carousel. The projectile chambers 16 are equally spaced from each other in a circle around the carousel 14. Each projectile chamber 16 is configured to align with the chamber ports 26, 28 of the housing 12 at a different respective angular position of the carousel 14 relative to the housing 12. In this way, each projectile chamber 16 is configured to be rotated sequentially into and out of coaxial alignment with the chamber ports 26, 28 in the housing main body 32 and cover plate 34 as the carousel 14 rotates inside the housing 12.

[0055] The indexing mechanism 80 can be a detent assembly 80. An exemplar detent assembly 80 can include two magazine pins 82, a tension spring 84, and a roller bearing 86 mounted to a distal end of a carrier arm 88 by a fastener 81. A window 90 is defined though a sidewall of the housing main body 32. The window 90 is in fluid communication with the interior space 30 of the housing 12 in which the carousel 14 rotates. The carrier arm 88 and attached roller bearing 86 are mounted to the housing main body 32 at the window 90. More specifically, a first magazine pin 82 secures the proximal end of the carrier arm 88 (i.e., the end opposite the roller bearing 86) to the housing 12. The first magazine pin 82 extends through the proximal end of the carrier arm 88 and is seated in a pair of coaxially aligned pin holes 92 defined in the housing main body 32 on opposing sides of the window 90. The carrier arm 88 is pivotable about the first magazine pin 82. A second magazine pin 82 is seated in another pair of coaxially aligned pin holes 94 defined in the housing main body 32. The second pair of pin holes 94 is spaced inwardly (i.e., closer to the outer circumferential surface 98 of the carousel 14) from the first pair of pin holes 92. One end of the tension spring 84 engages and is thus anchored to the second magazine pin 82, while the other end of the tension spring 84 engages and pulls against a lug 96 on the carrier arm 88. The tension spring 84 applies an inwardly-directed pulling force to the carrier arm 88 and attached roller bearing 86. The carrier arm 88 and tension spring 84 are sized and positioned so that the tension spring 84 biases the roller bearing 86 against the outer circumferential surface 98 of the carousel 14. In this way, the roller bearing 86 is biased against the carousel 14 by the spring 84. The roller bearing 86 rides along and transmits a force against the outer circumferential surface 98 of the carousel 14 as the carousel rotates in the housing 12. This aids in indexing projectile chambers 16 with the chamber ports 26, 28 as explained below.

[0056] The carousel 14 has a non-round outer circumferential surface 98. In the depicted embodiment, the carousel 14 has a wavy undulating or scalloped outer surface 98 with a plurality of valleys 102 and crests 104. Each crest 104 is radially adjacent a respective projectile chamber 16. Each valley 102 is centered between circumferentially adjacent crests 104 and respective pairs of circumferentially adjacent projectile chambers 16. Each valley 102 is indexed to a respective projectile chamber 16 spaced circumferentially around the carousel 14 from the valley 102. In the depicted embodiment, each valley 102 is indexed to a respective projectile chamber 16 spaced about one hundred eight degrees (i.e., 108°) around the carousel 14 from the valley 102. As such, when the carousel 14 is in a first aligned angular position with the roller bearing 86 fully seated in a given valley 102 as exemplified in FIG. 8, the projectile chamber 16 about one hundred eight degrees counterclockwise around the carousel 14 from the valley 102 will be coaxially aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28 and respective sealing members 22. In other embodiments, each valley 102 can be indexed to a respective projectile chamber 16 circumferentially spaced around the carousel 14 from the valley 102 more or less than one hundred eight degrees. The number and size of projectile chambers 16 formed in the carousel 14 influences this spacing. The carousel 14 has a different aligned angular position for each projectile chamber 16 around the carousel 14.

[0057] Regardless of the relative spacing, the roller bearing 86, by virtue of the force it applies to the contoured outer surface 98 of the carousel 14, sequentially biases the carousel toward each of the different aligned angular positions in which a chamber 16 is aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28 as the carousel is rotated (by the drive wheel 18) from one angular position toward another. Put another way, the force applied by the roller bearing 86 against the curved surface 98 of the carousel 14 as the bearing 86 rides over each crest 104 and into an adjacent valley 102 pushes the carousel 14 sequentially toward each of the different aligned angular positions and thereby aligns the corresponding chamber 16 indexed to that valley 102 with the chamber ports 26, 28. The carousel 14 is thus biased toward each consecutive position in which a chamber 16 is aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28 by the indexing mechanism 80, and the corresponding chamber 16 is thereby aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28 when the roller bearing 86 rides over each crest 104 from an intermediate angular position and down into an adjacent valley 102 to place the carousel 14 in the next aligned angular position.

[0058] Each valley 102 on the carousel 14 can also include a lip 106. Each lip 106 is a raised edge that disrupts the otherwise continuously smooth contour of the valley 102 and thereby provides light resistance to the roller bearing 86 riding out the valley 102 in one direction, as exemplified in FIG. 8. In this way, the carousel 14 can be configured to resist rotation out of each of the different angular positions in which a chamber 16 is aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28.

[0059] The window 90 in the main body 32 of the housing 12 provides clearance for the carrier arm 88 as the arm pivots radially away from the carousel 14 when the roller bearing 86 traverses the contours of the carousel outer surface 98. Put differently, the carrier arm 88 moves back and forth in and out of the window 90 as the roller bearing 86 moves into the valleys 102 and over the crests 104 along the outer surface 98 of the carousel 14.

[0060] Turning now to FIGS. 1-3 and 11-16, there is shown an airgun 100 with the compressively sealable magazine 10 seated therein. The airgun 100 generally includes a receiver 110, a grip 112, a trigger 114, a barrel 4, a buttstock 116, a tank of compressed gas 118, a regulator 120, an actuation mechanism 122, and a valve canister 124. The trigger 114 and grip 112 are attached to the bottom of the receiver 110. The barrel 4 is seated in and extends through an upper portion of the receiver 110. The barrel 4 has a bore 8 defining a bore axis 5 and an inlet 6 to the bore 8 at a rear end of the barrel 4. The inlet 6 can be at the rear end of the barrel 4 itself, or the rear end of a barrel nut, a barrel extension, or another structure that is attached to the rear end of the barrel 4 and fluidly communicated axially with the bore. In the depicted embodiment, the inlet 6 is defined by a barrel nut attached to a rear of the barrel 4. In all such instances, the barrel nut, barrel extension, or other structure is considered part of the “barrel”4 as that term is used herein.

[0061] The buttstock 116 is attached to the rear end of the receiver 110. The valve canister 124 and actuation mechanism 122 are housed in the buttstock 116. The valve canister 124 and buttstock 116 define a magazine well 125 in which the magazine is received. The magazine is partially retained in the magazine well 125 by the buttstock 116. The buttstock 116 includes a magazine holder 126 that prevents the magazine 10 from falling out of the right side of the buttstock 116. The tank of compressed gas 118 is mounted to the front end of the receiver 110 and operatively connected to the valve cannister 124 through the regulator 120 so as to supply compressed gas G to a shot chamber 130 (i.e., plenum) defined in the valve canister 124. The shot chamber 130 is sealed by a main firing valve 132.

[0062] Forward of the shot chamber 130 opposite the main firing valve 132 is a cylindrical nozzle compartment 135. A movable nozzle 134 is slidably received in the nozzle compartment 135. The valve canister 124 defines the nozzle compartment 135. The nozzle compartment 135 is adjacent a rear of the magazine well 125. As such, the nozzle compartment 135 is in fluid communication with the magazine well 125. The inlet 6 of the barrel 4 extends into the buttstock 116 and the valve canister 124 adjacent the magazine well 125. The barrel inlet 6 is adjacent a front of magazine well 125. As such, the barrel inlet 6 is in fluid communication with the magazine well 125. The nozzle compartment 135 is spaced from barrel inlet 6 by the magazine well 125. The nozzle compartment 135 is at an opposite side of the magazine well 125 from the inlet 6.

[0063] The buttstock 116 also houses the drive gear 140 and central pin 142. The drive gear 140 is a tapered male pawl having a convex (conical) working surface 144 on which is defined a plurality of teeth 146. The drive gear 140 is part of a mechanism that drives rotation of the ammunition carousel 14 inside the housing 12 around the central pin 142 when the drive gear 140 is in a forward or extended position. The drive gear 140 is in the forward or extended position when the teeth 146 of the drive gear 140 are meshed with the teeth 62 of the drive wheel 18. The central pin 142 is received in the cylindrical passage 65 of the tubular portion 60 of the drive wheel 18 when the drive gear 140 is in the forward or extended position. A magazine release handle 148 on the buttstock 116 is connected to the drive gear 140 and central pin 142. Moving the magazine release handle 148 longitudinally rearward away from the magazine 10 into a retracted position as depicted in the figures disengages the drive gear 140 and central pin 142 from the drive wheel 18 and thereby unlocks the magazine 10 for removal from the magazine well 125. It is to be understood that while the drive gear 140 is depicted in the retracted position disengaged from the drive wheel 18 throughout the figures, the drive gear 140 should be in the extended position wherein the drive gear 140 meshes with the drive wheel 18 and the central pin 142 is received in the cylindrical passage 65 of the drive wheel 18 when the airgun 100 is desired to be fired.

[0064] The actuation mechanism 122 is operatively connected to the trigger 114 such that depressing the trigger 114 activates the actuation mechanism 122 to actuate the pneumatic mechanism contained in the valve canister 124. Put another way, pulling the trigger 114 opens the firing valve 132 to release compressed gas G stored in the shot chamber (plenum) 130 to propel a projectile 2 in a magazine chamber 16 aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28 directly from the chamber 16, through the bore 8, and out of the muzzle of the barrel 4. As noted above, the magazine 10 is configured to be compressed against the barrel inlet 6 by the movable nozzle 134 upon release of the compressed gas G to form a sealed gas flow path 15. The sealed gas flow path 15 extends from the nozzle chamber 135 and through the magazine 10 and the barrel bore 8 so that the projectile 2 is propelled from the chamber 16 and through the barrel 4 at high speed with comparatively little or no gas loss at the magazine 10.

[0065] The nozzle 134 is a generally hollow cylindrical body. The nozzle 134 includes a flat rear end surface 136 and a tapered interior surface 138 defining a tapered bore 139. The tapered bore 139 extends axially through the nozzle 134. The tapered bore 139 provides an annular surface 138 against which the compressed gas G can evenly push to rapidly slide the nozzle 134 longitudinally forward in the nozzle compartment 135 when the compressed gas G is released by the firing valve 132 and the nozzle compartment 135 is subsequently pressurized. The nozzle compartment 135 is forward of and adjacent to a short duct 150. The duct 150 is forward of and adjacent the primary firing valve seat 152 (i.e., outlet) in the shot chamber 130. The nozzle compartment 135 has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the duct 150. The diameter of the nozzle compartment 135 can be sized such that the tapered interior surface 138 of the nozzle bore 139 smoothly connects to the interior surface of the duct 150.

[0066] The nozzle 134 is sealed against an interior surface 151 of the nozzle compartment 135. To this end, the nozzle 134 can include two resilient annular seals 154 (or sealing annuluses) fitted within respective channels or grooves 155 in the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle body 134. When the nozzle compartment 135 becomes pressurized, the nozzle 134 will slide forward and the annular seal(s) 154 on the nozzle 134 will compress against the interior surface 151 of the nozzle compartment 135, creating an airtight seal between the nozzle 134 and the nozzle compartment 135. With the nozzle compartment 135 fully sealed, the compressed gas must flow through the nozzle bore 139 toward the carousel 14 of the magazine 10. The airtight seal between the nozzle 134 and the interior surface 151 of the nozzle compartment 135 ensures that compressed gas released by the firing valve 132 enters the tapered bore 139 instead of venting through the nozzle compartment 135 around the nozzle 134 into magazine well 125 and to the atmosphere.

[0067] The movable nozzle 134 is configured to automatically slide back and forth inside the nozzle compartment 135. More specifically, the nozzle 134 can translate back and forth between a retracted position (FIG. 13) and an extended position (FIG. 14). The nozzle 134 is in the retracted position when the airgun 100 is at rest and the nozzle compartment 135 is not pressurized. The airgun 100 is at rest when the firing valve 132 is in a closed position wherein the end of the valve 132 seals the outlet 152 of the shot chamber 130 so that no compressed gas G is supplied to the nozzle compartment 135, as shown in FIG. 13. When in the retracted position, the nozzle 134 can be completely contained within the nozzle compartment 135 such that a space exists between the front end of the nozzle 134 and the rear wall of the magazine well 125, the front end of the nozzle 134 can rest flush against the rear wall of the magazine well 125, or the nozzle 134 may even protrude slightly into the magazine well 125 from the nozzle compartment 135.

[0068] As best shown in FIG. 14, the nozzle 134 is in the extended position when the front end of the nozzle 134 extends forwardly beyond the nozzle compartment 135 (and rear wall of the magazine well 125) and sealing engages the rear sealing member 22 at the rear chamber port 26 on the back of the magazine 10. More specifically, upon firing the airgun by pulling the trigger, the firing valve 132 will accordingly retract, opening the outlet 152 of the shot chamber 130 and allowing the compressed gas G to pass through the duct 150 and pressurize the nozzle compartment 135. The compressed gas G within the pressurized nozzle compartment 135 pushes against one or more surfaces of the nozzle 134 (e.g., the tapered interior surface 138, the flat rear end surface 136, and the rear sealing annulus 154 on the nozzle 134), applying a forwardly directed force thereon to rapidly slide the nozzle 134 forward in the nozzle compartment 135 and forcibly press the nozzle 134 against the rear sealing member 22 of the magazine 10. This compresses the entire magazine 10 along the bore axis 5 to form the sealed gas flow path 15 from the nozzle compartment 125 to the barrel bore 8.

[0069] In more detail, the force applied to the rear sealing member 22 by the nozzle 134 will in turn cause the rear sealing member 22 to compress against a rear end of a chamber 16 containing a projectile 2 that is aligned with the chamber ports 26, 28. The force transmitted to the rear end of the chamber 16 causes the front end of the chamber 16 to push against and sealingly engage the forward sealing member 22, which in turn causes the forward sealing member 22 to compress against and thereby sealingly engage the barrel inlet 6. Because the barrel 4 is immobilized on the receiver 110, the magazine 10 is thus compressed along the bore axis 5 between the nozzle 134 and the barrel 8. By directly engaging the rear sealing member 22 and compressing the magazine 10 to place the forward sealing member 22 in sealing engagement with the barrel 4 around the inlet 6, the nozzle 134 seals the gas flow pathway 15 from the nozzle compartment 135, through the magazine 10, and to the bore 8. The compressed gas G which pushes the nozzle 134 forward can simultaneously flow through the nozzle bore 139 to accordingly propel the projectile 2 out of the chamber 16 and through the barrel bore 8.

[0070] Once the projectile 2 exits the barrel bore 8, the pressure in the flow path 15 dissipates, the firing valve 132 closes the outlet 152 of the shot chamber 150, and the nozzle compartment 135 accordingly becomes unpressurized. This allows the nozzle 134 to automatically return to the retracted position. Specifically, as the pressure in the nozzle compartment 135 drops to less than the elastic potential energy of the material from which the two annular seals 154 on the nozzle 134 are formed, the annular seals 154 act against the interior surface 151 of the nozzle compartment 135 to retract or pull the nozzle 134 longitudinally rearward, back into the nozzle compartment 135 to the retracted position. In this way, the nozzle 134 is configured to automatically decouple from the rear sealing member 22 at the rear chamber port 26 of the magazine 10 between shots when the nozzle compartment 135 is unpressurized. In one embodiment, the annular seals 154 on the nozzle can be traditional O-rings formed from an elastic material, such as rubber.

[0071] In one embodiment, the nozzle may remain near the extended position such that the front end of the nozzle 134 still contacts the rear sealing member 22 on the magazine 10. However, without the requisite pressure from compressed gas pressurizing the nozzle compartment, the nozzle 134 does not press against the rear sealing member 22 sufficiently to compress the sealing member 22 and create an airtight seal therebetween. Accordingly, the position of the nozzle 134, whether or not touching the rear sealing member 22, does not interfere with or effect operation of the magazine 10, cycling of the airgun 100, or removal of the magazine 10 from the magazine well 125.

[0072] In another embodiment, the nozzle 134 can be spring-biased such that the nozzle 134 automatically slides rearwardly into its retracted position when the nozzle compartment 135 is not pressurized. For example, a spring washer, canted coil spring, or other biasing member (not shown) can be located in between corresponding surfaces of the nozzle compartment 135 and the nozzle 134 to bias the nozzle in its retracted position.

[0073] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, although the invention is exemplified in the present disclosure as a rotary magazine, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that the principles which enable the invention can also be adapted for use in linear chamber magazines.

[0074] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

[0075] It will be understood that the particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention may be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific apparatus and methods described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.

[0076] All of the compositions and / or methods disclosed and claimed herein may be made and / or executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of the embodiments included herein, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and / or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0077] Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0031]The details of one or more embodiments of the present invention are set forth in this document. Modifications to embodiments described in this document, and other embodiments, will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the information provided herein. The information provided in this document, and particularly the specific details of the described exemplary embodiment(s), is provided primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. In case of conflict, the specification of this document, including definitions, will control.

[0032]While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that are embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention ...

Claims

1. An airgun, comprising:a barrel having a bore and an inlet;a magazine well;a magazine defining a plurality of chambers receivable in the magazine well;a nozzle compartment;a nozzle in the nozzle compartment; anda valve configured to selectably release a compressed gas into the nozzle compartment;wherein the nozzle is configured to press the magazine against the barrel upon release of the compressed gas and thereby form a sealed flow path through which a projectile contained in a chamber aligned with the inlet and the nozzle is propelled from the chamber and through the bore.

2. The airgun of claim 1, wherein the magazine well is disposed longitudinally between the inlet and the nozzle compartment.

3. The airgun of claim 2, wherein the magazine well is disposed adjacent the inlet and the nozzle compartment.

4. The airgun of claim 1, wherein the flow path extends axially from the nozzle compartment through the chamber and into the inlet.

5. The airgun of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is configured to, upon release of the compressed gas, sealingly engage the magazine around the chamber and press the magazine into sealing engagement with the barrel around the inlet to form the sealed flow path.

6. The airgun of claim 5, wherein the nozzle is configured to be pushed longitudinally forward into sealing engagement with the magazine by the compressed gas.

7. The airgun of claim 5, wherein the magazine comprises:a first sealing member configured to be engaged by the nozzle; anda second sealing member configured to engage the barrel around the inlet.

8. The airgun of claim 7, wherein the nozzle is configured to be pushed longitudinally forward into sealing engagement with the first sealing member by the compressed gas and compress the magazine against the barrel such that the second sealing member sealingly engages the barrel around the inlet.

9. The airgun of claim 7, wherein:the magazine further comprises a housing on which the first and second sealing members are fixed; andeach chamber of the plurality of chambers is configured to move sequentially into and out of alignment with the first and second sealing members.

10. The airgun of claim 8, wherein:the nozzle includes at least one surface configured to be pushed against by the compressed gas when the nozzle compartment is pressurized; andthe at least one surface is one or more of a tapered interior surface and a rear exterior surface.

11. The airgun of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is configured to cease pressing against the magazine when the projectile exits the bore.

12. The airgun of claim 11, wherein the nozzle includes at least one resilient sealing annulus thereon configured to:seal between the nozzle and an interior surface of the nozzle compartment, andmove the nozzle longitudinally rearward in the nozzle compartment when the nozzle compartment ceases to be pressurized by the compressed gas.

13. An airgun, comprising:a barrel having a bore and an inlet;a magazine well at the inlet;a magazine defining a plurality of chambers receivable in the magazine well;a nozzle compartment at a side of the magazine well opposite the inlet;a nozzle slidably received in the nozzle compartment; anda valve configured to selectably release a compressed gas into the nozzle compartment;wherein the nozzle is configured to press the magazine against the barrel upon release of the compressed gas and thereby form a sealed flow path through which a projectile contained in a chamber coaxially aligned with the inlet and the nozzle is propelled from the chamber and through the bore.

14. An airgun, comprising:a barrel having a bore and an inlet;a magazine well in fluid communication with the inlet;a magazine defining a plurality of chambers receivable in the magazine well;a nozzle compartment in fluid communication with the magazine well;a valve configured to selectably release a compressed gas into the nozzle compartment;a nozzle slidably received in the nozzle compartment and configured to be pushed by the compressed gas into sealing engagement with the magazine upon release of the compressed gas;wherein the magazine is configured to be compressed by the nozzle into sealing engagement with the barrel so as to form a sealed flow path through which a projectile contained in a chamber aligned with the inlet and the nozzle is propelled from the chamber and through the bore.

15. A magazine for an airgun, comprising:a housing defining a pair of coaxially aligned apertures in opposing sidewalls thereof;a first sealing member on the housing at a first of the apertures;a second sealing member on the housing at a second of the apertures; anda carousel rotatably mounted in the housing, the carousel defining a plurality of chambers, each chamber configured to rotate sequentially into and out of alignment with the apertures;wherein the magazine is configured to be compressed upon the release of a compressed gas by the airgun so as to form a sealed flow path through which a projectile contained in a chamber aligned with the apertures is propelled from the chamber and through a barrel of the airgun.

16. The magazine of claim 15, wherein:the first sealing member is configured to be sealingly engaged by a nozzle of the airgun;the second sealing member is configured to sealingly engage the barrel of the airgun; andthe magazine is configured to be compressed by the nozzle such that the first sealing member sealingly engages a rear end of the chamber and a front end of the chamber sealingly engages the second sealing member.

17. A magazine for an airgun, comprising:a housing defining a chamber port;a carousel rotatably mounted in the housing, the carousel defining a plurality of chambers, each chamber configured to align with the chamber port at a different respective angular position of the carousel; andan indexing mechanism in the housing configured to sequentially bias the carousel toward each of the different angular positions as the carousel rotates from one angular position toward another.

18. The rotary magazine of claim 17, wherein the carousel is configured to resist rotation in one direction out of each of the different angular positions.

19. The rotary magazine of claim 17, wherein the indexing mechanism is a detent assembly comprising:an arm pivotably connected to the housing; anda roller bearing on the arm biased against the carousel.

20. The rotary magazine of claim 19, wherein the roller bearing is biased against the carousel by a spring.

21. The rotary magazine of claim 20, wherein the spring is a tension spring anchored to the housing and connected to the arm.

22. The magazine of claim 19, wherein:the carousel has a surface with a plurality of valleys and crests along which the roller bearing rides during rotation of the carousel; andeach valley is indexed to a respective chamber such that the carousel is biased toward each consecutive angular position and the corresponding chamber is thereby aligned with the chamber port when the roller bearing rides over each crest and into an adjacent valley.

Images