US2453799A - Air gun - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 16, 1948.

Y A. F. Low-:RING

AIR GUN Filed May 24, 1946 INVENToR ARI/fw? Elan-Awa -BY i. 9L? ATTORN Ys |l`l|l llIslllll III Illia llll.

Patented Nov. 16, 1948 n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR GUN Arthur F. Lovering, Northampton, Mass. Application May 24, 1946i,` Serial No. 672,004

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in air guns and `more particularly to an improved spring arrangement for the actuation of the piston of the air compression cylinder.

The principal object of the invention .is to secure a smoother more powerful and more accurate operation of the gun.

Other and further objects residing in the details of construction will be made apparent from the following speciiication and claims.

In the accompanying drawings which show one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a gun embodying the invention, parts being broken away, the iiring mechanismbeing shown in cocked position;

Figs. 2 and 3 together form a sectional View substantially on line A-A of Fig. 1, on a larger scale, Fig. 2 showing the rear and Fig. 3 showing the forward portion of the barrel, the parts being shown in uncocked position;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the loading chamber; and

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the firing mechanism in uncooked position.

As shown, the barrel generally indicated at Ill comprises a rear or breech section II, an intermediate section I2 and a forward section I3, these sections being Welded or otherwise secured together to form an integral barrel.

Within the barrel I is provided a shooting tube i4 the forward end ofwhich is welded or otherwise secured to a cap member Iwhich closes the forward end of the space between the shooting tube and the barrel I9. The rear end of the shooting tube, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 is supported in the head I6 of an air compression cylinder I l.

The compression cylinder I'I is held fixed within the barrel, adjacent the breech end thereof, in any suitable manner, as, byya machinefscrew I8. Reciprocably mounted in compression cylinder Il' is a plunger, generally indicated at I9, comprising an air compressing head 20 and a rearwardly extending stem 2|. The rear portion of stem 2| is bifurcated to form spaced arms 22. Extending from the forward face of the plunger head 20 is a hollow air tube 23 which telescopes into the rear end portion of the shooting tube i4 as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The length of air tube 23 is slightly greater than the operating stroke of the plunger I9 so that when the plunger is drawn back in cocked position the 2 forward end portion of the air tube is` positioned within the cylinder head IB (Fig. 5) with its end adjacent the forward face of the cylinder head.

The air tube is provided with one` or more openings 24 adjacent the plunger head through which air from the cylinder Vis forced into the air tube upon forward movement` of the plunger in the cylinder. i

Surrounding the shooting tube and slidable thereover is a tubular member 25 the rear portion of which is split as indicated at 26 providing spaced yoke arms 21 which extend rearwardly along opposite sides of the compression cylinder between the latter and the gun barrel. To the rear of the compression cylinder the yoke arms 21 are respectivelyconnected to the adjacent arms 22 of the plunger stem as by screws 28. A small vertical plate 29, set in grooves formed in the end portions of yoke armsZI bridges the space between said arms and is held in place by a bolt 3|. l l

Surrounding the tubular member 25 is a coiled spring 32 one end of which engages a rnut 433 threaded on the forward end of member 25, the other end being engaged bya ange 34 extending inwardly from the barrel.

The breech section II is formed, withdownwardly extending spaced-plate portions 35 which are riveted or otherwise secured to the gun stock 36. The breech end of section II is closed by a closure member 31, welded or otherwise secured in place. y Y y Pivoted to member 31 at `38 is a latch `39 to which one end of a link is connected by a pivot 4I. The other end of link 40 is pivoted at 42 to a trigger 43 which is pivoted at 44 between plates 435. Anywsuitable means such as spring 45` coiled around pivots 38 .and 4Iv and having its free upper end engaging member 31 is-provided to normally maintain latch 39 in the posi,- tion shown in Figs. 6 and 1.

A cooking lever 46 is pivoted between plates 3,5, and is formed with a handle portion 4 8` and a hooked forward portion 49 adapted, when handle 48 is swung downwardly, to engage plate 29 as indicated in Fig. 6 and draw the latter, and the parts attached thereto, rearwardly until the bottom edge of the plate is engaged and held by latch 39 as shown in Fig. 1.

As will be apparent, when plate 29 is in engagement with latch 39 spring 32 is held under compression (Fig. 1) and plunger head 20 is positioned at the rear end of air compression cylindex' I1, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. With the parts positioned as shown in Figs. 1

and 5, a shot may be positioned in front of air tube 23, as shown in dotted lines at 50 in Fig. 5, through a loading tube 4| and opening 52 formed in the barrel. Loading tube 4l may be held in place by the screw I8 which secures the air compression cylinder I'l in place. Release of latch 39 by actuation of trigger 43 causes spring 32 to draw the plunger forwardly in cylinder Il forcing the air under compression through openings 24 .and tube 23 against the shot 50 projecting the latter through and from the shooting tube I4.

The gun may be provided with the usual front and rear sights 53 and 54 respectively.

By my arrangement I am able to use a substantially longer spring than has heretofore been possible and without increasing the overall length of the barrel. By increasing the length of the spring a more powerful and smoother action of the air compression plunger may be obtainedwith a resulting greater range and accuracy. The relatively long space afforded at the forward end of the barrel permits the degree of compression imposed on the spring to be decreasedy preventing fatigue of the spring, and promotinglonger life as well as smoother action.

What I claim is:

1. In an air gun, a barrel, an air compression cylinder secured within the barrel adjacent the breech end thereof, a shooting tube within the barrel, the forward end of said tube being fixed to the forward end of the barrel, said tube extending from the forward end of the barrel to the air compression cylinder and opening thereto, a plunger reciprocably mounted within the air compression cylinder, a spring surrounding the shooting tube between the forward end of the barrel and the compression cylinder, means movable longitudinally of the fixed shooting tube and engaging the forward end of the spring, said means having portions extending rearwardly of the compression cylinder, means connecting said portions to the breech end of said plunger, means to retract the plunger against the action of said spring, a latch -releasably holding said plunger in retracted position, and trigger means for releasing said latch. l

2. In an air gun, a barrel, an air compression cylinder secured within the barrel adjacent the breech end thereof, a shooting tube within the barrel, the forward end of said tube being fixed to the forward end of the barrel, said tube eX- tending from the forward end of the barrel to the air compression cylinder and opening thereto, a plunger reciprocably mounted within the air compression cylinder, a spring surrounding the shooting tube between the forward end of the barrel and the compression cylinder, actuating means positioned between the spring and shooting tube and abutting the forward end of the spring, said means extending rearwardly of the compression cylinder, means connecting said actuating means to the breech end of said plunger and two spaced arms extending rearwardly from the tubular portion along opposite sides of the air compression cylinder, a spring surrounding the tubular portion of the actuating member, a

rearwardly of the compression cylinder, means to collar carried by the forward end of said tubular portion and abutting the forward end of the spring, a fixed abutment member engaging the rear end of the spring, means connecting said arms to the plunger rearwardly of the breech end of the air compression cylinder, means to retract the plunger to compress said spring between said collar and abutment, a latch releasably holding said plunger in retracted position, and trigger means for releasing said latch.

4. In an air gun, a barrel, an air compression cylinder fixed within the barrel adjacent the breech end thereof, a shooting tube having its forward end supported by the forward end of the barrel and its rear end supported by the head of the air compression cylinder, a plunger reciprocably mounted in the compression cylinder, an actuating member including a tubular portion slidably mounted on the shooting tube, and two spaced arms extending rearwardly from the tubular portion along opposite sides of the air compression cylinder, a spring surrounding the tubular portion of the actuating member, a collar carried by the forward end of said tubular portion and engaging the forward end of the spring, a fixed abutment member engaging the rear end of the spring, means connecting said arms to the plunger rearwardly of the breech end of the air compression cylinder, a plate member bridging the space between the ends of said arms, means movable to engage said plate to draw the actuating member and plunger rearwardly against the action of said spring, a latch engaging the plate member, when the actuating member reaches a predetermined point in its rearward movement, to releasably hold the actuating member vand plunger in retracted position, and

a trigger means for releasing said latch.

ARTHUR F. LOVERING.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Quackenbush A Mar. 6, 1877 Number

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