Pneumatic launching apparatus employing piston and cylinder cam driving pathways and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12449228-B1
Application number	US-202418769605-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2024
Priority date	Jul 13, 2023
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

Launcher apparatus and methods of a toy projectile blaster piston air compression element and breech bolt having a connected cylinder driving arm, and a piston driving arm at the piston. A cylinder cam pathway track and a piston cam pathway track at a firing mechanism positions a piston cam follower linkage tracking end at the piston cam pathway track, and a cylinder cam follower linkage tracking end at the cylinder cam pathway track pivoted at a conveyor of an integral a trigger assembly. A cylinder follower projection is brought into contact with the cylinder driving arm and a piston cam follower projection is brought into contact with the piston driving arm, for fluid communication to outwardly launch the received projectile rounds.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toy launching apparatus, comprising:
a firing mechanism housing;
a projectile launching barrel;
an air compression element comprising a cylinder and an elongated breech bolt, the breech bolt having a proximal end at the cylinder and a breech bolt channel extending therethrough for fluid communication from the cylinder through the breech bolt for expelling compressed air from a distal end of the breech bolt, the cylinder having a cylinder driving coupling;
a piston slidably received at the cylinder of the air compression element, the piston having a piston driving coupling;
a cylinder cam pathway track at the firing mechanism housing;
a piston cam pathway track at the firing mechanism housing;
a trigger assembly including a conveyor;
a piston cam follower linkage having a tracking end at the piston cam pathway track, a piston trigger end pivoted at the conveyor, and a piston follower coupling for engaging the piston driving coupling;
a cylinder cam follower linkage having a tracking end at the cylinder cam pathway track, a cylinder trigger end pivoted at the conveyor, and a cylinder follower coupling for engaging the cylinder driving coupling; and
a pre-firing area defining a breech and an alignment passage at the firing mechanism housing including at least one barrel seal aligned with the projectile launching barrel, the breech being capable of receiving one or more projectiles with the breech bolt of the air compression element capable of extending into the pre-firing area to position a received projectile between the distal end of the breech bolt and the barrel seal.

2. The toy launching apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a hopper at the breech for receiving one or more projectiles by gravity into the pre-firing area.

3. The toy launching apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a magazine clip at the breech for feeding one or more projectiles received into the pre-firing area.

4. The toy launching apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder driving coupling comprises a cylinder driving arm attached to the cylinder of the air compression element, and the piston driving coupling comprises a piston driving arm attached to the piston.

5. The toy launching apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the cylinder follower coupling comprises a cylinder follower projecting step for being brought into contact with the cylinder driving arm, and the piston follower coupling comprises a piston follower projecting step for being brought into contact with the piston driving arm.

6. The toy launching apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a breech spring and a piston spring, the piston spring being compressed by the piston follower coupling contacting the piston driving coupling actuated by the conveyor of the trigger assembly upon pulling of the trigger engaging the piston cam follower linkage, the cylinder follower coupling contacting the cylinder driving coupling actuated by the conveyor engaging the cylinder cam follower linkage for withdrawing the breech bolt of the air compression element from the breech of the pre-firing area, the breech spring being connected to and extending with the air compression element.

7. The toy launching apparatus of claim 6 , comprising a trigger spring, the breech spring connected to the air compression element upon further pulling of the trigger moving the conveyor to disengage the cylinder cam follower linkage releasing the breech spring for extending the breech bolt of the air compression element into the pre-firing area, with the trigger spring returning the conveyor of the trigger assembly upon release of the trigger.

8. The toy launching apparatus of claim 7 , wherein further pulling of the trigger moves the conveyor to disengage the piston cam follower linkage releasing the piston spring for advancing the piston in the cylinder of the air compression element into the pre-firing area, with the trigger spring returning the conveyor of the trigger assembly upon release of the trigger for advancing the piston, causing compressed air to expel through the breech bolt channel extending through the breech bolt for expelling compressed air from the distal end of the breech bolt, and outwardly launch the one or more projectiles through the barrel seal and the projectile launching barrel.

9. A toy launching apparatus, comprising:
a firing mechanism housing;
a projectile launching barrel;
an air compression element comprising a cylinder and an elongated breech bolt, the breech bolt having a proximal end at the cylinder and a breech bolt channel extending therethrough for fluid communication from the cylinder through the breech bolt for expelling compressed air from a distal end of the breech bolt;
a cylinder driving arm connected to the cylinder of the air compression element;
a breech spring connected between the air compression element and the firing mechanism housing;
a piston slidably received at the cylinder of the air compression element;
a piston driving arm attached to the piston;
a cylinder cam pathway track at the firing mechanism housing;
a piston cam pathway track at the firing mechanism housing;
a trigger assembly including a conveyor;
a piston cam follower linkage having a tracking end at the piston cam pathway track, a piston trigger end pivoted at the conveyor, and a piston follower projecting step for being brought into contact with the piston driving arm;
a cylinder cam follower linkage having a tracking end at the cylinder cam pathway track, a cylinder trigger end pivoted at the conveyor, and a cylinder follower projecting step for being brought into contact with the cylinder driving arm, the breech spring biased to extend with cylinder cam follower linkage movement imparted to the cylinder and the elongated breech bolt of the air compression element; and
a pre-firing area defining a breech and an alignment passage at the firing mechanism housing including at least one barrel seal aligned with the projectile launching barrel, the breech being capable of receiving one or more projectiles with the breech bolt of the air compression element capable of extending into the pre-firing area to position a received projectile between the distal end of the breech bolt and the barrel seal.

10. The toy launching apparatus of claim 9 , comprising a hopper at the breech for receiving one or more projectiles by gravity into the pre-firing area.

11. The toy launching apparatus of claim 9 , comprising a magazine clip at the breech for feeding one or more projectiles received into the pre-firing area.

12. The toy launching apparatus of claim 9 , comprising a piston spring at the piston biased for compression by the piston follower projecting step contacting the piston driving arm actuated by the conveyor of the trigger assembly upon pulling of the trigger engaging the piston cam follower linkage.

13. The toy launching apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the cylinder follower projecting step contacting the cylinder driving arm actuated by the conveyor engaging the cylinder cam follower linkage for withdrawing the breech bolt of the air compression element from the breech of the pre-firing area.

14. The toy launching apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a trigger spring where pulling of the trigger moving the conveyor to disengage the cylinder cam follower linkage releases the breech spring for extending the breech bolt of the air compression element into the pre-firing area, with the trigger spring returning the conveyor of the trigger assembly upon release of the trigger.

15. The toy launching apparatus of claim 14 , wherein further pulling of the trigger moves the conveyor to dis

Assignees

• Hasbro Inc

Inventors

• Maschin Robert C
• Tino Nicholas Alexander

Classifications

• F41B11/646

  Arrangements for putting the spring under tension · CPC title

• F41B11/642

  the piston being spring operated · CPC title

• F41B11/55

  the projectiles being stored in stacked order in a removable box magazine, rack or tubular magazine · CPC title

• F41B11/89

  for toys · CPC title

• F41B11/641 Primary

  the piston being hand operated · CPC title