EP0524129A1

EP0524129A1 - Ammunition loading system for an air gun

Info

Publication number: EP0524129A1
Application number: EP92500091A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francisco Casas Salva
Original assignee: Industrias El Gamo SA
Current assignee: Industrias El Gamo SA
Priority date: 1991-07-18
Filing date: 1992-07-17
Publication date: 1993-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 2012-07-17
Also published as: ES2038537B1; DE69213599D1; ES2038537A1; EP0524129B1; DE69213599T2

Abstract

Double ammunition loading gun in which said ammunition is hand placed at the barrel rear mouthpiece, or automatically fed by a loading device, unit by unit, to a recess with which the barrel is aligned in a firing position said loading device comprising a tubular body closed at one end, with a spring supported on its bottom and an actuator linked to said spring allowing to store ammunition which is delivered, unit by unit, through the opposite open end of said tubular body, said tubular loading device being articulated by one end, and its distal free end portion remain located, within a guiding groove, a limiting stop holding said end portion, pushed against said stop by the action of a spring, in such a way that the geometrical axis of the loading device remains facing a suitably sized recess formed on the bottom of said groove, that may receive, when facing the loading device, a single ammunition unit, said recess communicating with a fluid propellant source and the gun barrel, tiltable articulated at the barrel shell, is arranged on the same articulate plane as the loading device.

Description

BACKGROUNDS OF THE INVENTION

Utility model ES 290 417 discloses a feeding projectile device for air guns which having a similar structure to the above mentioned, with the loading device located close to the buttstock, where, in the event no ammunition in the loading device exists it is possible to fire other projectiles, hand loaded at the mouthpiece of the barrel inlet, i.e. the gun can be used with hand load or as a magazine-gun.
On the other hand, patent of invention ES 556 902 discloses an ammunition automatic loading system for air guns, consisting of the association of a sliding part to barrel end, said sliding part being provided with an ammunition unit receiving recess, so that said slide may move perpendicularly to the barrel between two positions, in such a way that said recess is aligned in a first position with the outlet hole of a spring loading device, and in a second firing position, is located in front of the barrel entrance hole, in a correct position to be fired, the barrel and said loading device being adjacent and integral with each other.
Above systems, as they include a sliding part, arranged between the air pressure outlet and the barrel, require joining means placed at both sides of said slide and a perfect alignment of the three parts, to prevent fluid leaks, and a lower performance of the gun increasing production costs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To solve above problem an in order to lower the production cost of the gun, and to increase performances, the invention proposes the loading device, be movable, articulated by one of its ends, and whose movement is obtained on the request of the thrust caused by the barrel or barrel shell when closing the gun, in such a way that said loading device will deposit, when opening the gun and while there is ammunition therein, a projectile in a recess formed on the bottom of a groove acting as a guide of the loading device opening.
A pressure fluid supply duct ends in said recess and against the recess the barrel geometrical axis is aligned, end-to-end when the gun in firing position and the loading device displaced.
Therefore the invention is characterized in that the tubular loading device is articulated at one end, and its distal open end portion remains located within a guiding groove, a limiting stop being provided to hold said free end pushed by a spring action, in such a way that the geometrical axis of the loading device remains in front of a recess formed on said groove bottom, suitably sized, which may receive a single ammunition unit, said recess communicating with the fluid propellant source. The gun barrel, tiltably linked to the body of said gun is located in the same articulating plane as the loading device, in such a way that in firing position, said barrel displaces the loading device, remaining adjacent thereof, and barrel facing, end-to-end, said recess, with a maximum adjustment ready for firing.
The invention can be applied to any kind of guns propelled by a fluid under pressure, either comprising a container high pressure liquified stable gas with a such as CO₂, or a plunger associated to a spring, or bearing a stem installed in a chamber and associated to devices for compressing the air therein or loading said spring.
In particular, in the drawings, we are referring to below, an embodiment is disclosed consisting of a gun with a compression chamber with plunger an stem, linked to a plunger compressing device such as the one disclosed in utility model n^o 295 545, owned by the same applicant.
The characteristics and advantages of the object of the invention will appear clearer from the detailed description below, referring to 2 sheets of drawings attached, showing a materialization of the invention for example purpose, not limitative, according to following detail:

Fig. 1 is an elevation view, with partial section, showing the loading device in a position of transfer of an ammunition unit to a recess with which the barrel will be aligned, in firing position;
Fig, 2 shows precisely the aligning position, end-to-end, of the barrel with said recess, and it can be seen that said barrel is articulated to the support body and is arranged on the same articulating plane as the loading device;
Fig. 3 is a side elevation view, of the piece closing one end of a compression chamber;
Fig. 4 indicates, in front elevation view, the same piece of the prior figure, showing the guiding groove of the loading device free end;
Fig. 5 shows in side elevation a view a detail of the compressing chamber titled articulated associated to the barrel support shell; and
Fig. 6 shows in side elevation view an example wherein the fluid propellant means are constituted by a bottle of high pressure liquified gas.

Fig. 1 and 2, show in full details, a loading device -11-, ready to automatically feed, unit by unit, ammunition -13-, advantageously spherical, to a recess -12- with which a barrel -10- may be aligned in the gun firing position. Said loading device -11- of a well-known constitution in this sector of the art, comprises a tubular body -11a- closed at one end, on whose bottom is supported a spring -11b- and an actuator -11c- linked to said spring and which allows the ammunition -13-loading, which is delivered accordingly unit by unit, to recess -12-.
The invention is characterized in that above loading device -11- is articulated by one end -14- and its distal end portion remains free, located within a groove -15- formed in a piece -21-. Said groove -15- includes a stop -16- limiting the displacement of said the loading device end portion -11- which is pushed against said stop -16-, by the action of one of the branches of a spring -17-, attached to a side pivot -34- of said part -21-, in such a way that the geometrical axis of the loading device -11- is perfectly aligned with a recess -12- formed on the bottom of said groove
-15-, suitably sized, in order to receive, when facing the loading device, -11- a single ammunition unit -13-, said recess -12- communicating through a duct -22- with the fluid propellant source, with the particularity that the barrel -10- is likewise articulated at one end -32- to the barrel shell -18- and is movable on the same articulating plane as the loading device, in such a way that in the gun firing position, said loading device
-11- is displaced by the barrel -10- which remains then facing end-to-end with said recess -11- with a maximum adjustment, ready foot firing.
The simplicity and effectiveness of the solution proposed are obvious, which likewise means a quite reasonable production cost, and which is shown in details in fig. 1 and 2, wherein the articulating point -32- of the barrel -10-, must be understood as indicative of a possible solution, though said barrel may be interrelated to the support body by means of another embodiment such as for instance the one described in the utility model ES 295 545 of the same owner, for example.
In a possible embodiment materialization of above solution, said loading device -11- is articulated by one end to a compression chamber -20- (that comprises a stem -27- and a plunger -28- with an annular joining means -29-), advantageously close to one of its ends, and the stop and guiding groove -15- thereof are shaped in a piece -21- which will close said chamber -20- distal end. The spring -17- is linked to that chamber and adjusted in a pivot -34- which tends to continually push the loading device -11- to the loading position, facing said stop -16-and its end being aligned with the recess -12-. Under such circumstances, said part -21- comprises a tubular portion -23- which is tightly fit to the mouthpiece of the compression chamber -20-, with an annular offset where a tight joint -24- is fitted and a cross hole -25- through which is arranged a locking pin -19-, which, in addition, will permit the rotation of said chamber and its operating association to a fluid pre-compression device, such as the one described in the utility model ES 295 545 above mentioned, as it can be seen in fig. 5 of the drawings attached. Piece -21- can comprise, in addition an axial duct -26- for the passage through it of a fluid, which is connected to the duct -22-, and a side passage -26a- of pressure relief.
At the cross sectioned portion of the piece -21- of figs. 1 and 2, it can be seen that the duct -22- has an enlarged portion -33- wherein a valvular means can be located (no shown) to control the passage of the fluid from the chamber -20- through the duct -25- to the recess -12- at the ammunition -13- firing phase.
Also, said part -21- has an appendage -30- with a hole -31- to articulate a lever for controlling said valvular means (not shown).
Lastly, fig. 6 indicates an example of embodiment of the object of the invention adapted to a gun un which the fluid propellant source is a stable, high pressure liquified gas, such as CO₂ , contained in a receptacle -35- the loading device -11- being articulated to the gun body -18- and displaced from its loading position by a coplanar barrel -10-, as it was stated above movable along a plane coplanar, to the articulating plane of said loading device -11-, to which it remains adjacent in the firing position of the gun.
Sufficiently disclosed the object of the invention, in order it can be understood and put into practise by an expert of the art, it is requested to extend the detailed description to any variation of detail which do not alter its essentiality, as it is stated in the following claims.

Claims

Double ammunition loading gun, said ammunition being hand placed at the barrel rear mouthpiece, or automatically fed by a loading device, unit by unit, to a recess with which the barrel is aligned in a firing position said loading device comprising a tubular body closed at one end, with a spring supported on its bottom and an actuator linked to said spring allowing to store ammunition which is delivered, unit by unit, through the opposite open end of said tubular body, characterized in that said tubular loading device is articulated by one end, and its distal end portion remain located, floating within a guiding groove, a limiting stop being holding said end portion, pushed against said stop by the action of a spring, in such a way that the geometrical axis of the loading device remains facing a suitably sized recess formed on the bottom of said groove, that may receive, when facing the loading device, a single ammunition unit, said recess communicating with a fluid propellant source, and it that the gun barrel, tiltable articulated at the barrel shell, is arranged on the same articulate plane as the loading device in such a way that in gun firing position the later is displaced by said barrel, which remains facing end-to-end said recess, with a maximum adjustment, prepared for firing.
Double ammunition loading gun, according to claim 1 characterized in that said loading device is articulated by one end to a compression chamber, advantageously close to one of its ends, and the guiding groove and the stop of the free end of the loading device as well as the stop are embodied in a piece that closes the distal end of said chamber, to which is likewise linked the spring that pushes said free end of the loading device in the ammunition loading position, against said stop.
Double ammunition loading gun, according to the claim 2, characterized in that said compression chamber to which the loading device is articulated is closed at its distal end remote to the articulating point by a piece comprising a tubular portion which is tight socketed within said compression chamber mouthpiece, with an annular offset where is arranged a tight joining means and a cross hole through which is arranged a locking pin which, in addition constitutes a shaft allowing a pivotal movement of said chamber and its operation association to a fluid precompression device, said piece including, in addition a duct which communicates the compression chamber with a valvular body, intercalated in a duct which ends on the bottom of the loading device guiding groove, where said duct is enlarged forming a recess fit to receive and accommodate a spherical ammunition, when the loading device faces it.
Double ammunition loading gun, according to claim 1, characterized in that the fluid propellant source is a stable high pressure liquified gas, such as CO , the loading device being articulated to the gun body so that it is displaced from the loading position by the barrel, coplanar to the articulating plane of said loading device, when said barrel in firing position.