US3741189A

US3741189A - Gas operated pellet gun with removable clip loader

Info

Publication number: US3741189A
Application number: US00128910A
Authority: US
Inventors: C Kester; T Hughes
Original assignee: Crosman Arms Co Inc
Current assignee: CROSMAN PRODUCTS Inc; Crosman Arms Co Inc
Priority date: 1971-03-29
Filing date: 1971-03-29
Publication date: 1973-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-26
Also published as: CA945448A

Abstract

This gun is adapted to fire pellets from a cartridge clip, which carries several pellets. Each clip has a rotary cylinder, that has a plurality of chambers, and each chamber holds a pellet. In addition, each clip may be removed from the gun through an opening in the gun housing. When a clip is put in the gun a face coupling member on its cylinder engages with face coupling teeth on a counterpart coupling member that is connected to the manually operable bolt of the gun. The bolt on each retracting movement indexes the clip cylinder to bring a new pellet into registry with the gun barrel, and on each advancing movement pushes the new pellet into the barrel. On each retracting movement the bolt also cocks a trigger-releasable hammer. When the trigger is pressed to release the hammer, the hammer opens a valve to permit a supply of compressed gas to flow in behind the pellet in the gun barrel to drive (fire) the pellet from the gun.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Kester et al.

[ GAS-OPERATED PELLET GUN WITH REMOVABLE CLIP LOADER [75 Inventors: Charles E. Kester, Fairport; Thomas E. Hughes, Palymra, both of NY.

[73] Assignee: Crosman Arms Company, Inc.,

Fairport, N.Y.

[22] Filed: Mar. 29, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 128,910

[52] U.S. Cl 124/11 R, 42/19, 124/48 [51] Int. Cl. F4lb 11/06 [58] Field of Search 124/11, 13 A, 48; 42/19, 49 R, 50; 89/33 D [56] I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 663,954 12/1900 Burgess 42/50 UX 142,376 9/1873 Dorwart. 42/19 3,502,061 3/1970 Yoo 124/13 A 2,609,811 9/1952 Lawrence 124/48 1,242,191 10/1917 Horan 42/19 465,248 12/1891 Dreher 42/19 1,194,270 8/1916 Blake 42/19 2,450,029 9/1948 Wells 124/13 A 2,499,340 2/1950 Wells 124/11 X June 26, 1973 3,103,212 9/1963 Merz 124/11 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-R. T. Stouffer Attorney-Shlesinger, Fitzsimmons & Shlesinger [57] ABSTRACT This gun is adapted to fire pellets from a cartridge clip, which carries several pellets. Each clip has a rotary cylinder, that has a plurality of chambers, and each chamber holds a pellet. In addition, each clip may be removed from the gun through an opening in the gun housing. When a clip is put in the gun a face coupling member on its cylinder engages with face coupling teeth on a counterpart coupling member that is connected to the manually operable bolt of the gun. The bolt on each retracting movement indexes the clip cylinder to bring a new pellet into registry with the gun barrel, and on each advancing movement pushes the new pellet into the barrel. On each retracting movement the bolt also cocks a trigger-releasable hammer. When the trigger is pressed to release the hammer, the hammer opens a valve to permit a supply of compressed gas to flow in behind the pellet in the gun barrel to drive (fire) the pellet from the gun.

6 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PAIEN IEO JUN 2 6 I975 SHEEIIUFS .N 8 am INVENTORS CHARLES E. KESTER BY THOMAS E. HUGHES ATTORNEYS PATENIEDJIJNZS am I SHEEIZBFS INVENTORS CHARLES E. KESTER BY THOMAS E. HUGHES $774, 45%.;

ATTORNEYS Pmmiumzsmz SHEEISUFS FIG.9

FIG.1O

INVENTORS CHARLES E. KESTER BY THOMAS E. HUGHES ATTORNEYS GAS-OPERATED PELLET GUN WITH REMOVABLE CLIP LOADER This invention relates to pellet guns, and more particularly to a gas-operated pellet gun and removable ammunition clips therefor.

Heretofore gas-operated pellet guns generally have been either of the single shot variety, in which pellets are loaded and tired one by one; or of the revolver type, in which the pellets are inserted in a cylinder built in the gun and adapted to be indexed step-by-step to bring the pellets successively into firing position; or of the magazine-feed variety, in whicha plurality of pellets are fed successively into firing position from a magazine built into the gun.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pellet gun designed to accommodate removable ammunition clips, which hold a plurality of pellets.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pellet gun in which a plurality of pellets are held in a removable clip, which, when the clip is in position in the gun, are indexed automatically one by one into firing position each time the gun is cocked.

A furtherobjec't of this invention is to provide a gasoperated pellet gun having a'reciprocable' hammer and a rotatably indexible ammunition clip, and a manually reciprocable cocking mechanism for simultaneously indexing the clip and cocking said hammer.

Another object of thisinvention is to provide an ammunition clip for a gun of the type described.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in con-' junction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a gas-operated pellet gun made in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are enlarged, fragmentary side elevational views of the gun illustrated in FIG. 1, and showing together a central portion of this gun, parts thereof being cut away and shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along theline 3-3 in FIG. 2A, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2A, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. 2A, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 in FIG. 2A, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 in FIG. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 in FIG. 2A, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9-9 in FIG. 2A, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line l0l0 in FIG. 28, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view illustrating on a reduced scale, and partially in section, the cocking bar employed in this gun, other portions of the gun being shown in broken lines.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, (FIG. 1) denotes generally a gas-operated pellet gun or rifle comprising a frame 21 having mating side sections 22 and 23 (FIGS. 3-5), a conventional gun stock 25, which is secured in the usual manner by a bolt 26 (FIG. 2A), to the rear end of frame 21, and a conventional valve block 27 (FIG. 2A), which is secured by screws 28 (FIG. 1) between the

frame sections

22 and 23. The gun barrel 30, which projects out of the forward end of frame 21, is fastened at its rear end (FIG. 2A) in a bore formed in the upper end of block 27.

Secured at its rear end by screws 33 (FIG. 2A) to a sleeve 34, which is formed on the forward end of block 27 beneath barrel 30, and projecting forwardly out of frame 21 beneath and parallel to the barrel 30, is a tubular housing 35, the forward end of which abuts against a bracket 37 which is carried by the barrel (FIG. 2B).

Removably mounted in housing 35 is a conventional CO gas bottle or cartridge C, the closed end of which (the right end in FIG. 2B) is engaged by the recessed head 39 of a ram or plunger 40 that projects through the open or forward end of housing 35. Attached to the forward end of ram 40 is an externally knurled cap 43, which is removably threaded into the outer end of housing 35 (FIG. 2B). The discharge end of cartridge C is seated against the pointed end of a conventional hollow piercing point (FIG. 2A), which is secured by a rubber washer 46 and a hollow nut 47 in a counter bore formed in a plug 48 that is sealingly secured in the forward end of sleeve 34. Plug 48 has an axial bore 49 which opens on one end of the cylindrical valve chamber 50, which is formed in block 27 beneath and parallel to the rear end of barrel 30. At its opposite end chamber 50 communicates through a port 51 and vertical duct 52 in block 27 with the radial port 53 formed in barrel 30 adjacent its rear end.

Mounted to reciprocate in chamber 50 coaxially thereof is a conventional valve 55, having adjacent one end thereof (the right end-in FIG. 2A) an external, generally rectangularly shaped guide portion 56, the corners of which are rounded slightly as at 57 (FIGS. 2A and 3), to guide the valve in known manner for axial reciprocation in chamber 50 while providing passages for the gas through the valve chamber. A coiled compression spring 58 is mounted in chamber 50 between plug 48 and the guide 56 resiliently to urge the valve to closed position (toward the left in FIG. 2A) in which the resilient sealing ring 59 is seated against an annular boss 60, which is formed on the rear end wall of chamber 50 around port 51, normally to close off chamber 50 from port 53.

Projecting rearwardly from the valve is a reduceddiameter stem 62, which extends slidably and sealingly through the rear end of the valve block 27 coaxially of its port 51.

Secured adjacent its forward end in a transverse partition 63 (FIGS. 2A and 5), which is formed in frame 21 rearwardly of the valve block 27, and extending toward the rear end of the frame coaxially of valve 55, is a hammer guiding sleeve 64. Mounted to reciprocate in sleeve 64 coaxially thereof is a cylindrical hammer 65. On its forward end hammer 65 has a reduced-diameter stem portion 66 (FIG. 2A), which registers through the forward, open end of sleeve 64 with valve stem 62; and on its rear end the hammer has a further, reduceddiameter stem portion 68, the rear or terminal end of which is provided with a head 69 that is reciprocable coaxially in the bore of a plug 71, which is secured in the rear end of sleeve 64. A coiled spring 72, which is mounted in the sleeve 64 around the stem portion 68 between the hammer 65 and the plug 71, tends normally to urge the hammer 65 forwardly in sleeve 64, or toward the right, from its cocked position, shown in FIG. 2A, to its fired position, in which its forward stem portion 66 engages valve stem 62 to open valve 55.

A trigger 73 (FIGS. 1, 2A and 3) is pivotally mounted in conventional manner on a screw 74, which extends through

frame sections

22 and 23 and the rear end of sleeve 64. Intermediate its ends trigger 73 has an integral projection or sear 76, which is pivotal through registering openings in the bottom of sleeve 64 and plug 71 releasably to engage the head 69 of the hammer to hold the latter releasably in cocked position as illustrated in FIG. 2A. A coiled torsion spring 78, which surrounds the screw 74, is engaged at one end with the shank of a conventional safety pin 79, and at its opposite end with the trigger 73, normally to urge the latter counterclockwise about the axis of screw 74 in FIG. 2A, to its hammer-engaging position.

Mounted for limited reciprocation beneath and parallel to barrel 30 back of bracket 37 in the forward end of frame 31 is a conventional elongate, hand grip 81 (FIGS. 1, 2B and 10), which is generally U-shaped in cross section. Secured in opposite ends of the grip 81, and mounted to slide on the cartridge housing 35 are two, axially spaced, annular bearings 83 (FIGS. 28 and 10). Secured adjacent its forward end by a pair of screws 85 to the tops of the bearings 83 for reciprocation with the hand grip 81, and projecting rearwardly and slidably into the frame 21, is an elongate cocking bar 86 (FIGS. 2A, 2B and 11).

At its rear or left end, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 11, cocking bar 86 is fastened by a screw 87 (FIGS. 2A and 4) to one side of a block 88, which reciprocates in the rear of frame 21 on a pivotal indexing shaft 90. Shaft 90 isjournaled adjacent opposite ends thereof between the

frame sections

22 and 23 for limited pivotal movement above and parallel to sleeve 64. A torsion spring 91 (FIGS. 2A and 3), which surrounds the rear end of shaft 90 within frame 21, engages at one end with a pin 93, which projects radially from shaft 90. Spring 91 tends to urge shaft 90 counterclockwise about its axis from a first limit position, illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 3, to a second limit position in which pin 93 engages a stop pin 94, which is secured in the frame section 23 above shaft 90.

Intermediate its ends shaft 90 carries a further radial pin 96 (FIG. 2A), which, when the block 88 is in its advanced or solid line position illustrated in FIG. 2A, projects into a camming slot 97 (FIGS. 2A and 4), which is formed in the underside of block 88 and is disposed helically about the axis of shaft 90. On its forward end shaft 90 has a reduced diameter portion 98, which carries a further radial pin 99 (FIGS. 2A and opposite ends of which project slidably into a pair of diametrally opposed, axially extending slots formed in the bore of an annular coupling member 102, which is mounted over the forward end of shaft 90 for rotation thereby in a registering opening 103 formed in the partition 63 above the forward end of sleeve 64. A coiled compression spring 106 (FIG. 2A), which surrounds the shaft 90 rearwardly of member 102, is seated at one end against an annular bearing 107, which is fixed in frame 21 around the outside of shaft 90 rearwardly of partition 63. At its opposite end spring 106 is seated against an external shoulder 108 on member 102, which by engagement with the partition 63 limits movement of member 102 forwardly, or toward the right in FIG. 2A, relative to shaft 90.

An opening 110 (FIGS. 1 and 6) formed in the frame section 22 rearwardly of the valve housing 27, between the partition 63 and the valve block 27 above the valve stem 62, is adapted to receive pellet clips 111. Each clip comprises a generally rectangular casing 112 (FIGS. 6 and 7) having a closed front end adapted to seat against rear end of barrel 30, and an open rear end which has fastened thereover a cover plate 113, which seats against partition 63. A cylindrical post (FIG. 7), which is integral with the closed end of casing 112, projects through the casing and a central opening 116 in the plate 113 partway into the axial bore of the registering coupling member 102.

Mounted to rotate about post 115 in casing 112 is a generally disc-shaped pellet cylinder 118, which has therethrough a plurality (six in the embodiment illustrated) of equi-angularly spaced, axially extending pellet chambers 119, which overlap at their rear ends the circular opening 116 in plate 113. A leaf spring (FIGS. 6 and 7) in casing 112 is fixed at one end to a pin 131, which projects from the closed end of the casing adjacent the periphery of the cylinder 118. This spring has a free, curved end 132 disposed normally to seat in one of six equi-spaced notches 134 in the periphery of cylinder 118, resiliently to resist rotation of the cylinder.

At its end which confronts member 102, the cylinder 118 has formed thereon a plurality (six in the embodiment illustrated) of rigid ratchet teeth 12], which are equi-angularly spaced about the axis of the post 115, and which project into the angular spaces formed between a like plurality of cooperating ratchet teeth 122, formed on the right or forward end (FIGS. 6 and 7) of the coupling member 102 at equi-angularly spaced points around its axis. When the shaft 90 (FIG. 3) is rotatably indexed counterclockwise about its axis, the teeth 122 on the member 102 engage the teeth 121 on the cylinder 118 to rotate the latter also in a counterclockwise direction about its axis to index the pellet chambers 119 successively into registry with barrel 30. The free end of spring 130 operates to resist further rotation of cylinder 118 after each indexing rotation thereof. Should the shaft 90 be rotated clockwise about its axis to mating, inclined surfaces 121' and 122 (FIG. 7) on the

teeth

121 and 122, respectively, slide one against the other to urge the coupling member 102 rearwardly in partition 63 against the resistance of the spring 106 to disengage the drive to cylinder 118. At this time leaf spring 130 prevents any corresponding rotationAl movement from being imparted to the cylinder 118.

Fastened at its rear end by screw 87 in the block 88 coaxially of barrel 30, and projecting forwardly in the frame 21 above and parallel to the indexing shaft 90, is the bolt (FIG. 2A). On its forward end bolt 140 has a reduced-diameter probe 141, which, upon forward movement of block 88, projects through partition 63 and the recess 125 (FIG. 6) in the clip cover, and into the pellet P then in registry with the barrel to push this pellet forwardly through the opening 124 in casing 112, and into firing position in the barrel just forwardly of gas port 53, as illustrated in FIG. 2A. Rearwardly of the probe 141 the bolt 140 carries a resilient sealing ring 142, which, when the bolt is in its advanced or solid line position (FIG. 2A), resiliently and sealingly engages the barrel bore rearwardly of the gas port 53.

When the hammer 65 is in retracted position, and the hand grip 81 and cocking lever 86 are in their forward or inactive positions (FIGS. 1, 2B and 11), the screw 145 (FIG. 4), which projects radially from hammer 65 through an elongate slot 146 in sleeve 64, is disposed just rearwardly of a vertical shoulder 148 (FIG. 11) on the cocking rod 86. Also at this time, the trailing edge of a vertical lug or tooth 150 (FIGS. 2A, 8 and 11), which is formed on rod 86 intermediate its ends, is engaged by the rounded end of a spring-loaded detent 152, which is mounted in the valve block 27, for limited reciprocation beneath and at right angles to the rear end of the barrel 50, to hold the cocking rod 86 in its fully advanced position.

The clips 111 may be loaded with pellets P by manually indexing the cylinder 118 relative to the casing 112 successively to place each chamber 119 in registry with the internal arcuate recess 125 (FIG. 6) in cover plate 113, and inserting pellets one after another into cylinder 118 until the six chambers 119 are filled. The cylinder 1 18 projects as at 118 (FIG. 6) slightly beyond one side of the casing 112 through a registering opening in the sidewall of the casing for ease in loading.

Prior to putting a loaded clip in the gun, the hand grip 81 is pulled manually rearwardly, causing the cocking lever 86 to shift the indexing block 88 rearwardly from its full line to its broken line position in FIG. 2A, to draw the probe 141 on bolt 140 rearwardly out of the clip opening 110 in the frame section 22. The loaded clip can then be inserted in the gun.

During the retractionof block 88 the head of the screw 145 (FIGS. 2A, 4 and 11) is engaged by shoulder 148 on the bar 86, so that the hammer 65 is driven rear- Wardly also to cocked position in which the head 69 on stem 68 releasably engages behind sear 76, as illustrated in FIG. 2A.

As the loaded clip 111 is inserted into the opening 110 in the frame 21, the member 102 (FIG. 7) is forced rearwardly until the post 115 in the clip casing enters the bore of member 102 and the

ratchet teeth

121 and 122 become engaged, and one of the loaded pellet chambers 119 registers with the rear end of barrel 30.

Grip 81 is then moved manually forwardly to its advanced position, thus advancing the cocking bar 86 until the trailing edge of its lug 150 (FIG. 11) is again engaged by the projecting end of the spring-loaded deten't 152 resiliently to be held thereby in its forward or inoperative position. This also draws block 88 forwardly to its full line position in FIG. 2A, thereby advancing the probe or bolt 141'through the registering projectile chamber 119 in clip 111 to force the pellet P from that chamber into firing position in barrel 30, and to prevent rotation of cylinder 118 during the resetting of the clutch member 102. After bolt 141 has secured cylinder 118 against rotation, the cam slot 97 in block 88 advances over the pin 96 on the shaft 90, thereby rotating shaft 90 clockwise (FIG. 3). This rotates member 102 approximately sixty degrees clockwise, during which movement the inclined surface 122' on clutch teeth 22 slide over the inclined surfaces 121' on the cylinder teeth 121 so that the cylinder 118 remains motionless. When member 102 has been rotated sixty degrees clockwise, its teeth 122 snap or advance forwardly under the pressure of the spring 106 into the space between the teeth 121 on the cartridge cylinder 118, where they are in position to drivingly engage teeth 121 when the shaft 90 is next indexed in a clockwise direction.

As is conventional, when a new bottle or cartridge C is inserted into housing 35, the cap nut 43 is threaded into the forward end of the housing to cause the pierc- I ing point 45 to puncture the cap on the bottle, admitting CO gas from the cartridge through the bore 49 in plug 48 into the chamber 50, the outlet port 51 of which is sealed at this time by the now-closed valve 55.

When the chamber is filled with the propellant gas, and a cartridge clip 111 is in place, the gun can be fired by pulling the trigger 73 to disengage the sear 76 from behind the head 69 on the hammer. The hammer 54 is then urged suddenly forwardly in sleeve 64 by spring 72 and stem 66 on the forward end of the hammer strikes the valve stem 62, momentarily opening valve 55. Compressed CO gas is thus admitted from the chamber 50 through port 51, duct 52 and port 53 to the rear of the pellet P then disposed in the barrel, thus propelling this pellet from the barrel.

After the initial impact of the hammer stem 66 against'the valve stem 62, the spring 58 in the valve housing causes the valve to be returned to closed position.

After the gun has been fired, the hand grip 81 is moved manually rearwardly, once again to retract the block 88, and cock the hammer 65. During retraction of block 88, as soon as the forward end of belt 140 has passed rearwardly of the clip 111, torsion spring 91 again indexes the shaft 90, this time to cause the teeth 122 on clutch member 102 to drive the pellet cylinder 118 in a clockwise direction about its axis (FIG. 5). This indexes a new, loaded pellet chamber 119 into registry with barrel 30, and causes the next notch on the periphery of cylinder 118 to'be engaged by the free end of leaf spring 130. Thereafter the cylinder 118 is held against counterclockwise rotation by bolt 140 during subsequent advance of block 88, by return of hand grip 81 to forward position. During this subsequent advance bolt 140 again forces the projectile P, which is uppermost in clip 11 1, intO firing position in barrel 30.

As willbe apparent from the above description, the gun may be repeatedly loaded and tired until all six pellets have been discharged from a clip 111, after which the clip can be removed and reloaded, or another loaded clip 111 may be inserted in the gun.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that clips 111 are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and can readily be reloaded with a new supply of pellets each time they are emptied. Moreover, it is a relatively simple matter to insert a loaded clip 111 into the gun, until the clutch teeth 121 on cylinder 118 automatically engage the teeth on the clutch member 102. Also, the spring automatically centers each chamber 1 19 with the rear of the gun barrel 30, so that it is not necessary for the cooperating ratchet

teeth

121 and 122 to effect exact registry of each chamber 119 with the gun barrel. Furthermore, once a clip 1 11 is inserted into the gun, the gun can be rapidly loaded and fired merely by operating hand grip 81, and pressing trigger 73.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A g'un comprising a frame,

a barrel mounted on said frame,

a bolt reciprocable in said frame in axial alignment with the bore of said barrel,

means for effecting reciprocation of said bolt,

an indexing shaft rotatably mounted in said frame in offset parallel relation to said bolt,

means connecting said bolt to said shaft to rotate said shaft in opposite directions upon movement of said bolt in opposite directions, respectively,

said frame having a chamber therein adapted to receive a removable clip, which has therein a rotatable cylinder containing a plurality of pockets for holding projectiles,

said chamber being so positioned in said frame that when a clip is positioned therein one of the pockets of the clip will be in axial alignment with the bore of said barrel and with said bolt,

said frame having an opening therein through which a clip may be inserted into or removed from said chamber,

a one-way coupling member secured to said indexing shaft to couple said shaft to a clip positioned in said chamber, for indexing rotation of said coupling member in one direction with said shaft on movement of said bolt rearwardly,

said bolt entering the pocket of said cylinder which is then aligned with said barrel, on movement of said bolt forwardly, to push a projectile from that pocket into the barrel, and to hold the cylinder against rotation as long as the bolt is in that pocket.

2. A gun as claimed in claim 1, having a chamber for holdinG a supply of compressed gas,

a duct for conducting gas from the last-named chamber into said barrel behind a projectile disposed in said barrel to fire the projectile from said barrel,

a valve normally closing said last-named chamber off from said duct,

a trigger-releasable hammer operative, upon release thereof, to open said valve, and

means for simultaneously cocking said hammer and said bolt and effecting indexing rotation of said shaft.

3. A gun as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lastnamed means is a cocking rod reciprocably mounted in said frame in parallelism with said bolt.

4. A gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coupling member is a ratchet-toothed face coupling member, and said cylinder has on it a cooperating ratchettoothed face coupling member, whereby said cylinder is indexed a fraction of a turn each time said bolt is moved rearwardly.

5. A gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means connecting said bolt and shaft comprise a cam and a pin engaging therewith.

6. A gas-operated gun, comprising a hollow frame containing a valve block,

a barrel fastened at its rear end in said block,

a projectile clip removably mounted in said frame rearwardly of said block,

a cylinder rotatably mounted in said clip and having therethrough a plurality of projectile chambers each of which is adapted to hold a projectile, said chambers being equi-angularly spaced about the axis of said cylinder to register one by one with the rear end of said barrel upon rotation of said cylinder,

a hammer in said frame movable between cocked and first positions,

trigger-operated means in said frame operative to admit a supply of gas under pressure to the rear of a projectile in said firing position each time said hammer is moved to its fired position, thereby to propel the last-named projectile from the barrel,

manually operable cocking means for moving said hammer to its cocked position,

indexing means interposed betWeen said cocking means and said cylinder and operative to index said cylinder a fraction of a revolution in one direction each time said cocking means is operated, thereby to rotate one of said chambers out of registry with said barrel and to move the next successive chamber in said cylinder into registry with said barrel, and

means connected to said cocking means and operable thereby to transfer a projectile from a chamber in said cylinder to firing position in said barrel each time a chamber is moved into registry with said barrel,

said indexing means comprising a clutch member mounted in said frame for oscillation by said cocking means about an axis parallel to said barrel,

said clip comprising a casing removably insertable through an opening in said frame into a space formed in said frame between said block and a transverse partition in said frame to position said cylinder in coaxial registry with said clutch member with adjacent ends of said cylinder and clutch member confronting one another through an opening in said casing, and

cooperating clutch faces formed, respectively, on the confronting ends of said cylinder and said clutch member, and resiliently engaged with one another to impart the rotation of said clutch member to said cylinder in said one direction only,

said indexing means further comprising a shaft mounted in said frame rearwardly of said space to oscillate coaxially of said axis,

said clutch member being coupled to said shaft coaxially thereof for rotation by said shaft in an opening in said partition, and for limited axial movement relative to said shaft and the last-named opening, and

a spring being interposed between said shaft and said clutch member resiliently to urge said clutch member axially on said shaft in a direction to maintain said clutch faces in resilient engagement, with said casing is disposed in said space.

l l l

Claims

1. A gun comprising a frame, a barrel mounted on said frame, a bolt reciprocable in said frame in axial alignment with the bore of said barrel, means for effecting reciprocation of said bolt, an indexing shaft rotatably mounted in said frame in offset parallel relation to said bolt, means connecting said bolt to said shaft to rotate said shaft in opposite directions upon movement of said bolt in opposite directions, respectively, said frame having a chamber therein adapted to receive a removable clip, which has therein a rotatable cylinder containing a plurality of pockets for holding projectiles, said chamber being so positioned in said frame that when a clip is positioned therein one of the pockets of the clip will be in axial alignment with the bore of said barrel and with said bolt, said frame having an opening therein through which a clip may be inserted into or removed from said chamber, a one-way coupling member secured to said indexing shaft to couple said shaft to a clip positioned in said chamber, for indexing rotation of said coupling member in one direction with said shaft on movement of said bolt rearwardly, said bolt entering the pocket of said cylinder which is then aligned with said barrel, on movement of said bolt forwardly, to push a projectile from that pocket into the barrel, and to hold the cylinder against rotation as long as the bolt is in that pocket.

2. A gun as claimed in claim 1, having a chamber for holdInG a supply of compressed gas, a duct for conducting gas from the last-named chamber into said barrel behind a projectile disposed in said barrel to fire the projectile from said barrel, a valve normally closing said last-named chamber off from said duct, a trigger-releasable hammer operative, upon release thereof, to open said valve, and means for simultaneously cocking said hammer and said bolt and effecting indexing rotation of said shaft.

3. A gun as claimed in claim 2, wherein the last-named means is a cocking rod reciprocably mounted in said frame in parallelism with said bolt.

4. A gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coupling member is a ratchet-toothed face coupling member, and said cylinder has on it a cooperating ratchet-toothed face coupling member, whereby said cylinder is indexed a fraction of a turn each time said bolt is moved rearwardly.

6. A gas-operated gun, comprising a hollow frame containing a valve block, a barrel fastened at its rear end in said block, a projectile clip removably mounted in said frame rearwardly of said block, a cylinder rotatably mounted in said clip and having therethrough a plurality of projectile chambers each of which is adapted to hold a projectile, said chambers being equi-angularly spaced about the axis of said cylinder to register one by one with the rear end of said barrel upon rotation of said cylinder, a hammer in said frame movable between cocked and first positions, trigger-operated means in said frame operative to admit a supply of gas under pressure to the rear of a projectile in said firing position each time said hammer is moved to its fired position, thereby to propel the last-named projectile from the barrel, manually operable cocking means for moving said hammer to its cocked position, indexing means interposed betWeen said cocking means and said cylinder and operative to index said cylinder a fraction of a revolution in one direction each time said cocking means is operated, thereby to rotate one of said chambers out of registry with said barrel and to move the next successive chamber in said cylinder into registry with said barrel, and means connected to said cocking means and operable thereby to transfer a projectile from a chamber in said cylinder to firing position in said barrel each time a chamber is moved into registry with said barrel, said indexing means comprising a clutch member mounted in said frame for oscillation by said cocking means about an axis parallel to said barrel, said clip comprising a casing removably insertable through an opening in said frame into a space formed in said frame between said block and a transverse partition in said frame to position said cylinder in coaxial registry with said clutch member with adjacent ends of said cylinder and clutch member confronting one another through an opening in said casing, and cooperating clutch faces formed, respectively, on the confronting ends of said cylinder and said clutch member, and resiliently engaged with one another to impart the rotation of said clutch member to said cylinder in said one direction only, said indexing means further comprising a shaft mounted in said frame rearwardly of said space to oscillate coaxially of said axis, said clutch member being coupled to said shaft coaxially thereof for rotation by said shaft in an opening in said partition, and for limited axial movement relative to said shaft and the last-named opening, and a spring being interposed between said shaft and said clutch member resiliently to urge said clutch member axially on said shaft in a direction to maintain said clutch faces in resilient engagement, with said casing is disposed in said space.