Apr 15, 2025

US12276476 - Automatically-reloading air guns and methods of operation

Automatically-reloading air guns and methods associated therewith. The automatically-reloading air gun includes a barrel fixedly carried by a frame, and a vent aperture in fluid communication with a firing chamber. Actuation of a release mechanism from an engaged position to a disengaged position allows a charge of compressed gas to slide a firing piston forward to force a projectile in the firing chamber into the breach end of the barrel. The compressed gas can exhaust out of the vent aperture from the firing chamber when the firing piston is in the extended position. The return spring slides the firing piston rearwardly to the retracted position after the compressed gas has exhausted from the firing chamber to automatically reload a new projectile into the firing chamber.

Inventors: Louis F. Riley
Filing date: 2023-11-29

The patent describes an automatically-reloading air gun that utilizes a firing piston and a release mechanism to propel projectiles into the barrel using compressed gas. Once the gas is exhausted, a return spring resets the firing piston for the next shot, allowing for continuous operation without manual reloading.

Claim 1

An automatically-reloading air gun comprising: a frame; a firing chamber disposed in the frame to receive a projectile; a firing piston slidably carried by the frame and disposed at a rear end of the firing chamber; a release mechanism shiftable between an engaged position that retains the firing piston in a retracted position behind the firing chamber and a disengaged position that allows the firing piston to move forwardly into the firing chamber to an extended position; a return spring that urges the firing piston toward the retracted position; a barrel fixedly carried by the frame at a front end of the firing chamber; and a vent aperture through the frame and in fluid communication with the firing chamber; wherein actuation of the release mechanism from the engaged position to the disengaged position allows a charge of compressed gas behind the firing piston to slide the firing piston forward into the firing chamber to force a projectile in the firing chamber into the barrel; wherein the compressed gas can exhaust out of the vent aperture from the firing chamber when the firing piston is in the extended position; and wherein the return spring slides the firing piston rearwardly to the retracted position after the compressed gas has exhausted from the firing chamber to automatically reload a new projectile into the firing chamber. a frame; a firing chamber disposed in the frame to receive a projectile; a firing piston slidably carried by the frame and disposed at a rear end of the firing chamber; a release mechanism shiftable between an engaged position that retains the firing piston in a retracted position behind the firing chamber and a disengaged position that allows the firing piston to move forwardly into the firing chamber to an extended position; a return spring that urges the firing piston toward the retracted position; a barrel fixedly carried by the frame at a front end of the firing chamber; and a vent aperture through the frame and in fluid communication with the firing chamber; wherein actuation of the release mechanism from the engaged position to the disengaged position allows a charge of compressed gas behind the firing piston to slide the firing piston forward into the firing chamber to force a projectile in the firing chamber into the barrel; wherein the compressed gas can exhaust out of the vent aperture from the firing chamber when the firing piston is in the extended position; and wherein the return spring slides the firing piston rearwardly to the retracted position after the compressed gas has exhausted from the firing chamber to automatically reload a new projectile into the firing chamber.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12276476

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12276476