Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention concerns a weapon of the
type using pre-compressed air, said weapon being made both r
in the form of a rifle and of a pistol.
Various types of weapons using pre-compressed
.` air are already known which, however, in practice do not have
that functional ability handling and capacity which a user
may require, not do they make it possible to achieve high
velocities in the firing of bullets or pellets, in view of
deficiencies in the means for compressing the air and in the
means for sealing the breach of the barrel when closing it for
the shot.
It is therefore the object of the present invention
to provide a weapon whether it be a rifle or a pistol, which
permits more proficient use of the pre-compressed air for
increasing the force and, hence, the velocity of propulsion
of the bullets or pellets, so as to make the weapon more ef-
.~ - ficient and competitive with respect to weapons of known type.
Another object of the present invention is to provide
improved means for the intake and compression of the propelling
~` ~0 air, said means being smoothly operable with minimum force by
means of a system of levers displaceable laterally and towards
the front part of the weapon.
:` ~ further object is to provide.a weapon using pre-
compressed air and having a barrel axially displaceable on
a side for the opening and closing thereof by utilising the
.~ displacements of the piston for the intake and compression of
air.
Yet another object of the present invention is
to provide sealing means on the breach of the barrel in the
form of a tablet-shaped facing or packing designed also to
ensure the correct insertion of the bullet.or pellet into the
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- barrel and thus to obtain pre-alignment thereo~.
Yet another object of the present in~ention is to
provide the pre-compressed air operated ~eapo~ ~ith an assem~ly
or detent mechanism of simple design and reliable efficiency
arranged so that it can be advantageous~y demou~ted as a unit
from the weapon for the maintenance of said weapon.
Not the least object of the present invention is to
improve the components of the weapon in general and the arrange-
ment thereof so as to achieve ballistic and yield results never
achieved hitherto but without their having a negative influence
on the economical use of the weapon.
According to the broad concept o~ o~e aspect of the
invention, there is provided and claimed herein a weapo~ u~ing pre-
compressed air and comprising: a frame,-a barrel mounted on the
frame and having a breach closable against a stationary shoulder
and a cylindrical chamber with a displaceable piston therein
for the intake of air into the cyli~drical chamber, a compression
chamber into which the piston compresses air, the compression
chamber being closable and openable by means of a mushroom- t
shaped valve, the compression chamber communicating with the
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bore of the barrel through a discharge bore opening into the
stationary shoulder, the opening and closing of the valve being
controlled by a spring and a release mechanism actuated by a
t~igger, the mechanism being activated by means of a mounting
sl~de connected to the barrel, in which the barrel is guided
on the frame to displace itself axially from a closing position
against the stationary shoulder to an opening position and vice
versa, the piston is displaceable in the cylindrical chamber
with its axis parallel to the barrel and formed in a body
secured to the frame, and the barrel and the piston are jointly
displaceable over at least a part of the intake and compression
moYements of the pistonl to the final part of the intake
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, movement of the piston, a forward displacement o the barrel
being for its opening and for the activa,tion of the release
mechanism by means of the mounting sl.ide, the j~inal part of
the compression movement of the piston corresponding to the
displace~e~,t for closing and lockin.g the barrel against the
shoulderr t~e piston having a radii~l por~ion extending through
a guide slot formed in the body to~ards the barrel to becom,e
disposed in an ablong recess f~orme~ on the barrel, the recess
having two ends against which the radial portion is alternately
in contact to deter~ine the opening and closing displacement
of the barrel during the displacement of the pisto~, the length
of the oblong slot bein,g less than the e~ifective intake and
, compression move~en,ts o~ the piston.
;~ According to the broad concept of a further aspect of
the invention, there is provided and likewise claimed herein a
.~'' weapon in the form of a compressed air gun with a frame, a
barrel mounted therein and movable in the longitudinal direction, i ~'
~ the rear extremity of the barrel being closable against a
`; closure shoulder, a piston which is mounted in and displaceable
within a cylindrical chamber for the aspiration and compression
of the air, and a container with a closing valve, the container
: communicating with the barrel by means of a channel which is
coaxial with respect to the barrel, and a control mechanism for
controlling the opening and closing of the valve, the
longitudinal displacement of the barrel being coupled with that
of the piston, a control lever means being provided for the
displacement of the piston which control lever means is
articulated on a body which comprises the cylindrical chamber
. .and which lever is connected to the piston by means of a
movable element, characterized in that on the piston there is
provided a portion.which protrudes in the generally radial
direction and ,w,hich protrudes toward the barrel through a
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slit provided in the body united to the cylindrical chamber
and which lS inserted in an oblong notch provided on the barrel;
the surfaces which define the notch forming the engagement
means for the radial portion, the length of the notch being
less than the length of the run of the piston during the phase
of aspiration and~or compression~ a slide means being connec-ted r
to the barrel so as to acti~ate the control mechanism when the
barrel is displaced in the axial direction~
The present invention will be further illustrated b~
10way of example, with reference to the following description of a
preferred embodiment and accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figs. 1 and 2 are two schematic top views of a weapon
ready for use and with operating levers disposed in the loading
position;
Fig. 3 shows a longitudinaL sectio~ of the weapon in
the closed position taken on the line III~III of Fig. l;
- Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section according to
Fig. 3, but with the weapon in the open position;
Fig. 5 shows a section taken on the line V-V of Fig. 3
~0which illustrates the staffs linking the operating levers;
Fig. 6 shows a magnified detail of the c~linder and
piston unit for the intake and compression of air;
Fig. 7 shows a magnified detail of the unit with
closing membe~ of the breach of the barrel;
Fig. 8 shows the assembly or control mechanism
separated from the weapon~ and
Fig. 9 shows a cross-section of the weapon in the
form of a rifle~
In the drawings the frame 1 of the weapon supports the
30barrel 2 which is axially displaced in one direction to project
forwardly at the moment of opening the barrel for the insertion
of a bullet or pellet 3 through an ope~ing 4 formed in
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said frame, and in the opposite direction for locking at the
rear with the associated breach 2' against a closure shoulder 5.
Secured to the frame 1, below the barrel, is a body
6 in which a cylindrical chamber 7 is formed for receiving
an intake and compression piston 8 axially displaceable in
a direction parallel to the barrel 2. The cylindrical chamber
7 communicates through a hole in the bottom 9 with a chamber
10 for the compression of the propelling air from which chamber
there extends a discharge passage 11 for transmitting air
towards the bore in the barrel 2, said bore opening into the
shoulder 5 for the closing of the breach of the barrel. Between
the compression chamber 10 and the passage 11 there is provided
a valve seat 12 with a fitting 12' with which there is associated
a mushroom-shaped valve 13 provided for the closing and open-
ing of said chamber 10 for retaining or discharging, as desired,
the air compressed therein. On one side the valve 13 is biased
by an axial spring 14 for keeping the valve located in the
closing position on the associated seat 12 with fitting 12'.
On the opposite side, the valve 13 has a stem 15
biased by a thrust lever 16 pivoted at 16' and intended to
displace the valve away from the associated seat in opposition
to the spring 14 in order to obtain the opening of the compression
chamber and the discharge of compressed air towards the barrel
2 through the passage 11. The thrust lever 16 is controlled by '
an assembly or release mechanism which will be described herein-
after and which is joined to the trigger 17 of the weapon.
For the displacement of the piston 8 in the associated
cylindrical chamber 7 it is proposed that at the front end of
the body 6 there should be pivoted, by means of a journal 18,
an operating lever l9 on which there is pivoted, by means of
a joùrnal 20, a tie rod or pin 21, the opposite end of which
is pivoted by a journal 22 on said piston.
Substantially, the operating lever 19 is angularly
displaceable and forwardly (arrow F in Fig. 2) about the
associated journal 18, from a closed position on one side
(right or left) of the weapon to a position almost in alignment
` with the piston 8, a shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings,
; and vice versa. With said displacement of the lever 19 there
corresponds by means of the rod or pin 21, axial displacements
of the piston 8, firstly for the intake of air into the cylinder
7 and then for the compression of the air, through the bottom
bore 9, in the compression chamber 10. It should be noted that
the intake of air into the cylinder is effected by way of the
` seat 12 of the valve 13 in a phase in which it is open; hence,
before the conclusion of the intake of air into the chamber
10, the valve 13 is closed by the associated spring 14 as soon
as the action of the thrust lever 16 on the stem 15 of said
valve has ceased.
In the weapon which has now been described we propose
that, with the displacements of the piston 8, for intake and
compression there are also obtained the opening and closing
of the barrel 2, although at different times and with different
lengths of displacement.
For this puspose it is proposed that the journal 22
for connecting the rod or pin 21 to the piston 8 should be
lengthened by a portion 22' extending towards the barrel 2
through a longitudinal guide slot 23 formed in the body 6 until
becoming located in an`oblong slot 24 formed in the lower part
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of the barrel and engaging from time to time against one end
24' or the other end 24'' of the slot itself during the open-
ing and closing of the barrel respectively.
The length of the oblong slot 24 will al~ays be
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less than the effective movement of the piston 8 driven by
the journal 22 and measured as a function of the amount of
forward displacement of the barrel 2 necessary for the insertion
of the bullet or pellet 3 through the opening ~ in the frame 1.
According to a further feature of the present invention,
it is proposed that, within the cylindrical chamber 7, at a
space from its base with hole 9 slightly greater than the length
of the intake movement of the piston 8, there should be formed
an enlargement defined by a step or bevel 7' (see Fig. 4 and in
particular Fig. 6). At the end of its intake movement, s~id
' piston 8 becomes displaced beyond the said step or bevel 7'
in order to permit free access of air into the chamber 7 from
the back of the piston itself and through the space 7'' between
'; ` ` its peripheral surface and the enlarged portion of said
chamber. In practice, such an arrangement makes it possible
to obtain firstly, during the greater part of the movement
of the piston and due to the contact of the piston with the
surface of the chamber 7, correct intake of air through the
hole 9,'and the compression chamber 10 and then a reliable and
complete filling of the chamber 7, whilst the piston 8, at the
end of its movement, is displaced beyond the step ~r bevel
(see Figs. 4 and 6). It follows that, with 'the return movement
of the piston, when said piston is displaced on the step or
bevel 7' towards the interior of the chamber 7, all the air
will be enclosed in said chamber and finally compressed in
the chamber 10. This makes it possible to achieve a higher
'~ pressure of the air available in the chamber 10 a'nd advantage-
ously to eliminate the radial intake holes provided in weapons
of known t~pe corresponding to the cylindrical chamber and hence
also the intense wear that said holes suffer for the fittings
of the piston.
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According to a ~urther feature o~ the present invention
it is proposed that the shanks of the journals 18, 20 connecting
the operating lever l9 to the body 6 and to the rod or pin 21
and of the journal 22 connecting said rod to the piston 8,
respectively, should not be in alignment with each other when
the said operating lever is in contact with the body 6 after
the closure of the barrel and the compression of the propelling
air in the chamber lO. In fact, the intermediate journal 20
must not be on the same line passing through the axes of the
journals 18, 22 although, under the above-mentioned conditions,
it should be displaced beyond such line relative to the direction
of contact of the lever of the body 6, as shown in Fig~ 5 of
the drawings.
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Such an arrangement provides the maximum compression
- - thrust on the piston when the journal 20 passes through the
condition of alignmentwith the journals 18, 22, after which,
when such-a condition is surmounted to reach that of Fig. 5 it
becomes disposed beyond a dead centre which ensures the perfect
closing of the barrel 2, which closure cannot be accidentally
altered, but only by manual intervention, hence voluntary, on
the operating lever l9.
In the weapon which has now been described it is
also proposed that a seal 25 should be provided between the
breach 2' of the barrel 2 and the closure shoulder 5 there should
-be mounted a seal 25 to ensure the perfect closure of the
barrel, thereby avoiding any dispersion o~ compressed air when
said air flows from the compression chamber to the bore of the
barrel through the passage 11. Said seal 25 is in the form
of a tablet of suitable plastics - elastic material and is
fixed against the shoulder 5. It has (see Fig. 7) a central
bore 26 coinciding on one side with the discharge passage ll
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- of the air and extending substantially co-axially with the
bore of the barrel. This seal 25 also has a tapered front
projection 27 intended to be inserted in the bore of the barrel
; 2 when said barrel is in the closed position. Said front
projection 27 preferably acts as means for the forced insertion
of the bullet or pellet 3 into the barrel, thus subjecting
the bullet itself, already at the moment of closure, to a
pre-alignment corresponding to that of the barrel.
As regards the assembly or release mechanism
intended to control the thrust lever 16 acting on the stem
; of the valve 13, it compresses in accordance with the preferred
embodiment shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 8, a first rocker lever 30
associated with part of said lever 16 and engaged on the opposite
- side by a small hammer 31 axially displaceable on guide members
32 and biased by a spring 33 for forcing it towards sa~id lever
30. Associated with the hammer 31 are an arming lever 34 for
displacing it backwardly or away from the lever 30 and in
opposition to the spring 33, also a stop lever 35 having a
tooth 36 intended to engage and retain the hammer 36 in its
retracted or armed position (see Fig. 3j. In turn the arming
lever 34 is controlled by a rocker lever 34' engaged by a tooth
` 37 connected to an inclined sl~ide 38 attached to and displaceable
with the barrel 2 of the weapon so that the opening of the harrel
corresponds by way of the levers 34', 34, with the arming of
the hammer 31, whilst with the closure of the barrel, said slide
is displaced into a condition of rest ready for subsequent arming.
Associated with the stop lever 35 is a spring mounted
lever 39 for keeping the said stop lever engaged with the hammer
31 so that it does not act on the trigger 17, there being between
t 30 said lever and said trigger a release lever ~ormed by spring
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members indicated as a whole by 40 in Figs. 3 and ~ of the
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drawings. Preferably, and contrary to what is done in known
pre-compressed air weapons, ~he mechanism or assernbly formed
by the trigger 17, the hammer 31 and the levers 30, 34, 35 -
39 and 40, is mounted on a single support to form a unit which
may be mounted and removed as a unit from the weapon (see
Fig. 8) so as to be prepared and subjected to maintenance as
requlred, separately from the remaining parts of the weapon.
In practice, during use of the weapon after each
firing of the bullet or pellet in the barrel, in order to
obtain the reloading of the weapon it is only necessary to
move the operating lever 19 in the direction of the arrow F
in Fig. 2, to insert the bullet or pellet 3 into the barrel 2
and then to return the lever 19 to the body 6 as shown in
Fig. l.
As stated above, with the forward angular displacement
of the lever l9 in the direction of the arrow F, air is taken
into the cylindrica] chamber 7 by means of the piston 8 dis-
placeable with said lever and, in a second phase, the forward
dlsplacement of the barrel 2 for the opening thereof by means
of the part 22' of the journal 22.
In fact, in the first part of the intake displacement
of the piston 8, the barrel 2 still remains closed, since the
portion 22' which, with the barrel closed, acts against the end
24'' of the slot 24 and begins to move in the oblong slot 24
without having any influence on the barrel. In this phase,
the components of the release rnechanism or assembly keep the
valve 13 open, whereby the air can be drawn into the cylindrical
chamber 7 from outside through the barrel 2, the discharge
bore 11, the chamber 10 and the base bore 9.
With the continuance of the displacement of the lever
l9 according to the arrow F, the portion 22' of the journal 22
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bears against the end 24' of the oblong slot 24 then actuating
: the forward displacement of the barrel for the opening thereof
together with the displacement of the piston and thus to
complete the intake phase of the air into the chamber 7.
With the opening of the barrel 2 there is also obtained
; the displacement of the mounting slide 38 which, by means of the
- arming levers 34, 34', displaces the spring-mounted hammer 31,
33 in the locked or arming position (see Fig. 3), said hammer
being retained in this position by means of the locking lever 35
co-operating with the spring mounted lever 39.
Under these conditions the valve 13 is released from
the action of the thrust lever 16 on the associated stem 15
whereby biased by the spring 14, it is displaced into the
closed position of the seat 12 and hence of the compression
chamber on the part of the discharge passage ll.
In the final phase of the intake movement, the-
: piston 8, as stated above, moves beyond the step or bevel 7'
permitting complete filling of the chamber 7.
After the insertion of a bullet or pellet 3 into
. 20 ` the barrel 2, the operating lever l9 is displaced until it isin contact with the body 6. Such a dispIacement of the operating
lever firstly results in a partial displacemént of compression
of the piston 8 in the cylindrical chamber 7, whilst the barrel
remains stationary until the portion 22' of the journal 22
bears against the end 24'' continuing with the displacement of
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the lever l9, thus obtaining the displacement of the piston
8 for the last compression phase of the air in the chamber lO
through the bore 9 simultaneously with the displacement backwardly
: of the barrel 2 until the closing and locking of its breach 2'
against the seal 25. Under these conditions the weapon is ready-
for use: in fact it is only necessary to operate the trigger
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- 17 to obtain the flow of compressed air in the chamber 10 towards
the bore in the barrel in order to fire ~he bullet or pellet 3.
Both when the weapon is a pistol and when it is a
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.i rifle, the two types of weapons are both constructed in ac-
cordance with the above described features by changing, when
desired, only the arrangement of the release mechanism or
assembly.
Fig. 9 of the drawings in fact shows in section
the assembly of a rifle with the associated reIease mechanism
and in this figure the same reference numerals are used as in
Figs. 1 and 8 to indicate simllar parts.
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