Combustible gas toy gun

Oct 17, 1967

R. LOHR

3,346,984

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Oct 17, 1967

Filed Nov. 17, 1965

R. lohr 3,346,984

COMBUSTIBLE GAS TOY GUN

Sheets-Sheet 2

FIG. 2.

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INVENTOR

Liley Lohr

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ATTORNEY

United States Patent Office _Palented

Ji Det· 17, ISb7

3,346,984 COMBUSTIBLE GAS TOY GUN Riley Lohr, Lancaster, Pa., assignor to John H. Hartman, Jr., Strasburg, Pa. Filed Nov. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 508,350 6 Claims. (CI. 42—55)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A combustible gas device including a fixed housing and a forward slide assembly reciprocable from a forward purging position rearwardly to a closed firing position, said assembly including actuating means whereby when the assembly is moved rearwardly an additional amount, gas dispensing means is activated to deliver a measured amount of gas to a combustion chamber formed by the rearward portion of a slide assembly and forward portion of the housing.

This invention relates generally to guns, and more particularly, to toy guns of the gas type adapted to produce a large report upon the ignition of a highly combustible gas.

Many toy detonating devices have been produced in the past; however, in practically all instances it was necessary for the operator to combine specific measured amounts of a plurality of gas producing compounds prior to each detonation. The principal drawback of the foregoing is that the operation was not only time consuming but also tedious and inaccurate since critical amounts of the gas producing compounds must be mixed together for each gas-producing chemical reaction and this in itself presented a question of safety as the natural curiosity of children utilizing the prior known devices led to experimentation regarding the mixing of the highly reactive compounds.

Acetylene gas has long been a popular detonating agent for use in toy noise producing devices. This gas is highly combustible and is readily produced by the instantaneous reaction achieved upon the mixing of calcium carbide with water. When subsequently mixed with air and enclosed within a chamber any suitable igniting means such as a spark produces an extremely loud report. In the prior known devices one of two methods were usually employed to generate the acetylene gas. Either measured amounts of water were deposited onto a measured supply of calcium carbide or on the other hand measured amounts of calcium carbide, usually in granular form, were dispensed into a reservoir of water whereupon during each of these admixtures a limited amount of highly explosive acetylene gas would be generated. Subsequently, igniting means would be actuated to produce a loud report from the combustible gas. Before the next detonation could occur, it was necessary to undergo the same series of steps in order to generate a new charge of acetylene gas. Regardless of the method used to generate the gas, many of the prior known types of detonating devices failed to provide adequate means for scavenging or purging the combustion chamber subsequent to the detonation of the gaseous charge and prior to the ignition of a subsequent gaseous mixture.

It will be understood that if the products of combustion are not purged prior to the generation of a new charge of gaseous mixture, then there will not be a sufficient amount of pure air in the gaseous mixture to support a subsequent combustion. The lack of proper purging results in a mixture of air and acetylene that will either not explode at all, or if it does explode, the report will be very muffled. Several attempts have been made in the past to provide scavenging or purging means in gas detonating devices; however, these devices have met with very little success since in most instances, complicated and expensive structure was required, and/or a separate manual step by the operator of the device was necessitated, such as blowing into an open combustion chamber prior to closing same and before generating a new charge of explosive gas.

Another disadvantage of the previous devices as referred to hereinabove is the formation of residual deposits within the combustion or generating chamber of the device, which deposits are built up in increasing amounts upon each successive detonation of the device due to the chemical reaction, not only between the calcium carbide and water, but also when the resultant gaseous mixture is ignited.

Another disadvantage of the previous devices is that they are not truly portable, and there is splashing of the water supply on parts of the mechanism that must be kept dry. As a result, they are usually in the form of a cannon or other relatively stationary gun that is not intended to be carried around during use thereof. Also, they are slow firing, requiring a waiting period for each gas generation.

The proper metering of either the calcium carbide or the supply of water is of paramount importance in the prior art devices since in most instances they are designed for the generation of single charges of acetylene gas and it is well known that too little or too much of either one of the principal ingredients will not only increase the residual deposits but may result in a detonation which will either be scarcely noticeable or muffled.

Accordingly, one of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a toy gas gun of simple and inexpensive construction having improved means for dispensing measured amounts of combustible gas from storage means adapted to contain a sufficient volume of gas to produce a plurality of detonations of the device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy gas gun that is rapid firing in any position, without any waiting period required for the gas to be generated.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a toy gas gun having a combustion chamber provided with improved purging means and adapted to receive measured amounts of a combustible gas from a remote source of supply.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved toy gas gun adapted to ignite measured amounts of acetylene gas, said gas being produced by the metering of a self-contained water supply for reacting the water with a self-contained calcium carbide supply to generate a sufficient volume of acetylene gas for the subsequent detonation of a plurality of charges.

With these and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

3,346,984 ³

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a gas gun according to the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial side elevation, on an enlarged scale and partly in section, showing a modification of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a partial side elevation partly in section, and illustrates the trigger actuating means for the igniting means of the present invention.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention will be seen to comprise a toy gun fabricated to simulate an automatic weapon and includes a shoulder stock 1, trigger housing generally designated 2, and a forward slide assembly 3. Quite obviously, these components may assume any of other various configurations in the practice of the present invention. A hollow barrel 4 fixedly attached to the forward portion of the trigger housing comprises, together with the shoulder stock 1, a relatively fixed sub-assembly while the slide assembly 3 is mounted around the rear portion of the barrel 4 and adapted for limited rectilinear movement thereupon. Disposed between the forward portion of the trigger housing 2 and the rear of the barrel 4 is a combustion chamber 5 enclosed by a pair of side walls 6, 6 connected at the rear thereof to the trigger housing and joined together at the forward portion by a combustion chamber front wall 7 provided with a gas passage 8 communicating with the hollow interior 9 of the barrel 4.

The combustion chamber 5 will be seen to be completely enclosed when the slide assembly 3 is in the rearward or firing position as shown by the full lines in FIGURE 1. However, when the slide assembly is moved to its forward or purging position, it will be understood that the top and bottom of the combustion chamber will be exposed to the atmosphere thereby permitting purging thereof as fresh air is admitted to the combustion chamber and the spent products of combustion are dissipated. The portion of the combustion chamber adjacent the trigger housing comprises a fixed rear wall 10, extending vertically for a portion of the height of the combustion chamber on the one hand, and a downwardly extending gas discharge actuator 11, depending from the top wall of the slide assembly 3. When the slide assembly is in the firing position of FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the bottom of the gas discharge actuator 11 engages the top of the rear wall 10 to provide a continuous rear wall to the combustion chamber.

The angular alignment of the slide assembly upon the remainder of the gun is maintained by means of a longitudinal rib 12 extending outwardly from each of the side walls 6 of the combustion chamber. Each side wall of the slide assembly is provided with a mating longitudinal groove 13 adapted to engage the rib 12 to provide a sliding fit therewith.

Means for dispensing measured amounts of acetylene gas into the combustion chamber 5 include a gas metering valve 14 which is fixedly mounted within the forward portion of the trigger housing 2. This valve is of any suitable construction well known in the art and includes a dispensing nozzle 15 projecting from the forward portion thereof, which nozzle, when depressed axially ejects a predetermined measured amount of gas, which volume, will always be constant regardless of the length of time the dispensing nozzle is depressed. As will be most clearly seen when viewing FIGURE 2, the lower portion of the gas discharge actuator 11 is provided with a gas port 16 axially aligned with the dispensing nozzle 15 and communicating on the one hand with the combustion chamber 5 and provided on the rear surface thereof with a nozzle seat 17 adapted to engage the forward end of the dispensing nozzle 15.

A supply of acetylene gas is continuously delivered to the metering valve 14 by means of a gas feed line 18 whereupon when the operator moves the slide assembly 3 from the full line position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 towards the rear of the gun it will be understood that the 5 gas discharge actuator 11 will be moved against the force of the normally spring-urged dispensing nozzle 15 whereupon a measured volume of acetylene gas will be injected through the gas port 16 into the enclosed combustion chamber 5. It is only necessary to retain the slide assem,θ bly in the rearward or charging position for an instant and when pressure is released upon the slide assembly, the inherent spring action behind the dispensing nozzle 15 will return the slide assembly 3 to the firing position shown in the full lines in FIGURE 1.

From the foregoing it will be understood that a predetermined volume of acetylene gas will be injected into the combustion chamber 5 and ready for detonation at anytime thereafter by the operator. This detonation is achieved by a unique sparking assembly adapted to be actuated by finger pressure applied to a trigger 19.

The arrangement of the igniting means is most clearly illustrated in FIGURE 2 and will be understood to be incorporated in either embodiment of the invention as herein illustrated. Disposed within the trigger housing 2 25 is a longitudinal spark rod 20 mounted for rectilinear movement above the trigger 19 and including a serrated or otherwise roughened forward portion 21 disposed through an opening in the lower portion of the rear wall 10 of the combustion chamber. Most conveniently the 30 spark rod 20 may be mounted for the aforedescribed movement by means of a plurality of guides or bearings fixedly attached within the trigger housing 2. A front bearing 22 is disposed adjacent the forward portion 21 of the spark rod 20 while a rear bearing 23 is provided for the 35 rearmost portion of the rod. An intermediate bearing 24 supports the medial portion of the spark rod. When in the normal, or at-rest position, the spark rod 20 is disposed with its forward portion 21 projecting into the combustion chamber 5 with the spark producing material or flint 40 25 engaging the under surface of the forward portion 21 at the rear thereof. The rod 20 is maintained in this position by means of a return spring 26 of the compression type which normally bears on the one end against the rear bearing 23 and at its other end against a stop shbulder 26α fixedly secured to the spark rod 20, which shoulder in turn is urged against the intermediate bearing 24 to limit the forward movement of the rod 20.

Following the charging of the combustion chamber 5 by moving the slide assembly rearwardly in order to ₅q inject a measured amount of acetylene gas into the chamber, and it is then desired to detonate the gas_; the trigger 19 is actuated to cause the forward portion 21 of the spark rod 20 to cooperate with the flint 25 to inject a plurality of sparks into the combustion chamber. 55 The trigger 19 is mounted for horizontal rectilinear movement within the housing 2 and includes a rearwardly projecting guide rod 27 passing through a fixed guide rod bearing 28. The trigger 19 is normally disposed in the forward, or full line position as illustrated gO in FIGURE 2 and maintained in this position by means of a return spring 29 which abuts on the one hand the guide rod bearing 28 and has its other or forward end engaging the rear of the trigger 19. The trigger includes an actuator arm 30 provided with a finger portion 31 g5 at the top thereof which is normally engaged within the notch 32 formed in the undersurface of the spark rod 20. The rod 20 also includes an inclined ramp 33 on the under surface thereof immediately adjacent the rear of the rod, which ramp cooperates with a fixed release 70 pin 34 formed within the trigger housing 2 as the trigger 19 is pulled rearwardly. The operation of the sparking mechanism will be readily apparent upon a review of the full line and broken line positions of this mechanism in FIGURE 2 wherein it will be seen that as the 75 trigger 19 is pulled rearwardly the rod 20 is likewise

3.346.984 . - 5 rearwardly disposed and the continued movement of the trigger forces the ramp 33 to engage the fixed release pin 34 and to progressively elevate the rear of the spark rod 20 until the finger portion 31 of the trigger is disengaged from within the notch 32. Immediately upon 5 this disengagement it will be apparent that the return spring 26, which has been compressed as a result of the rearward movement of the trigger, will drive the spark rod 20 forwardly until the stop shoulder 26 abuts the intermediate bearing 24. During this forward move- ₁₀ment the portion 21 of the spark rod 20 is driven at a rapid rate across the end of the flint 25 which is spring urged by any suitable means into constant engagement with the under surface of the forward portion 21. By forming the serrations on the portion 21 so that they 15 are directed forwardly of the spark rod 20 it will be apparent that only during the rapid forward movement of the rod 20 will a plurality of sparks be directed into the combustion chamber 5. After the rod 20 is driven to its forward position and finger pressure is released 20 from the trigger 19, the return spring 29 will drive the trigger 19 to its full line position as shown in FIGURE 2, during which movement the inclined portion 35 at the top of the actuator arm 30 slides against the ramp 33 of the spark rod 20 and displaces this end of 25 the rod upwardly until the finger portion 31 is disposed within the notch 32.

The modification illustrated in FIGURE 3 differentiates from the first described embodiment in that the detonating device is entirely self-contained, that is, the 30 means for generating the acetylene gas is disposed within the toy gun. In this latter form the interior of the shoulder stock 1 serves as a gas storage chamber 36 and includes a chemical chamber 37 therein having a suitable filler cap 38 which may be removed for the pur- 35 pose of placing a relatively large supply of calcium carbide within the chamber 37. The trigger housing 2 includes metering means for injecting measured amounts of water into the chemical chamber 37 in order to generate a supply of acetylene gas. This means includes a 40 water reservoir 39 having a suitable filler plug 40 for introducing water to the reservoir. Disposed within the reservoir 39 is a water pump assembly including a cylinder 41 within which is disposed a reciprocating plunger 42 mounted at the bottom of the plunger rod 43. The 45 cylinder 41 is provided with inlet 44 and outlet 45 valves which may be of any suitable well-known construction. The plunger 42 is normally disposed in the uppermost position as illustrated in FIGURE 3 and retained therein by means of the return spring 46. 50

Assuming that the reservoir 39 is filled with a supply of water, the operation of the water pump assembly will now be described. With a measured amount of water within the cylinder 41 the plunger 42 is moved downwardly by actuation of the plunger rod 43 to force the 55 water contained within the cylinder 41 through the oneway outlet valve 45. When finger pressure is released from the plunger rod 43, the return spring 46 drives the plunger rod and plunger upwardly, which action draws additional· water into the cylinder 41 through the inlet 60 valve 44 from the water reservoir 39. It will thus be understood that each time the plunger rod 43 is displaced downwardly, a measured amount of water will be forced through the outlet valve 45 and into the water feed line 47. The discharge end of the feed line 47 is 65 connected to a water inlet 48 communicating with the forward portion of the chemical chamber 37. Thus, it will be seen that as each measured amount of water is injected into the chemical chamber 37, it will immediately react with the calcium carbide contained therein to gen- 70 erate a predetermined amount of acetylene gas. This gas as it is formed passes through a gas outlet 49 adjacent the rear of the chemical chamber 37 and into the gas storage chamber 36. The maintenance of a safe pressure level of gas within the storage chamber 36 is insured by 75 means of a safety vent valve 50 communicating with the interior of the storage chamber and venting to the atmosphere so that should the operator inject an excessive amount of water into the chemical chamber 37 to thus produce a dangerously high pressure of acetylene gas, all such gas produced in excess of the rating of the vent valve 50 will be ejected to the atmosphere.

The charging and firing mechanism of the toy gas gun illustrated in the embodiment of FIGURE 3 is similar to that as previously described with respect to the modification of FIGURE 1. In the self-contained form of the invention the gas supply from the storage chamber 36 is in direct communication with the gas metering valve 14 by means of a gas fed line 18α which is joined to the gas storage chamber 36 through the gas inlet 51.

From the foregoing it will be seen that toy gas guns are provided having an extremely rapid rate of fire and including novel charging and firing mechanism for loading and detonating measured amounts of a combustible gas which is supplied to the combustion chamber from a multi-charge gas source.