US2851808A - Cap feed for toy pistol - Google Patents

Description

- p -16,1958 J. D. KILGORE 2,851,808

' CAP FEED FOR TOY PISTOL Filed May 13, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR fouyufi/ fyow,

\ BY M ATTORNEY Sept. 16, 1958 J. D. KILGORE CAP FEED FOR TOY PISTOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 13, 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Sept. 16,1958 J. D. KILGORE 8 CAP FEED FOR TOY PISTOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 13, 1954 ATTORNEY United States Patent CAP FEED FOR TOY PISTOL Joseph D. Kilgore, Athens, Ohio Application May 13, 1954, Serial No. 429,621

1 Claim. (Cl. 42-57) The invention relates to toy pistols, and more particularly to a toy pistol of the type in which a roll of caps in strip form is mounted within the hollow body portion of the pistol and the strip is fed by reciprocating pawl action over a guide portion leading to an anvil for engagement by suitable hammer adapted to fire successive caps, the movement of the strip being accurately controlled by means of trigger mechanism which is adapted to fire either a single shot or to fire a series of shots.

The present invention is in the nature of an improvement on thedevice disclosed in my Patent No. 2,643,476, dated June 30, 1953.

The feeding of cap strips has never been entirely satisfactory because of the weakness of the paper on which the caps are mounted.

An important object of my invention is accordingly to so improve the cap feeding mechanism that even though the cap strip should break at the anvil, following the hammer blow and the subsequent explosion, the strip will still be fed without interruption to the anvil.

In accordance with my invention an automatic variably yielding holder is provided to retain the cap in position after a firing operation while a reciprocating cap feeding finger or pawl recedes to engage the next cap to the strip. 1

Another object is to improve the control mechanism for the firing of the caps.

A further object is to provide a readily accessible cap roll.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which specific embodiments of the invention are set forth by way of illustration rather than by way of limitation.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a cap pistol embodying my invention with the rear portion being shown broken away to disclose the inner mechanism, the parts being shown in non-firing position;

1 Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section with the muzzle portion and a portion of the pistol grip broken away and showing the parts in non-firing position;

' Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation with parts broken away showing a modification of the invention, the trigger and other parts being in firing position;

Fig. 6 is a similar view but with additional parts broken away, and showing the mechanism in non-firing position; and

Fig. 7 is a detail of the flat spring member of the cap feeding and holding mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 denotes the hollow frame or body of a cap pistol having a muzzle 11 and a handle grip portion 12, with a magazine portion 13 intermediate the muzzle and hand grip portions. I

The body is preferably divided longitudinally, as is "ice wellknown in the art, and parts united so that the body may be readily separated to disclose the hollow interior and permit access to the various elements housed therein, as more fully set forth in my prior Patent No. 2,643,476.

In accordance with the present disclosure the pistol body is provided with a side portion 14 pivoted at 15 near the end of the magazine adjacent the muzzle, such pivoted portion being adapted to be moved to a downward position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to permit ready access to a cap roll 16 mounted on a shaft 17. The side portion 14 is adapted to be swung upwardly about the pivot 15 to fully enclose the cap roll, and may be held in assembled position by any suitable catch if desired, or the fit between the pivoted portion and the fixed portion of the body may be sufiiciently tight so that the pivoted portion may be held closed by friction alone.

The hollow frame, housing or body 10 of the pistol houses the operating mechanism thereof, which may be generally referred to as the cap feeding and holding mechanism, generally designated by the reference letter A, trigger operated control mechanism B, and firing, detonating or hammer mechanism C, all of which mechanisms are operatively connected with one another through a main gear formed in a drum within which is housed a suitable coil spring. On release of the control mechanism B the cap feeding and holding mechanism A and the detonating or hammer mechanism C are adapted to be actuated in timed relation to one another, the cap feeding mechanism serving to feed successive caps to an anvil for subsequent engagement by the hammer mechanism during the period when the hammer is retracted, such cap feeding mechanism having associated therewith suitable automatically variable holding means for firmly retaining the cap strip in position while the feeding portion or pawl of said feeding mechanism moves downwardly to engage another cap but releasing the pressure on the cap strip when the same is engaged by the cap feeding pawl to permit feeding movement by said pawl.

The cap feeding and holding mechanism A, the control mechanism B and the firing or detonating mechanism C, to be more fully described hereinafter, are all energized by means of a spring drum 20 mounted for rotation upon a shaft 21 journaled in the side walls of the body of the pistol. The drum 20 houses a main spring 22 of the coil type, one end of which may be secured to the shaft 21 and the other to the inner periphery of the drum 20. The main spring 22 is adapted to be wound by means of a key or the like which may be applied to the squared end 23 of shaft 21, a pawl and ratchet mechanism 24 and 25, and a leaf spring 26 being provided to prevent reverse rotation of the shaft. If desired the key may be attached to the shaft as is shown in my Patent No. 2,643,476.

As shown the spring drum 20 is provided with peripheral teeth forming a gear 27 coacting with other parts of the operating mechanism including the cap feeding and holding mechanism A and trigger operated control mechanism B. One face of the spring drum is shown as provided with a series of spaced hammer trip lugs or teeth 28 which are intended to actuate the detonating or hammer mechanism C at suitable intervals.

As shown the gear 27 carried by the'spring drum 20 meshes with a smaller gear 30, to one face of which is secured a heart wheel or cam member 31 which rotates with the gear. The gear 30 and cam member 31 are adapted to actuate the novel cap feeding and holding elements of the mechanism A in timed relation to each other.

The cap roll 16 comprises a series of spaced caps 12 mounted on or forming parts of cap strip 33 which are adapted to be fed from the roll and pass between thecap feeding and holding mechanism A and the lower or guide 3 portion 35 of anvil member 36, such anvil andguide portion being rigidly secured to the side of the hollow frame of the pistol. The elongated guide member 35 together with the holder portion of the cap feeding and holding mechanism A serve to retain the cap strip at all times during the feeding and firing stages of the operation of the pistol. The cap strip 33 is adapted to be intermittently moved upwardly so that successive caps 32 will be placed upon the anvil 36 and subsequently detonated by the firing or detonating mechanism C. After passing the anvil the exploded caps pass out through a slot 40 at the top of the frame member.

Detonation of the cap is accomplished by means of firing mechanism C comprising a hammer contact member 41 at the end of a lever 42, which'lever is pivoted intermediate its ends at 43 and is provided with a project-- ing finger or hammer trip lug 44 at the opposite end of the hammer member 41, which finger is actuated on rotation of the spring drum to retract the hammer by means of the lugs or projections 28 carried by the drum 20, in timed relation to the operation of the cap feeding and holding mechanism A to be described hereinafter. A suitable spring 45 presses against the hammer and urges it against each advancing cap after the hammer has been retracted and then released by the successive lugs 28.

The cap feeding mechanism A will now be described in greater detail for the purpose of illustration. Such mechanism, in accordance with my invention, includes a pivoted and reciprocating spring-pressed pawl member which serves to intermittently advance the caps to the anvil, and a holding member which is adapted to yieldingly but firmly hold the roll of caps against the tail or guide portion 35 of the anvil while the feeding pawl is being moved downwardly to engage another cap on the cap strip, and releasing the pressure applied thereto on upward movement of the feeding pawl the holding member being generally designated by the reference numeral 100 and the pawl member being designated by the reference numeral 101. The holding member 100 and the pawl member 101 are adapted to be automatically actuated in timed relation to each other through mechanism motivated by the cam member 31 and drive gear wheel 30,'which in turn are actuated by the main gear 27 carried by the spring drum 20, whereby the operation of the capfeeding mechanism is also in timed relation to the operation of the firing hammer. The cam member 31 and the gear wheel 30 are secured to a transverse shaft 30a in-the housing 10.

As shown the holding member 100 comprises an elongated plate-like member 102 pivoted at 103 and adapted to be swung back and forth in the direction of the arrows by the combined action of the heart wheel or cam member 31 whose enlarged portion 104 is adapted to engage one edge 105 of the plate 102 to swing such plate 102 toward the guide portion of the anvil while a flat spring 106 carried by the plate-like member 102 serves to swing the member in the opposite direction when at 113, to receive a crank pin 114 carried by the gear 30, said carrier member 111 also including a guide bar 120 which is slidable through a stationary holder member or guide block 115 secured to one wall of the pistol body. The tip of the feed pawl 101 is constantly urged against the cap strip 33 by means of a spring 116 mounted on the pawl hinge 117 and having arms 118 and 119 engaging the pawl 101 and arm 110 of the carrier memher 111, respectively.

The trigger actuated control mechanism B is'adapted to release the spring drum 20, permitting it to actuateithe cap feeding and holding mechanism A and the detonating or hammer mechanism C in suitably timed relation to one another. As shown such control mechanism includes a fly wheel or governor 50 mounted on a shaft 51, which fly wheel is connected to the main gear 27 on the spring drum 20 through suitable intermediate gearing including a small gear 53 carried on shaft 51 and meshing with a large gear 54 on shaft 55 which in turn carries a small gear 56 meshing with another small gear 57 on shaft 58, the gear 57 being in mesh with the main gear 27 on the spring drum'20.

The fly wheel 50 is normally held against movement by frictional engagement of a brake block 60 which may be composed of any suitable braking material, as for example a rubber composition, said brake block being carried by a lever 61 pivoted at 62. The brake'block 60 is urged against the fly wheel or governor by means of a spring 63 secured at one end to an end 64 of lever 61 remote from the pivot 62, the other end of the spring 63 being secured to a pin 65 carried by the body of the pistol. The brake block 60 is adapted to be released by means of a suitable trigger pivoted at 71 and projecting through a slot 72 in the body ofthe pistol. The pivot is in the form of a .bell crank having an arm 73 provided with a roller 74 which rides in a groove 75 in the end 76 of the lever 61 extending beyond the pivot 62 in the direction opposite the end 64 to which the spring 63 is attached. 0

The operation of the device will be largely apparent from the foregoing description but will be briefly summarized as follows:

To fire the pistol the trigger 70 is pulled, thus releasing the brake block 60 from contact with the surface of the fly wheel or governor 50, thereby permitting the main spring 22 to rotate the spring drum 20 and main gear 27, thereby actuating the hammer mechanism C and cap feeding and holdingmechanism A in suitable timed relation. As will be apparent the hammer or detonating mechanism is intermittently actuated by contact of successive lugs 28 with the trip lug 44 which first retracts the hammer contact member 41 from the anvil and then releases the same to permit it to be driven by the spring 45 against a cap 22 upon the anvil 36.

During the time the hammer mechanism C is retracted the cap feeding and holding mechanism A comes into play. The pivoted and reciprocating pawl member 101- in its upward movement effected by the eccentric pin 114 on gear 30 serves to advance the cap strip a distance between successive caps '32 to place a cap on the anvil, after which the pawl member is moved downwardly but still in contact with the cap strip, being urged thereagainst by the spring 116 on the pivot shaft of the pawl. During this reverse or downward movement of the pawl member 101 the cap strip will be prevented from moving downwardly with the pawl by relatively firm engagement of the spring portion 106 of the holding member 100, the pivoted plate member 102 of the holder being at this time swung toward the cap strip on the stationary guide member 35 by means of the cam 31 whose enlarged portion is now in engagement with the edge 105 of the pivoted holder plate. On the other hand, during the time the pawl member 101 is moving upwardly to advance therow of caps the flat spring 106 only lightly engages the row of caps, due to the fact that the plate portion of the holder has been swung away from the row of caps on the stationary guide 35 byaction of the spring 106, this being made possible by reason of the fact that a small portion of the cam 31 is now in engagement with the edge of the holder plate.

It will be understood that the operation of the firing mechanism and of the cap feeding mechanism is readily controlled by the trigger '70 so that a single cap or a series of caps may be detonated, as desired.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show a modification of the device in Y which the control mechanism B' and the detonating or ponding cap feeding and holding mechanism A of the previously described embodiment, the general operation, however, being substantially the same with slight modification in the form of the operating cam and associated parts. The holding spring 106' corresponding in function to the spring 106 of the modification previously described is shown in detail in Fig. 7.

The invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration but it will be obvious that numerous modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

In a cap pistol, the combination of a housing adapted to receive a strip of caps, a stationary anvil provided in the top portion of said housing, a substantially straight cap strip guide extending upwardly in said housing to said anvil, a transverse shaft provided in the housing at one side of said guide, a drive gear and a cam secured to said shaft, a crank pin provided on said drive gear, a stationary guide block provided in the housing above said shaft, a vertical guide bar slidable in said block, a carrier rigid with the lower end of said guide bar and provided with a horizontal slot having said crank pin operatively disposed therein whereby the carrier is vertically reciprocated during rotation of said drive gear, a cap strip feeding pawl pivoted to said carrier and extending upwardly and diagonally toward said cap strip guide, a spring connected to said carrier and to said feeding pawl for urging the latter against a cap strip on said cap strip guide, a cap strip holder member pivoted in said housing between said guide and said shaft and extending upwardly from its pivot point, said cam operatively engaging said holder member and urging the same against a cap strip on said strip guideduring downward movement of said carrier, and a leaf spring secured at one end thereof the said holder member and extending upwardly therefrom, the upper end of said leaf spring bearing against a cap strip on said guide and urging said holder member against said cam during upward movement of said carrier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 653,697 Rightmyer July 17, 1900 1,794,411 Lalumiere Mar. 3, 1931 1,895,407 Brubaker Jan. 24, 1933 1,962,387 Brubaker June 12, 1934 2,481,301 Eulenfeld Sept. 6, 1949 2,569,913 Anderson Oct. 2, 1951 2,643,476 Kilgore June 30, 1953 2,699,008 Tyler Jan. 11, 1955

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