Positive fit "lever" feed adapter for paintball gun

Abstract

A positive fit feed adapter for use between a paintball loader and a paintball gun. The feed adapter includes a threaded connector formed on either the paintball gun or the paintball loader. The threaded connector includes a plurality of expansion slots that allow the outer diameter of the connector to expand or compress. The feed adapter further includes a collet having an internally threaded surface that is tapered from a first end to a second end. When the feed tube from the other of the paintball gun and the paintball loader is inserted into the threaded connector, the collet is tightened along the external threads to reduce the diameter of the connector to provide a positive fit between the paintball gun and the paintball loader.

1 . A combination paintball gun and paintball loader including a storage hopper for storing a supply of paintballs, the combination comprising:
 a loader neck formed on the paintball loader for supplying paintballs from the storage hopper;   a feed tube formed on the paintball gun for receiving paintballs from the paintball loader;   at least one connector portion formed on one of the loader neck and the feed tube, the connector portion having at least one compression slot that permits the repeated expansion and contraction of the connector portion, the connector portion having an inner surface having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of an outer surface of the other of the loader neck and the feed tube such that the connector portion is configured to selectively receive the other of the loader neck and the feed tube; and,   a clampable collet collaring the connector portion to selectively compress the at least one compression slot, wherein clamping movement of the collet relative to the connector portion compresses the inner portion of the connector portion into contact with outer surface of the other of the loader neck and the feed tube;   wherein movement of the collet in an opposite unclamping movement allows the at least one compression slot to expand to move out of frictional permit removal of the other of the loader neck and the feed tube from the connector portion.   
   
   
       2 . A combination paintball gun and paintball loader including a storage hopper for storing a supply of paintballs, where a loader neck is formed on the paintball loader for supplying paintballs from the storage hopper and a feed tube is formed on the paintball gun for receiving paintballs from the paintball loader the combination having a connector coupled to either the gun or the loader and selectively clamped to the other of the gun or loader to establish a pathway for moving paintballs from the storage hopper to the paintball gun, said connector comprising at least one expansion slot adapted to be selectively contracted to clamp either the gun or the loader to the other to thereby secure the loader to the gun and adapted to be selectively expanded to discharge either the gun or the loader from the other to thereby release the loader from the gun. 
   
   
       3 . A connector adapted to connect a paintball gun to a paintball loader with a storage hopper for storing a supply of paintballs and a loader neck for supplying paintballs from the storage hopper to a feed tube formed on the paintball gun for receiving paintballs from the paintball loader, the connector coupled to either the gun or the loader and selectively clamped to the other of the gun or loader to establish a pathway for moving paintballs from the storage hopper to the paintball gun, said connector comprising at least one expansion slot adapted to be selectively contracted to clamp either the gun or the loader to the other to thereby secure the loader to the gun and adapted to be selectively expanded to discharge either the gun or the loader from the other to thereby release the loader from the gun.