Apparatus for launching subcaliber projectiles at propellant operating pressures including the range of pressures that may be supplied by human breath

Abstract

An apparatus for efficiently and accurately launching subcaliber projectiles comprises: an elongate barrel; an associated discarding sabot; and an associated subcaliber projectile. In one embodiment, the sabot includes a registration means adapted to limit lateral displacement of the projectile while simultaneously permitting the projectile to touch the inner surface of the bore of the barrel. An alternative embodiment includes a magnetically attractable portion incorporated into the projectile and a magnetic detent for holding the projectile within the barrel bore in readiness for launching. Other alternative embodiments are disclosed.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus for launching subcaliber projectiles from a blowgun, comprising: a sabot, said sabot being sized, shaped and adapted to be launched through and from the bore of a blowgun by the breath of the user and to exit the said bore of the said blowgun after launch acceleration, said sabot including firstly a rearwardly disposed, rearwardly opening conical aperture, said conical aperture defining a thrust-pressurization surface adapted to receive thrust pressure supplied by the breath of the user and thereby be accelerated during launch, and secondly a forwardly disposed inclined conical shoulder, said inclined conical shoulder defining a slanted projectile-registration surface, said projectile-registration surface adapted to abuttingly, yet unattachedly, register at least one portion of a subcaliber blowgun projectile in alignment with said sabot during launch acceleration, yet also to permit said sabot to completely separate from and discard from the said subcaliber blowgun projectile after launch acceleration;
 said sabot being adapted to be non-petaling and non-frangible under the propulsive forces applied to said sabot during launch acceleration and under the atmospheric drag forces applied to said sabot after exiting the said blowgun barrel bore.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein said sabot is adapted to retain functional structural configuration at the completion of discarding separation of said sabot from the said subcaliber projectile and to thereby be configured to be reusable, thereby making it possible for the user to retrieve said sabot after discarding and to reuse said sabot by re-launching said sabot from the said bore of the said blowgun. 
     
     
         22 . A sabot projectile adapted for launch through and from the bore of a blowgun barrel by the breath of the user received into the said bore, said sabot projectile comprising an elongate subcaliber projectile and an aerodynamic-drag-actuated discarding sabot adapted to substantially sealingly slide along and through said blowgun bore during launch acceleration and to exit the said blowgun bore after launch acceleration;
 said sabot being adapted to be non-petaling and non-frangible under the propulsive pressures and atmospheric drag forces respectively applied to said sabot during launch acceleration and sabot discarding;   said subcaliber projectile including a forwardly disposed elongate penetrator rod and a rearwardly disposed elongate cylinder adapted to serve as an in-flight stabilizer under the influence of aerodynamic drag;   said penetrator rod having a forward end and a rearward end, said rearward end being attached to said elongate cylinder;   said elongate cylinder terminating rearwardly in a sabot engagement end, said sabot engagement end defining a circular edge lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said elongate cylinder;   said sabot including firstly a forwardly disposed inclined conical shoulder adapted to abuttingly apply correctional guidance to said elongate cylinder during launch acceleration along and through the said blowgun barrel bore and secondly a rearwardly disposed, rearwardly opening conical aperture, said conical aperture terminating forwardly in a closed end, said conical aperture defining a thrust pressurization surface adapted to receive and bear thrust pressure provided by the breath of the user received into said blowgun barrel bore;   said sabot being adapted to abuttingly, yet unattachedly, engage said subcaliber projectile during launch acceleration, and to completely separate from and discard from said subcaliber projectile after launch acceleration;   said subcaliber projectile and said sabot being adapted to be configurable together within the said blowgun barrel bore in a launch-pending configuration, wherein said launch-pending configuration is characterized firstly in that said conical aperture is configured in readiness to be pressurized by the breath of the user received into the said blowgun barrel bore and be accelerated thereby and secondly in that said inclined conical shoulder is disposed in proximity of said circular edge and is thereby configured in readiness to abuttingly apply correctional guidance to said elongate cylinder during launch acceleration along and through the said blowgun barrel bore.   
     
     
         23 . The sabot projectile of  claim 22 , wherein said sabot and said subcaliber projectile are adapted to be configurable together within the said blowgun barrel bore in such manner that said launch-pending configuration is further characterized in that, pending commencement of launch acceleration, at least one portion of said penetrator rod touches the inner surface of the said bore. 
     
     
         24 . The sabot projectile of  claim 22 , wherein said sabot and said subcaliber projectile are adapted to be configurable together within the said blowgun barrel bore in such manner that said launch-pending configuration is further characterized in that, pending commencement of launch acceleration, the longitudinal axis of said penetrator rod is aligned slantingly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the said blowgun barrel bore