Air Driven Projectile

Abstract

A system for propelling an air-driven projectile from an air gun includes an air gun with an elongate bore and a source of compressed air in fluid communication with the elongate bore. A projectile is disposed within the bore of the air gun, the projectile having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the elongate bore.

1 . A system for propelling an air-driven projectile from an air gun, comprising:
 the air gun comprising an elongate bore and a source of compressed air in fluid communication with the elongate bore;   an elongate projectile disposed within the bore of the air gun, the elongate projectile having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the elongate bore;   wherein the elongate projectile has a length that is at least substantially equivalent to a length of the elongate bore of the air gun;   wherein the elongate projectile comprises a butt on a proximal end of the projectile and a tip on a distal end of the projectile, wherein the butt comprises an outer diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the elongate projectile and less than the inner diameter of the elongate bore; and   wherein the butt further comprises an annular groove.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the butt of the elongate projectile comprises an annular resilient member disposed within the annular groove, the annular resilient member having an outer diameter that is greater than the inner diameter of the bore. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the annular groove comprises a tapered front section. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the tapered front section of the annular groove extends from a bottom of the annular groove to an outside surface of the butt. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the annular groove comprises a tapered rear section. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the tapered rear section of the annular groove extends from a bottom of the annular groove to an outside surface of the butt. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the tapered front section of the annular groove has a slope that is equivalent to an absolute value of the slope of the tapered rear section. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the body of the butt is sized to approximate the shape of a cylinder, a front end of the butt being tapered and a rear end of the butt being tapered. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of O-rings disposed within the annular groove. 
     
     
         10 . A projectile, comprising:
 an elongate tubular member;   a tip disposed about a distal end of the elongate tubular member;   a butt disposed about a proximal end of the elongate tubular member, wherein the butt has an outer diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the elongate tubular member and comprises a rear face having a diameter greater than the diameter of the elongate tubular member;   an annular groove disposed about the butt, said annular groove circumscribing the butt, wherein said annular groove comprises a front tapered section.   
     
     
         11 . The projectile of  claim 11 , wherein the annular groove comprises a rear tapered section and a flat section disposed between the front and rear tapered sections. 
     
     
         12 . The projectile of  claim 11 , further comprising an O-ring disposed within the annular groove. 
     
     
         13 . The projectile of  claim 12 , wherein the O-ring, in an unbiased state, comprises an inner diameter that is substantially equivalent to the outer diameter of the front of the annular groove and an outer diameter that is substantially equivalent to the outer diameter of the butt. 
     
     
         14 . The projectile of  claim 11 , wherein the annular groove is disposed forward of the center of the butt with respect to a longitudinal axis of the butt. 
     
     
         15 . The projectile of  claim 11 , wherein the annular groove is disposed rearward of the center of the butt with respect to a longitudinal axis of the butt. 
     
     
         16 . A method of propelling a projectile from an air gun, comprising:
 placing a quantity of pressurized fluid into the air gun, the quantity of pressurized fluid in fluid communication with a bore of the air gun;   placing an elongate projectile into the bore of the air gun, wherein said elongate projectile comprises a cylindrical butt disposed about a proximal end of the elongate projectile, the butt having a face with a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the elongate projectile, the butt comprising an annular groove circumscribing the butt and having a tapered section about the front of the annular groove;   releasing the pressurized fluid into the bore of the air gun propelling the elongate projectile from the bore of the air gun, wherein as the elongate projectile is propelled down the bore of the air gun, the O-ring frictionally advances over the tapered section and engages riflings within the air gun causing the elongate projectile to rotate within the bore of the air gun.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the annular groove comprises a tapered section about the rear of the annular groove. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein when the projectile is propelled out of the bore of the air gun, the O-ring frictionally is forced to the rear of the annular groove and engages the bore of the air gun. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the O-ring expands as it is driven on the tapered section of the annular groove increasing the frictional engagement of the O-ring with the bore of the air gun. 
     
     
         20 . A projectile configured to be propelled from an air gun, comprising:
 a cylinder having a front side and a back side, said cylinder further comprising an annular groove circumscribing the cylinder between the front and back sides, wherein the projectile is configured to be placed back-side-first into an air gun;   a front tapered section disposed about a front of the annular groove and a non-tapered section disposed rearward of the front tapered section;   a resilient annular member disposed within the annular groove, said resilient annular member having a first position in a biased state within the non-tapered section of the annular groove, a second position in a non-biased state about the front tapered section.   
     
     
         21 . The projectile of  claim 20 , further comprising a rear tapered section disposed about the rear of the annular groove, wherein the resilient annular member further comprises a third position in a non-biased state about the rear tapered section. 
     
     
         22 . The projectile of  claim 20 , wherein the projectile further comprises an elongate member coupled to a front side of the cylinder, the elongate member having an outer diameter that is less than an outer diameter of the cylinder. 
     
     
         23 . The projectile of  claim 20 , further comprising a tip having an outside diameter greater than the outside diameter of the elongate member. 
     
     
         24 . The projectile of  claim 23 , wherein the tip comprises an outside diameter that is greater than an inside diameter of the air gun.