A pneumatic ball launcher includes a tube, a ball pathway unit, a push unit, a holding unit, an airway unit and a pneumatic unit. The ball pathway unit is used for connecting one end of the tube and wrapping part of a ball channel of the tube. The push unit includes a push bar, a slide base, a first driver and a second driver. The holding unit, detachably connected with the push unit, is used for holding the ball pushed by the push bar. The airway unit is connected with the holding unit. The pneumatic unit includes a valve mechanism, a pneumatic cylinder and a gas tank. When the valve mechanism opens to allow the gas tank to discharge into the holding unit via the airway unit, the ball held by the holding unit would be ejected out of the tube.

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.

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.

A variable velocity pneumatic launcher including at least one chamber filled with a projectile. The launcher includes a ballast chamber filled with pressurized air released to propel a projectile from the launcher's barrel. The launcher includes a firing chamber filled with ambient air and a ballast chamber filled with pressurized air. A piston rod extends between the chambers and attaches to a firing piston and a ballast piston inside the firing chamber and ballast chamber, respectively. The rod is connected to a velocity valve which controls the rod's longitudinal movement. When the trigger is activated, pressurized air from the ballast chamber is delivered to the firing chamber. Because the surface area of the firing piston is greater than the ballast piston's surface area, the force exerted on the firing piston is sufficient to displace the ballast piston and allow pressurize air to be released into the upper chamber containing the projectile.

A variable velocity pneumatic launcher including at least one chamber filled with a projectile. The launcher includes a ballast chamber filled with pressurized air released to propel a projectile from the launcher's barrel. The launcher includes a firing chamber filled with ambient air and a ballast chamber filled with pressurized air. A piston rod extends between the chambers and attaches to a firing piston and a ballast piston inside the firing chamber and ballast chamber, respectively. The rod is connected to a velocity valve which controls the rod's longitudinal movement. When the trigger is activated, pressurized air from the ballast chamber is delivered to the firing chamber. Because the surface area of the firing piston is greater than the ballast piston's surface area, the force exerted on the firing piston is sufficient to displace the ballast piston and allow pressurize air to be released into the upper chamber containing the projectile.

The no-bullet no-firing structure of the toy gun is disclosed. The toy gun has an impact unit and the no-bullet no-firing structure. The structure has a barrel component, a switch unit and a magazine unit. The switch unit has a pull lever with an abut lever, an elastic member with an elastic arm, and a push member. The magazine unit has a magazine, a bullet and a pulled member. The pulled member is pushed by the bullet to push the abut lever to make the pull lever, the push member and the impact unit be aligned on a same linear line. When no bullet is in the magazine, the abut lever is pushed by the elastic arm to rotate the pull lever pivotally, and the pull lever drives the push member to swing to make the toy gun be unable to fire.

An apparatus and method for inflicting brain injury on a laboratory animal that employs a platform for supporting the laboratory animal. The platform defines an opening for positioning the head of the laboratory animal over the opening. A projectile is launched from a projectile launching device orientated below the opening of the platform. The projectile launching device has a means for propelling the projectile directly at and/or through the opening of said platform, thereby inflicting brain injury on the animal via either a pressure wave or concussive impact of the projectile. Without helmet, direct impact of the projectile results in severe traumatic brain injury. Use of helmet protects animals from skull fracture, subdural hematoma, intracerebral hemorrhage and contusion yet produces mild concussion-like pathology.

An apparatus and method for inflicting brain injury on a laboratory animal that employs a platform for supporting the laboratory animal. The platform defines an opening for positioning the head of the laboratory animal over the opening. A projectile is launched from a projectile launching device orientated below the opening of the platform. The projectile launching device has a means for propelling the projectile directly at and/or through the opening of said platform, thereby inflicting brain injury on the animal via either a pressure wave or concussive impact of the projectile. Without helmet, direct impact of the projectile results in severe traumatic brain injury. Use of helmet protects animals from skull fracture, subdural hematoma, intracerebral hemorrhage and contusion yet produces mild concussion-like pathology.

A toy projectile launcher assembly installed in a ride-on vehicle having a flap, a tire as a storage device for projectiles, and a steering wheel with an activation switch, the toy projectile launcher assembly includes a projectile launcher configured to project the projectiles, a hopper having a feeder carousel which feeds the projectiles via agitator arms from the tire into an air supply outlet of the hopper and an air supply inlet having an airfoil that reduces a cross-sectional area of the air supply inlet at a portion nearest the feeder carousel to a first size from a second size located at an exit of the air supply inlet positioned farthest from the feeder carousel, a blower provides air to the air supply inlet of the hopper which is sped up when passing the airfoil and entering into the hopper.

An apparatus includes an energy source and an expansion structure. The energy source is configured to convey an amount of energy operable to increase a pressure of a compressible gas disposed in a chamber. The expansion structure is configured to be placed in fluid communication with the chamber and to receive a flow of the compressible gas in response to the increase in pressure. The expansion structure includes an inlet having a first diameter and an outlet having a second diameter greater than the first diameter and is configured to allow the compressible gas to expand as the compressible gas flows from the inlet to the outlet such that a supersonic free jet of the compressible gas exits the outlet. In some instances, the supersonic free jet of the compressible gas can accelerate, relative to the expansion structure, a projectile disposed outside of the expansion structure.