Non-lethal weapon firing a frangible, weighted paint ball

• US 6,223,658 B1
• Filed: 11/06/1998
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Francis B. Manion, Steven P. Rosa
• Original Assignee: Francis B. Manion, Steven P. Rosa
• Inventors: Rosa, Steven P., Manion, Francis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US09/186,632
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 102/501, 102/502, 102/513, 473/577, 473/218
• US Class Current: 102/501
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/40 of target-marking, i.e. impact-indicating type F42B12/48, F42B12/50 take precedence

Abstract

A non-lethal, light weight, paint ball weapon is attached to standard rifles and fits underneath the barrel of the rifle on existing hard points provided for M-203 forty millimeter grenade launchers. A separate triggering system allows the shooter to fire the non-lethal weapon while aligning sights upon an intended target. The paint ball is stabilized by a first immiscible high density component filling approximately one-third of the ball interior volume. Paint or some other liquid is used as a lower density component filling the remaining volume. The high density component may be talc powder, lead shot, sand, glass beads, or a high density substantially immiscible liquid, paste or gel. The specially adapted, stabilized paint ball includes a colorant or dye and, optionally, a skin irritant or odor producing liquid. The ball is enclosed by an elastomeric, fluid impermeable skin scored or marked to ensure immediate bursting and kinetic energy dissipation upon impact. The ball may be filled with a any of a plurality of liquids, thereby providing a baton-marker round, a chemical incapacitating (e.g., oleoresin capsicum) round, a transdermal drug delivery round, a water-filled training round, or an infrared or ultraviolet tagging round. The paint ball ammunition may be color coded for easy identification of the contents and intended use. The weapon fires a selection of paint ball types and includes a plurality of magazines marked with external indicia of ammunition type, or the magazine tubes may include a window, allowing the paint ball condition and color coding to be seen.

Claims

1. A projectile suitable for being fired from a weapon and rupturing upon impact with a target to disperse contents of the projectile on the target, said projectile comprising:

a fluid impermeable outer shell enclosing an interior volume and having an exterior surface;

a first material disposed within said interior volume and occupying a selected fraction of said shell interior volume;

a second, fluid material occupying substantially all the remaining shell interior volume;

wherein said first material has a specific gravity greater than said second material specific gravity and is substantially immiscible with said second material; and

wherein said outer shell is rupturable in response to impact with said target to permit dispersal of said fluid material on said target.

2. The projectile of claim 1, wherein said first material comprises solid particles.

3. The projectile of claim 2, wherein said first material is grains of sand, silica particles, talc powder, glass particles, or gypsum particles.

4. The projectile of claim 2, wherein said first material comprises metal particles.

5. The projectile of claim 4, wherein said metal is aluminum, steel or lead.

6. The projectile of claim 1, wherein said first material comprises a high density, immiscible liquid.

7. The projectile of claim 6, wherein said first material is glycerin or mercury.

8. The projectile of claim 1, wherein said first material is a high density immiscible gel, a high density immiscible paste or a high density immiscible wax.

9. The projectile of claim 1, wherein said second fluid material comprises a liquid.

10. The projectile of claim 9, wherein said liquid includes paint having a selected color.

11. The projectile of claim 9, wherein said liquid includes a chemical incapacitating agent.

12. The projectile of claim 11, wherein said chemical incapacitating agent is oleoresin capasicum or chloroacetophenone.

13. The projectile of claim 9, wherein said liquid includes an additive selected from the group consisting of:

an infrared dye, an odor producing agent, an ultraviolet dye, an adhesive compound, a pharmaceutical agent or chemical taggants.

14. The projectile, of claim 1 wherein said elastomeric shell has a textured exterior surface.

15. The projectile of claim 14, wherein said liquid includes an additive selected from the group consisting of:

an odor producing agent, a chemical incapacitating agent, an infrared dye, an ultraviolet dye, an adhesive compound or a chemical taggant.

16. The projectile of claim 14, wherein said liquid includes an additive selected from the group consisting of:

alcohol, water, paint, oil or glycerin.

17. A projectile suitable for being fired from a weapon and rupturing upon impact with a target to disperse contents of the projectile on the target, said projectile comprising:

a fluid impermeable outer shell enclosing an interior volume and having an exterior surface, said shell comprising a material that ruptures in response to impact with said target;

a first material disposed within said interior volume and occupying a selected fraction of said shell interior volume;

a second, fluid material occupying substantially all the remaining shell interior volume;

wherein said first material has a specific gravity greater than said second material specific gravity and is substantially immiscible with said second material; and

wherein said projectile is free from structure and material that would prevent dispersal of said fluid material on said target in response to impact of said shell with said target.

18. The projectile of claim 17, wherein said first material comprises solid particles.

19. The projectile of claim 18, wherein said first material is grains of sand, silica particles, talc powder, glass particles, or gypsum particles.

20. The projectile of claim 18, wherein said first material comprises metal particles.

21. The projectile of claim 20, wherein said metal is aluminum, steel or lead.

22. The projectile of claim 17, wherein said first material comprises a high density, immiscible liquid.

23. The projectile of claim 22, wherein said first material is glycerin or mercury.

24. The projectile of claim 17, wherein said first material is a high density immiscible gel, a high density immiscible paste or a high density immiscible wax.

25. The projectile of claim 17, wherein said second fluid material comprises a liquid.

26. The projectile of claim 25, wherein said liquid includes paint having a selected color.

27. The projectile of claim 25, wherein said liquid includes a chemical incapacitating agent.

28. The projectile of claim 27, wherein said chemical incapacitating agent is oleoresin capasicum or chloroacetophenone.

29. The projectile of claim 25, wherein said liquid includes an additive selected from the group consisting of:

an infrared dye, an odor producing agent, an ultraviolet dye, an adhesive compound, a pharmaceutical agent or chemical taggants.

30. The projectile, of claim 17 wherein said elastomeric shell has a textured exterior surface.

31. The projectile of claim 30, wherein said liquid includes an additive selected from the group consisting of:

an odor producing agent, a chemical incapacitating agent, an infrared dye, an ultraviolet dye, an adhesive compound or a chemical taggant.

32. The projectile of claim 30, wherein said liquid includes an additive selected from the group consisting of:

alcohol, water, paint, oil or glycerin.