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Published: December 1, 2008 3:00 a.m.

Paintballs get little backspin

Allows for longer, straighter shots

GREG COOPER

Patently Speaking highlights the technological achievements of Fort Wayne area residents.

Paintball spin application method

• U.S. Patent No. 7,451,756

• Inventor: Dennis J. Tippmann Jr., Fort Wayne

• Assignee: Tippmann Sports LLC, Fort Wayne

Paintball games have become one of the fastest growing pastimes. Evidence of this is shown by the amount of technology that goes into today’s paintball guns. There is more to them than simply propelling a large paint-filled ball from a bore with compressed air.

One persistent problem with these guns is they still have to propel a relatively large paintball with only compressed air. A lot of force needs to be generated, because to the paintball’s size, wind resistance and gravity. Any assistance that helps propel the paintball farther and straighter is always welcome.

This patent describes a new paintball gun bore that applies the laws of physics to propel the paintball farther and straighter. By applying a backspin to the paintball, an imbalance of pressure is generated as it travels through the air. Low pressure is generated above the ball while high pressure is generated below the ball. The high pressure supports the ball, keeping it in the air longer.

Because paintballs are fragile, applying backspin is easier said than done. A typical way of applying backspin to any type of ball is to cause its topside to contact a barrier as the ball travels through the air. Of course, this can be difficult for an object that is specifically designed to rupture as soon as it hits the barrier.

This patent solves the problem by designing a bore that is just slightly curved. This slight curve is just enough so the paintball’s top surface gently (relatively speaking) contacts the upper surface of the bore as it is being fired. The contact is just enough to allow friction to slow the top of the paintball down. The bottom of the paintball continues to travel at the same speed, however. The net result is a back spinning paintball.

When the paintball exits the gun, it has sufficient backspin to keep it moving farther. The bore can be shrouded by a larger straight barrel to give the gun’s overall appearance to be that of a conventional gun with a conventional straight bore.

Pin clamp assembly

• U.S. Patent No. 7,448,607

• Inventors: Kenneth A. Steele, Fort Wayne; Bruce D. McIntosh, Monroeville; Steven M. Moilanen, Fort Wayne; William E. Davenport, Fort Wayne; William D. Givens, Berne; and Parag Patwardhan, Fort Wayne,

• Assignee: PHD Inc.

Despite all the news accounts of an ailing auto industry, we will still have one. Indeed, a result of this downturn may force the automakers to develop even more efficiencies in building an automobile.

As can be imagined, a big part of manufacturing an automobile is sheet metal. Large panels of steel or other metals undergo many stamping and other processes to form part of the automobile. One of the difficulties in this manufacturing process is handling all the sheet metal.

That is where this patent comes in. A locating pin clamp is designed to hold and transport sheet metal panels. Typically, sheet metal panels have holes drilled through them at various locations. Pin clamps use these holes to hold the sheet metal. A pin from the clamp extends up through the hole while the sheet metal rests on the body of the clamp.

A complex sequence using cams and slides inside the clamp move two little fingers housed in the pin outward. The sequence also draws the pin downward so the two little fingers clamp the sheet metal against the body.

With the sheet metal tightly held, it can be moved around, stamped into shape. When finished, the fingers are recessed into the locating pin, and the sheet metal slides off the pin.

The preceding are lay descriptions of patents obtained from the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s public records and are provided for general information purposes only. Nothing contained herein is a legal description of any claimed invention, identification of novelty, or offer of legal advice. Because issued patents are based on applications often filed years earlier, the subject matter of some patents may have been available on the market for some time prior to the issuance of the patent. Additional information on these patents is available at www.uspto.gov.

Greg Cooper  is an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg in Fort Wayne practicing in the areas of patent, trademark, copyright, procurement, and litigation in both the U.S. and internationally. He can be reached at gcooper@btlaw.com or 425-4660.

Business  | Columns

Patently speaking

The practice of Greg Cooper, an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg in Fort Wayne, includes patents, trademarks, procurement and litigation, both in the U.S. and internationally. His Patently Speaking column, which appears in The Journal Gazette in Monday's Business section, highlights some of the patents obtained by Fort Wayne-area residents based on public records from the United States Patent and Trademark bureau.