Apparatus for projecting a light beam

Claim 1

In a simulated gun apparatus for projecting a light beam, said apparatus including a housing, a trigger movably mounted on said housing, a circuit including a light bulb and a switch for controlling the operation of said light bulb located within said housing, and a shutter movable between open and closed positions for blocking and permitting the transmission of light from said light bulb the improvement which comprises: an actuator having ends, said actuator being slidably mounted within said housing so as to be capable of being moved between an uncocked position and a cocked position, said actuator including a cocking arm accessible from the exterior of said housing for use in moving said actuator from said uncocked position to said cocked position, said actuator including a sloping surface adjacent to one end thereof and a notch positioned adjacent to said sloping surface, said actuator also including a cam surface adjacent to the other end thereof and a notch adjacent to said cam surface, said notches being located adjacent of the extremities of said surfaces remote from said ends, spring means connecting said actuator and said housing for biasing said actuator in said uncocked position, a trigger pivotally mounted within said housing, a portion of said trigger being accessible from the exterior of said housing, said trigger including an actuating surface, a latch lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends within said housing, one of said ends of said latch lever being adjacent to said actuating surface and the other of said ends of said latch lever being adjacent to said first mentioned end of said actuator, spring means connecting said latch lever and said housing for biasing said latch lever so that said first mentioned end of said latch lever bears against said actuating surface, said second mentioned end of said latch lever being capable of being engaged by said sloping surface on said actuator as said actuator is moved from said uncocked to said cocked position so as to cause rotation of said latch lever such as will permit said latch lever to engage said notch adjacent to said sloping surface so as to hold said actuator in said cocked position, said trigger being capable of being pivoted so as to pivot said actuating lever in order to move said second mentioned end of said latch lever from engaging with said notch adjacent to said sloping surface so as to permit said spring means connecting said actuator and said housing to move said actuator to said uncocked position, said shutter being pivotally mounted within said housing, spring means connecting said shutter and said housing for biasing said shutter in said closed position, lever means connected to said shutter for causing movement of said shutter between said open and closed positions, said lever means being positioned so as to be engaged by said cam surface as said actuator is moved from said cocked position to said uncocked position so as to move said shutter to said open position, said lever means being capable of being disengaged from said cam surface when said actuator is moved into said uncocked position so as to move into said second mentioned notch, said second mentioned spring means serving to cause movement of said shutter to said closed position and said lever means into said second mentioned notch as said actuator is moved into said uncocked position.