Drive cone for paintball loader

Abstract

A drive cone for use on a paintball loader for loading paintballs into a conventional paintball gun. The drive cone is located at a bottom portion of the container and is rotated by a motor. The drive cone includes at least one fin which forms a gap for which a plurality of paintballs may fit. The drive cone feeds the paintballs into an exit tube located at the bottom of the container which feeds into the paintball gun.

1 . A rapid feed paintball loader for use on a paintball gun, the paintball loader comprising: 
 a container for holding a plurality of paintballs;    a paintball agitating device mounted on a bottom portion of the container;    an exit tube exiting from the bottom portion of the container and leading to an inlet tube of the paintball gun;    a motor that rotates the paintball agitating device; and    means for actuating the motor upon demand, said means for actuating the motor upon demand including: 
 a sensor for sensing the presence of at least one paintball at a selected location within the exit tube; and,  
 a microprocessor for activating the motor when receiving a signal from the sensor that a paintball is not present at the location in the exit tube.  
   
     
     
         2 . The rapid feed paintball loader of  claim 1 , wherein the microprocessor turns the motor off when receiving a signal from the sensor that a paintball is present at the selected location within the exit tube.  
     
     
         3 . A rapid feed paintball loader for use on a paintball gun for force feeding paintballs, the paintball loader comprising: 
 a container for holding a plurality of paintballs;    a drive cone including a dome-shaped area having at least two fins projecting outwardly from the dome-shaped area, the fins spaced to provide at least one gap large enough to accommodate more than one paintball;    a motor that rotates said drive cone;    a sensor for detecting the presence of a paintball in communication with the motor;    a microprocessor in communication with the motor and sensor;    an exit tube exiting from the bottom portion of said container; and    whereby said drive cone receives paintballs from the container and forces the paintballs from the gap into the exit tube.    
     
     
         4 . A drive cone for use in a rapid feed paintball loader having a motor, a sensor, and a microprocessor for use on a paintball gun for force feeding paintballs, said drive cone comprising: 
 a dome-shaped area located within its center; and    at least one fin projecting outwardly from the dome-shaped area, the at least one fin affixed to a top feed surface of said drive cone, said fin separating the top feed surface of the drive cone into at least one gap large enough to accommodate more than one paintball.    
     
     
         5 . The rapid feed paintball loader of  claim 4  wherein said drive cone includes at least two fins forming a gap with an adjacent fin large enough to accommodate more than one paintball.