Balling gun

Claim 1

A BALLING GUN FOR INTRODUCING BOLUSES INTO AN ANIMAL''S THROAT COMPRISING, AN ELONGAT TUBULAR BARREL FORMING A MAGAZINE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PLURALITY OF BOLUSES IN ALIGNED END-TO-END RELATION, A PROTECTIVE TIP FORMED FROM A RELATIVELY SOFT PLIANT MATERIAL FITTED TO THE FRONT END OF THE BARREL INTENDED FOR INSERTION INTO THE ANIMAL''S MOUTH, SAID TIP INCLUDING A CAP PORTION ENCIRCLING THE BARREL END AND AT LEAST ONE SPRINGABLE FINGER PROJECTING ACROSS THE OPENING IN SAID BARREL END, SAID FINGER BEING ADAPTED TO RETAIN THE BOLUSES WITHIN THE BAWRREL YET BEND ASIDE AND ALLOW SAME TO PASS UPON THE APPLICATION OF AN AXIAL FORCE THERETO, A HANDLE AFFIXED TO THE REAR END OF SAID BARREL FORMING A CLOSURE THEREOF, SAID HANDLE INCLUDING A PORTION AT THE FORWARD END THEREOF ADAPTED TO BE GRASPED BY THE USER''S FINGERS AND AN EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID FINGER-ENGAGING PORTION THAT TERMINATES IN A DOWNTURNED ABUTMENT, SAID FINGER-ENGAGING PORTION HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH ALIGNED CONCENTRICALLY WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE BARREL, SAID DOWNTURNED ABUTMENT HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH CONCENTRIC WITH THE BARREL AXIS AND THE OPENING IN THE FINGERENGAGING PORTION, A PLUNGER MOUNTED WITHIN THE BARREL FOR RECIPROCATING MOTION FROM A RETRACTED POSITION INTO AN EXTENDED POSITION WHEREIN BOLUSES CONTAINED WITHIN THE MAGAZINE WILL BE PUSHED OUT THE FRONT END OF THE BARREL PAST THE YIELDABLE FINGER, SAID PLUNGER HAVING AN ENLARGEMENT AT THE FORWARD EXTREMITY THEREOF ADAPTED FOR LONGITUDINAL SLIDING MOVEMENT INSIDE THE BARREL AND A PUSHROD EXTENDING REARWARDLY THEREFROM ALONG THE BARREL AXIS THROUGH THE ALIGNED OPENINGS IN THE FINGER-ENGAGING PORTION AND DOWNTURNED ABUTMENT OF THE HANDLE, ACTUATING MEANS MOUNTED ON THE PUSH-ROD BETWEEN THE DOWNTURNED ABUTMENT AND THE FINGER-ENGAGING PORTION OF THE HANDLE SAID ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING A TRIGGER MOUNTED ON THE PUSH-ROD FOR NORMAL FREE-SLIDING MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, SAID TRIGGER INCLUDING LOCKING MEANS OPERATIVE TO LOCK SAID TRIGGER AGAINST RELATIVE SLIDABLE MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID PUSH-ROD AND MOVE SAME TOWARD THE OPEN END OF THE BARREL UPON THE APPLICATION OF A FORWARDLYACTING FORCE TO SAID TRIGGER AT A POINT DISPLACED TO ONE SIDE OF THE BARREL AXIS, AND SAID ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING A COMPRESSION SPRING MOUNTED ON THE EXPOSED PORTION OF THE PUSH-ROD LYING BETWEEN THE FINGER ENGAGING PORTION AND DOWNTURNED ABUTMENT, SAID SPRING BEING OPERATIVE TO RETURN THE TRIGGER REARWARDLY AGAINST THE DOWNTURNED ABUTMENT BY SLIDING SAID TRIGGER ALONG THE PUSHROD WHEN THE FORWARDLY ACTING FORCE IS SUBSTANTIALLY RELEASED, SAID ACTUATING MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING A GUIDING MEANS WHICH PREVENTS SAID TRIGGER FROM ROTATING ON SAID PUSH ROD, AND FRICTION MEANS OPERATIVELY INTERCONNECTING THE HANDLE AND PUSH ROD ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN THE LATTER IN EXTENDED POSITION FOLLOWING ACTUATION OF THE TRIGGER WHILE THE SPRING RETURNS SAID TRIGGER TO ITS STARTING POSITION BY SLIDING SAME REARWARDLY ALONG SAID PUSH-ROD