Method for making paintballs

1. A method of forming a paintball, said method comprising:

forming a quantity of paintball filling material into a desired shape;

freezing the paintball filling material; and

applying a shell material to the frozen paintball filling material.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein forming the quantity of paintball filling material into a desired shape, comprises forming the filling material into a sphere by dropping a measured quantity of paintball filling material through a vacuum chamber.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein freezing the paintball filling material comprises dropping the paintball filling material through a freezing chamber in communication with the vacuum chamber.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein applying a shell material to the paintball filling material comprises spraying the shell material onto the frozen paintball filling material.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the paintball filling material is molded into the desired shape.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein applying a shell material to the paintball filling material comprises dipping the paintball filling material into a bath containing the shell material.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein applying a shell material to the paintball filling material comprises pouring the shell material over the paintball filling material.

8. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising measuring a quantity of paintball filling material before forming the quantity of paintball filling material into a desired shape.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein forming a quantity of paintball filling material into a desired shape comprises pouring the paintball filling material into a mold cavity.

10. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising curing the shell material.

11. A method of forming a paintball, said method comprising:

forming a desired quantity of paintball filling material into an approximately sphere-like shape;

hardening the sphere-like shaped paintball filling material; and

applying a shell material to the hardened sphere-like shaped paintball filling material.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein hardening the filling material comprises freezing the filling material.

13. A method of forming a paintball according to claim 11 , wherein forming the desired quantity of paintball filling material into an approximately sphere-like shape comprises injecting the filling material into a spherical mold cavity.

14. A method of forming a paintball according to claim 11 , wherein forming the desired quantity of paintball filling material into an approximately sphere-like shape comprises dropping the quantity of paintball filling material through a vacuum chamber.

15. A method of forming a paintball according to claim 14 , wherein hardening the paintball filling material comprises flash freezing the paintball filling material in the vacuum chamber.

16. A method of forming a paintball, said method comprising:

dispensing a desired quantity of paintball filling material;

forming the desired quantity of paintball filling material into a desired shape;

freezing the paintball filling material having the desired shape to retain the desired shape and to provide a desired size; and

applying a shell material to the frozen paintball filling material.

17. A method according to claim 16 , wherein forming the desired quantity of paintball filling material into a desired shape comprises molding the paintball filling material into an approximately spherical shape.

18. A method according to claim 17 , wherein the desired size is approximately 0.68 inches in diameter.

19. A method according to claim 16 , wherein forming the desired quantity of paintball filling material into a desired shape comprises dropping the paintball filling material into a vacuum chamber.

20. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the paintball filling material comprises vegetable oil and wherein the shell material comprises gelatin.