Paintball loader feed mechanism

1. An improved paintball loader, comprising:

a housing that defines a paintball receiving cavity in communication with an out-feed tube; and

a paintball moving device in the housing that urges the paintballs toward the out-feed tube, the paintball moving device including:

a motor;

a drive shaft connected to the motor;

an elastic member connected to the drive shaft; and

at least one rigid projection supported by the elastic member, the rigid projection having a length greater than the elastic member.

2. The paintball loader of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is a spring.

3. The paintball loader of claim 1 , further comprising a controller for controlling movement of the paintball moving device.

4. A method of agitating paintballs in a paintball loader, comprising:

providing a feed mechanism mounted in the paintball loader, the feed mechanism, comprising:

a drive shaft connected to the motor;

an elastic member connected to the drive shaft; and

at least one rigid projection supported by the elastic member, the rigid projection having a length greater than the elastic member;

providing a motor for actuating the drive shaft; and

operating the motor to actuate the drive shaft.

5. A mechanism for feeding spherical projectiles out of a holding magazine into the intake port of a gun, which comprises:

a rotating body rotatably mounted in the magazine about a substantially vertical axis;

at least one impelling arm projecting outwardly and substantially radially from said rotating body, the impelling arm comprising a spring member and a rigid projection, the spring member having an internal end portion secured to the rotating body and a peripheral end portion secured to the rigid projection, the impelling arm being positioned, shaped and dimensioned to contact and propel projectiles in the magazine toward the intake port;

a motor having an axle coupled to said rotating body; and

a switch for starting and stopping the motor.

6. The mechanism of claim 5 , wherein the rotating body is rotatably mounted in a lower region of the magazine.

7. A mechanism for feeding spherical projectiles out of a holding magazine into the intake port of a gun, which comprises:

a rotating body rotatably mounted in the magazine about a substantially vertical axis;

at least one impelling arm projecting outwardly and substantially radially from said rotating body, the impelling arm comprising a spring member and being positioned, shaped and dimensioned to contact and propel projectiles in the magazine toward the intake port;

a motor having an axle coupled to said rotating body, the axle having a slot for receiving an internal end portion of the spring member; and

a switch for starting and stopping the motor.