Toy projectile launcher apparatus

Several variations of a toy projectile launcher apparatus for discharging EVA balls. The apparatus includes a housing, a ram movable in the housing, a carriage also movable in the housing, a negator spring, a handle for cocking the apparatus, and a lever pivotally mounted in the housing just behind a ball to be discharged. In operation, a user pulls the handle rearward and a connector engages the ram to pull the ram rearward. The ram abuts the carriage and when the ram moves rearward the carriage also moves rearward. The carriage is attached to the spring and extends the spring when the carriage moves rearward. At a predetermined location the connector disengages the ram, which is pushed forward by the carriage, which in turn is driven by the biasing force of the spring. Before striking the lever, the carriage is stopped and the ram, being mounted to the carriage to allow relative sliding forward movement, impacts the lever causing the lever to slap the ball to cause discharge. A variation uses a latch mechanism and trigger.