My prototype

[)DEMON(]

I have been doing a lot of design and research into making a paintball under barrel style grenade launcher. Some of you might remember my other topic. Well I have designed and developed what I see as a new variation of valve. Almost like a piston valve but different in many aspects.

The valve is a prototype, an all aluminium high pressure version is soon to come in the future. By high pressure I mean around 800-1200psi, not difficult to do at all. It will be machined out of series 6800 aluminium, thats what is available and is very close to series 7000.

Anyway, enough of that. I can't really give away any specs, if I were to describe it I would say something close to a mechanically operated piston valve.

I will give you a pic and a video, the cannon itself is quite small, it has a 32mm barrel and a 40mm chamber. I have only tested it today at low pressure with toilet paper as the projectile. Which you can imagine doesn't yeild the best prefomance. But it works, and thats all I was aiming for.

There is some more developement to do here but the concept is looking good.

[jrrdw]

Looking good so far Demon. Why aluminium? After the better mouse rap, ooops, i mean piston valve?

[Hotwired]

If this is for paintball then cut back to a max of 300psi or make a chamber the size of a thimble. 1200psi shots with a chamber that size will munch your gas supply like roast potato wedges.

It would help discussion if you were to say something about the interesting bit e.g. how it works Pressure is just materials.

[)DEMON(]

I didn't say this exact design would be made out of aluminium did I? The chamber on the high pressure model will be linked to the valve/barrel via high pressure hose anyway.

The valve right now is mechanical and has quite a lot of movement to open it. There is 1 moving part in the whole thing, I need to refine it down so that it will be very easy to open and will not have to move very much but I can't to that without custom made peices.

The valve has two positions, open and closed. When it is closed the chamber is filled automatically(if connected to an air source) but then when it is opened the chamber exhausts its gasses into the barrel. The chamber can only be filled when the valve is closed because the fill pressure is cut off when the valve is open. If I hook the cannon up to an airsource it has the ability to become semi-auto.

I want to real thing to be made out of aluminium because it is strong and durable. Maybe I could sell them if I develope a product. An under barrel universal launcher that uses gas from the paintball gun and is safe to use and operate.

[lukemc]

it looks cool but i cant understand why you dont give some ideas on how the valve works.

[jrrdw]

Is there any other way for a piston valve to work other then how they normaly work?

[)DEMON(]

Not unless all the force or pressure is NOT bias to a side or direction. Once an equallibrium is reached the piston is easily manipulated. Esentually we have to re-arrange the design in order for the piston to be moved easily on it's axis and without pressure escaping. My design doesn't use differance in pressure to manipulate the piston but instead uses a mechanical action to preform almost the same function.

Best read that twice.

[jrrdw]

Not unless all the force or pressure is NOT bias to a side or direction. Once an equallibrium is reached the piston is easily manipulated. Esentually we have to re-arrange the design in order for the piston to be moved easily on it's axis and without pressure escaping. My design doesn't use differance in pressure to manipulate the piston but instead uses a mechanical action to preform almost the same function.

Best read that twice.

And it has only one moving part?

[)DEMON(]

Ya, but it uses a mechanical action to move

[jrrdw]

Are you counting the movement of the piston when it fires the mechanical action to move? Other wise, it has to have more then 1 moving part.

[)DEMON(]

There is only 1 moving part, the piston can't fire on it's own. I think there is a little confusion here with what I am saying. I am manually, physically opening the valve. Mechanical movement.

Damn, I am just going to have to share this arn't I...

[Hotwired]

Hmm...

So the force on each side of the piston is equal or justabout equal so you can physically open it with a little manual force directly on the piston...

The seals in it should be interesting...

[jrrdw]

Opening it manualy means it has a handle of some sort???

[)DEMON(]

Lol, getting warmer. It seals with two orings, which is great. Actually the orings I had were slightly too small so I put tape in the oring grooves until I can go to the hydraulics shop and pic up the right size.

So the force on each side of the piston is equal or justabout equal so you can physically open it with a little manual force directly on the piston...

Actually the force is inside the piston.

[AmYisroelChai]

Very Nice. I do remember your other post and I commented there as well. Never mind the CO2 offer if you are looking to develope the item Commercialy.

Just a thought though. Have you taken apart the competitions Launcer to see what you can learn? Just a thought. Keep up the developement I am following closely.