"Batteries Not Included" - Exploring the feasibility of a pneumatic hopper

[rawbutter]

The biggest problem I see with pneumatic hopper technology is the air line. It would indeed be wonderful to eliminate the dependence on batteries, but to do so, you would have to run an air line up from the gun to the hopper.

I know people used to do something similar with the Intellifeed wires running from the trigger to their Revvy loaders, but still... it seems like a hassle. It might get caught on stuff... it might get shot off. Who knows.

With the cyclone loader, this isn't a problem because the hopper is mounted directly to the side of the marker. With a loader mounted on top, though, it seems more trouble than it's worth.

HOWEVER... I'm not saying I wouldn't love to see someone try this out. This is AO, after all. We're the kings of custom! I just don't see myself ever using such a set-up.

[tbaggin]

I think this would be cool to mount and make for a pump. I like motorized hoppers even for pump, but get tired of having that big hopper sicking out. a pneumatic sportshot. hmmmm........

[Drix]

I saw this thread and I immediatly saw bigger: Pneumatically powered warp and hopper. It'd eliminate the need for those pesky micro lines snaking all up your gun.

[Patron God of Pirates]

I saw this thread and I immediatly saw bigger: Pneumatically powered warp and hopper. It'd eliminate the need for those pesky micro lines snaking all up your gun.

The Warp mod seems as though it would be easier to do as well. I'm still trying to imagine the best way to manage on/off functionality in a non pneuMag setup.

[MingusX]

http://www.allenpaintball.com/turboloaders.html

[Patron God of Pirates]

http://www.allenpaintball.com/turboloaders.html

Neat to know that exists but not exactly what I had in mind. It's not a true force feed. It's an air powered agitating gravity feed with a sort of "stack organizer".

Of course I haven't tested it, having just now learned of it's existence.

I'm still thinking the best design idea is squids: A small radial piston motor mounted to continuously prime a HALO rip drive.

[sQuidvision]

Does anyone know which air motor would be equivalent power wise to the 300 size motor in a halo? I do not have the mental bandwidth these days to dig up torque and rpm specs on everything, but if someone can make a recommendation i will strongly consider picking one up and giving it a go.

EDIT: I guess we will also need to know how much the load on the motor reduces the PSI of the exhaust... or am i thinking about that wrong?

[Patron God of Pirates]

Does anyone know which air motor would be equivalent power wise to the 300 size motor in a halo? I do not have the mental bandwidth these days to dig up torque and rpm specs on everything, but if someone can make a recommendation i will strongly consider picking one up and giving it a go.

EDIT: I guess we will also need to know how much the load on the motor reduces the PSI of the exhaust... or am i thinking about that wrong?

So the motors I linked earlier in the thread are prohibitively expensive. I've been scouring the web for an RC type air engine like airHogs use. There were some older CO2 powered ones I found on eBay as well. Something that works like this:

http://www.animatedengines.com/co2.html

[Chris TS-1438]

This has already been done, hasn't it? By a major paintball marker manufacturing company?

Tippmann. The Cyclone feed system on the A5 and X7.

This isn't a bash of your idea, but just pointing out that the concept is already in practice. If you want to modify the system to work for any marker by constructing it in a drop-from-the-top hopper, I think this is where you start.

I dont really consider the A-5 feed system to be a Pnuematic Loader...it is pneumatic, but design-wise it is just a gravity loader on a marker with a modified trap door integrated feeding system.
The part that makes it Pnuematic is part of the gun itself.

[Patron God of Pirates]

Sweet, I apparently came up with the same idea 5 years ago. Actually quite a few of my old posts are populated with paintball concept. I need an air smith buddy and a machine shop buddy. Maybe an air smith with a machine shop buddy.

http://automags.org/forums/showthread.php?t=209372