Sir TK of AGD, I have a question

[SuiciDal Sn Y p ER]

oysterboy - how much do you plan on making people pay for this?

[bleachit]

as I was thinking about it, maybe you should put a spring where the ramp hinge is, kind of like how hoppers have the snap lids. then have another spool or something laying underneath the impeller, parralel to the ramp hinge. wind the string around the spool so the spring pushes the ramp upwards, which in turns unravels the string around the spool and that turns the impeller. then have a little crank or something on the outside to rewind the string, maybe using fishing wire, that would probably hold up better.

I am just brain storming here, I dont know that that will be very effective either. The most important part though is if you want to sell any of these, realistically, they would probably have to be around $15 or less. I think I saw a quantum loader, by viewloader, for like $26 new. if this hopper is anywhere near that price people will pick up the quantum. Once they are thinking that they will probably realize, for a few more bucks, they can pick up a revvy or reloader, and go that route.

[AGD]

I like the spring idea! Good way to make a low profile hopper feed. Work on agitating it.

AGD

[OysterBoy]

Thanks TK, as well as everyone else.

As for pricing I'd say no higher then about 13.00 CDN (Regular Hoppers are 8.00 here, so not a big difference).
The reason for low pricing is because this will be our 'bargain' product, in that we will find the cheapest but most effective materials, and even then our profit margin for it would be quite slim; about 3.00 on each hopper. But if thats what you have to do to bring in the numbers then so be it. But if we see a good demand for these we will probably increase the price just a little bit, say to 15.00 CDN.

The more I think of the non electro agitated hopper the more ideas Im getting...


ok heres a more detailed illustration of the plan, sans the hopper itself:

http://members.rogers.com/cheapopix/bulugaimpellar.gif

obviously the twist-bar wouldnt extend down that far but its just a crude sketch.

I honestly dont think it could be too hard to make, selling should be the real task. By 'recycling' old plastics with a higher strength, we should end up with just about the VL200's weight/strength (When you meld two plastics together they lose about half of their prvious strength).
After we build one , Im assuming out of a clay, then make the mold things should be cool.

[OysterBoy]

We also have a drop we are keeping in the vaults as we beleive it could change some aspects about paintball...



And the other hopper is, lets just say, FAST LOADING, but right now its a mech, so possibly creating an electro agitating without stepping on anyones patents.


Hey TK, do you maybe have links to the hopper patents? The idea Ive got right now involves an unconventional way to electroagitate.

Thanks.

[OysterBoy]

bump..


hey does the patent for revies include a spinning flat disc??? like a turntable.....???

[OysterBoy]

Introducing;

The Beluga-2

Basically its just the beluga only with an added feature:

http://members.rogers.com/cheapopix/beluga2hopper.gif

my business partner reminded me that in gravity feeding hoppers, if you have a breech with 6 shots in it you can fire those 6 shots fast/effectively. So what we did was extend the neck down and forward even more, BUT with a locking clamp to grab onto the guns neck. Its very important that the clamp is strong otherwise it will fall over easily.


Comments?

[11_Mile_TMaster]

Well, IIRC, The 'main' patents on Paintball Hoppers (Electronically,) are for the Sensors.

The basic 'break beam' is more or less Vl's Property, and Ricochet may have the 'miniswitch' type dealie as their child.

SOUND Activation, on the other hand, may be open game. Empire, Oddessy, and, depending on how you look at it, AGD use Sound activation for a 'loading device' (Warp feed. Perhaps that's why Neither Oddessy or Empire patented it.)

Now, that doesn't mean you can't make your own mechanism. The methods of activation are a bit limited now, though.

You seem to be pretty bright, I bet you'll think of something. There are PLENTY of innovative ideas that are just waiting to be figured out... Hell, I already came up with some form of idea.

Since you already have one moving part in the hopper, that is likely to change position often, perhaps a method of it tripping a switch?

[OysterBoy]

Well the idea (patent pending) we have is to have a small little nub in the neck, and whenever it is pushed down, it 'see-saws' and the opposite side is forced up, with a small metal/conductive flat which completes the circuit, turning on the impellar for a limited amount of time.

If this is already patented...


darn.

lol


Thanks for the comments guys.

-Alex

[OysterBoy]

http://members.rogers.com/cheapopix/molluskactivationidea.gif

the hopper (this is all I'm allowed to tell, by the way) is named the mollusk, because it 'sucks' your pods in

anyways, it should be clear in that photo, if its not I can make a small animation demonstrating how it would work.

[bleachit]

no, sorry its not clear how does it suck your pods in, or is that what you arent allowed to say?

[OysterBoy]

lol see I didnt even show the whole hopper so of course it isnt clear. I was just explaining the name lol

ok

http://members.rogers.com/cheapopix/molluskactivationidea.gif

Ive updated it, now its a short flash cartoon.

Only problem is reseting the see-saw, but a spring should do it.

[bleachit]

I understood that part, but I want to understand the sucking in the pod part

[OysterBoy]

Ill email the idea to you, but I just dont feel safe posting on a public forum, even AO.

[OysterBoy]

Bump for the Beluga-2, and cold canadian mornings