Sir TK of AGD, I have a question

[.tMan]

OysterBoy,
Sorry but I think that is one of the worst ideas that I have heard. You want AGD to listen to you , but not take your ideas. You want them to take time out of their schedule, to listen to your idea. I'm sorry but you need to learn a bit more about the world when you post things like this. I'm sure your intentions were and still are honorable, but just keep your ideas to yourself

[OysterBoy]

should such a problem arise I would let AGD take the design, Ill put it in signed writing right now.

Only thing is if they actually took it and said "You have no proof, so nyah nyah", which I know they wouldnt.

Jeez all I'm asking for is advice lol now everything is about lawsuits and such.

[OysterBoy]

Originally posted by Tanner Johnson
OysterBoy,
Sorry but I think that is one of the worst ideas that I have heard. You want AGD to listen to you , but not take your ideas. You want them to take time out of their schedule, to listen to your idea. I'm sorry but you need to learn a bit more about the world when you post things like this. I'm sure your intentions were and still are honorable, but just keep your ideas to yourself

and Ill thank you to keep your 'negative' comments to yourself.

[AGD]

Oyster,

I really can't make any exceptions. If you want me to comment post them here.

Sorry,

AGD

[OysterBoy]

Thats cool, altho im a little downed.

Ok well I'll post one of the hoppers but cant post the others as itd pretty much wreck our planned first year line-up.

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

I know it probably looks pretty basic, but hey we think its an alright non-agitated hopper. We're hoping for about a 190+ capacity, and it should help to keep a reduced profile (of course the warp beats it out ). The lid is sliding lock, and should be fairly clear in the illustration how it works. We are still deciding if the hopper should be disposable, and if so the cloth 'stopper' ball idea will come into play. the plastic ring holds the ball fairly tightly, and holds firmly onto the hoppers feedneck. by pushing the hopper onto the guns feed-neck, you put the ball into the gun, and the plastic ring around the neck. Fire, and because it will be a low density cloth, and the ball will travel a few feet at most, and possibly give your barrel a bit of a cleaning too.

Any comments are apreciated, but 'It sucks' doesnt work for me. 'It sucks becaue', howver, would be great

Thanks
-Alex

[Butterfingers]

All the balls will get bunched up by the spring... It wont feed

All 190 balls are trying to go through a 1 inch hole at the same time. Its like 190 fat people trying to get through a door at the same time.

[Brophog]

I'd need a better picture to really discuss this, but my main question is why go to the bother? Your not force feeding the paint, and your not agitating it, so your basically making a relatively expensive plastic hopper.

My main complaint is with your "spring". From the looks of the drawing, your gaining little more than the usual "curved" hopper would give you. Perhaps your gaining a little capacity, but at the expense of added weight.

I just don't see any market for this. Non agitated hoppers only retail for $3-$5 and most players will quickly upgrade to a motorized unit. If the hopper were smaller in profile, weight, and capacity, you could atleast market it to pumpers, but I don't even see that being the case with this design.

[bleachit]

the hopper is an interesting idea. it looks back heavier, which could be a problem. It seems to me that the front of the hopper could use some tweaking, not quite sure though. You will probably still have the problem of paintballs jamming around the feedneck.

[OysterBoy]

On the first note;

how do you mean? the drawing isnt quite tru to plan, there will be no way for the balls to drop in under the ramp. if you mean they will all sit in that carriage in the back, the spring will have enough power. I may have made it seem as though the spring(s) were/was too weak but really we are hoping to get just the right amountof power.

Also, the ramp(s) will be curved slightly inwards so to create a 'funnel' type idea. now about jams, you are correct and we still arent sure how to deal with that, but we think that by somehow utilising the 'leftover' air used by blowbacks (most likely type of gun this hopper would [if ever] be bought for) and making a sort of 'juggling', as is planned on another hopper we are working on.

Thanks for the comments butterfingers .

[OysterBoy]

ok, I understand what your talking about brophog about the demand for motorized hoppers, but as you mentioned pumpers may like it.

On the note of it being back heavy, also true and we are still tweaking the design. Possibly extending the back down so that it rests on the gun could help. and as for size/weight, it will have the appearance of a modified tube/pod.

Thanks for the comments guys, keep'em coming

[bleachit]

perhaps rig some sort of agitator that runs off the ramp. ie: when the ramp moves up, it coils a string, or rope( a more durable material) so that the agitator moves, that way you can clear ball jams and not do it electronically. unless that is patented already....

edit: I dont think extending it down would be a good idea, shortening the length of the entire design would probably be a better idea. That would coincide with a tweaking of the front of the hopper.

[OysterBoy]

now THAT is a good idea. I hope you dont mind if we adapt the idea? Or would you rather go Smart Parts on us lol

Once again thanks everyone for the helpful comments, this is some actually good (I hesitate to use the term) 'R&D' lol. All things youve mentioned have helped.

But the only problem is, I think the 'rip drive's patent is broad enough to kill my idea but I hope I'm wrong.

[bleachit]

go ahead and use it. maybe some kind of gear design that resests when you put a load on the springs.


edit: I dont think your revised design will get the impeller moving enough. it will turn like a quarter turn if that for every x amount of balls. That setup wont solve much if anything. what you need to do is figure out a way to increase the efficiecy of the movement of the ramp. if you can get the ramp to spin the impeller 3 or 4 times for ever few centimeters, you may actually have a viable product. I will think about it some more, maybe I can come up with something else.

[OysterBoy]

well the idea im currently throwing around is as follows;

the impellar is mounted just near the neck, with the lower end of teh impellars shaft wrapped in a chord of some kind, which is linked up to the top of the ramp, with a notch in the way to act as a pulley.
Ill have picture up soon.

[OysterBoy]

Ok the first picture link Ive provided is the new design.

Im out for the night,

thanks again.
-Alex Hnatiuk