Rotary barrel, multi chamber launcher idea

urbanfarm · Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:23 pm

I was wondering if anyone has made a similar item before? would it work and would it be good?
Just a dodgy replica model I made up, to make a working model I would need a lathe and some tooling which I don't have...material would be pvc or copper sleeve for external "plumbing" purposes and and a heavier metal internal sleeve and barrel would have to be a perfect fit to turn and not leak gas excessively.

While what I display is single chamber which would be easier to build and carry around, such a design would yield a faster firing rate with a separate pilot/chamber plumbing on the "spare" 180 degrees of travel.

Operation would have the barrel turn and first charge up the pilot area pushing the piston forward, then the firing chamber would shortly line up and then as chamber is lining up pilot fill port closes and pilot exhaust opens, the ammo port would pick up at the same time as the pilot fill.
None of this model is close to scale but I hope youse get the idea of the design I had in mind.

Hotwired · Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:18 pm

Too many uncertain seals going on for my taste.

It is possible to have rotating seals like that - look at ball valves - but it'll take a lot of work.

In fact keeping on that note, because this is being rotated to open the valve ports I have serious doubts whether it will perform any better than a ball valve cannon.

I'd think quite a bit before investing in it.

Giorgio · Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:56 am

At the moment we are trying to get a patent on a 6BTBC ( Six Barrel Tennis Ball Cannon) as we have 3d plans and other items on this idea.. but only for combustion. pneumatic is fine to work on.... but too hard unless you build the barrels and canister as the rotating figure...

jimmy101 · Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:25 pm

Giorgio wrote:At the moment we are trying to get a patent on a 6BTBC ( Six Barrel Tennis Ball Cannon) as we have 3d plans and other items on this idea.. but only for combustion. pneumatic is fine to work on.... but too hard unless you build the barrels and canister as the rotating figure...

I doubt it will be possible to get a patent on the concept of a multibarrel or a cylinder (as in a revolver) based combustion gun. Since the idea has already been reduced to practice and published by others (google revolver-x).

You might be able to get a patent on novel aspects of the gun but not on the basic concept.