I want to design a crude machine made to launch empty 12oz cans (doesn't have to be that far, 10ft maybe). I'm thinking just something that uses spring pressure and a plunger. But, I also want to make it so that it can't be used to launch glass bottles. Obviously an answer would be to make the feed mechanism only big enough for a can, but a bottle could still be fed down the barrel, so that's an issue.
Go!
Trebuchet?
(I know that doesn't meet all of your requirements, but it'd be pretty cool anyway)
Last edited by G'day Mate; June 13th, 2015 at 07:30 AM.
Launching something that light with so much surface area will be problematic. How many does it need to launch in sequence?
An engineer would probably tell you not to do that. It's not safe.
Simple, pneumatic with a valve and PVC piping.
Can face down with the opening facing the air nozzle, paper cone to help displace some of the wind resistance.
You have some weird requirements. Can you launch crushed cans? That way the 'disc' can go further and for sure can prevent bottle launches...
An engineer would say "yes we can," a lawyer would say it's not safe.Originally Posted by Cam
An engineer would probably tell you not to do that. It's not safe.
Nope, no crushing of cans allowed. I know it won't be able to launch them far when empty, but that's ok.
What do you mean how many does it need to launch in sequence? It needs to just launch cans. It doesn't have to be fully automatic or anything.
My main problem is figuring out how to make it so that someone doesn't shove a glass bottle down the barrel and launch that. Maybe it's just as simple as making the end of the barrel be inaccessible. Like make the gun long enough and build a little shooting range around it that eliminates the possibility of putting anything down the barrel.
Who says you need a barrel? Just make a giant sling-shot with some bungee cords or something.
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