Pneumatic paintball loader drive

Abstract

A pneumatic drive for an active paintball loader capable of supplying paintballs to a paintball marker at a sufficiently high rate that is coordinated with firing the marker using compressed gas to a provide the motive power.

1 . A drive mechanism for use with an active paintball loader comprising:
 a drive shaft positioned along a central axis and rotatable about said central axis;   a feeder structure positioned along said central axis and rotatable in one direction about said central axis;   a slip clutch controlling the connection between said drive shaft and said feeder structure;   a drive member connected to said drive shaft and rotatable about said central axis generally in unison with said drive shaft;   a compressed gas supply; and   an advancing mechanism moved by gas from said compressed gas supply with a controller selectively coordinating the gas supplied to said advancing mechanism, said advancing mechanism rotating said drive member.   
   
   
       2 . The drive mechanism as described in  claim 1 , further comprising a paintball marker generating a signal indicating the said marker is ready to receive a paintball and sending said signal to said controller, said controller upon receiving said input signal causes a loading signal to be directed to said advancing mechanism. 
   
   
       3 . The drive mechanism as described in  claim 1 , wherein said advancing mechanism is a pneumatic actuator connected to said drive shaft that causes said drive shaft to rotate. 
   
   
       4 . The drive mechanism as described in  claim 3 , wherein said pneumatic actuator is a pneumatic stepping motor and said drive member connects said pneumatic stepping motor to said drive shaft. 
   
   
       5 . The drive mechanism as described in  claim 1 , wherein said slip clutch is a friction clutch. 
   
   
       6 . The drive mechanism as described in  claim 1 , wherein said slip clutch is a serrated clutch. 
   
   
       7 . The drive mechanism as described in  claim 1 , wherein said slip clutch has a magnetic coupling. 
   
   
       8 . The drive mechanism as described in  claim 1 , wherein said drive member is a generally circular planar structure having a perimeter with a plurality of ratchet teeth extending radially from said perimeter. 
   
   
       9 . The drive mechanism as described in  claim 8 , wherein said advancing mechanism further comprises:
 a cylinder containing a piston;   at least one inlet opening into said cylinder;   an elongate link linearly movable in first and second opposing directions and having first and second opposing ends, said first end connected to said piston; and   a first pawl and a second pawl connected to said second end of said elongate link, said first pawl and second pawl separated by said drive member and arranged to interact with said drive member on opposite sides of said perimeter, movement of said link in said first direction engages said first pawl into at least one tooth of said plurality of ratchet teeth and said second pawl at least one tooth thereby rotating said drive member in a feeding rotational direction, movement of said link in said second direction engages said second pawl into at least one tooth of said plurality of ratchet teeth and said first pawl moves past without engaging from said ratchet teeth and thereby causing rotation of said drive member in said first rotational direction.   
   
   
       10 . The drive mechanism as described in  claim 9 , further comprising a spring disposed within said cylinder such that a compressed gas supplied to said at least one inlet opening of said cylinder causes said piston to move in one direction, and said spring causes said piston to move in an opposite direction. 
   
   
       11 . The drive mechanism as described in  claim 9 , further comprising a first and a second opening in said cylinder such that a compressed gas supplied only to said first opening causes said piston to move in one direction, and a compressed gas supplied only to said second opening causes said piston to move in an opposite direction. 
   
   
       12 . The drive mechanism as described in  claim 8 , wherein said advancing mechanism further comprises:
 a cylinder containing a piston;   at least one inlet opening into said cylinder;   an elongate link linearly movable in first and second opposing directions and having first and second opposing ends, said first end connected to said piston; and   a pawl connected to said second end of said elongate link, said pawl arranged to interact with said perimeter of said drive member, movement of said link in said first direction engages said pawl into at least one tooth of said plurality of ratchet teeth thereby rotating said drive member in a feeding rotational direction, movement of said link in said second direction causing said pawl to move past without engaging said ratchet teeth.   
   
   
       13 . In a paintball marker powered by a compressed gas supply having a firing chamber, a firing chamber inlet tube, a trigger apparatus initiating discharge of a first paintball from said chamber and introduction of a second paintball into said chamber via said inlet tube; an active loader having a container for holding a plurality of paintballs, a rotating feeder structure mounted on a bottom portion of said container, and an exit tube exiting from the bottom portion of said container and leading to said inlet tube of the paintball gun, the improvement comprising:
 a drive shaft positioned along a central axis and rotatable about said central axis;   a feeder structure positioned along said central axis and rotatable in one direction about said central axis;   a slip clutch controlling the connection between said drive shaft and said feeder structure, said slip clutch limiting torque transferred from said drive shaft to said feeder structure;   a drive member connected to said drive shaft and rotatable about said central axis generally in unison with said drive shaft; and   an advancing mechanism moved by gas from said compressed gas supply with a controller selectively coordinating the gas supplied to said advancing mechanism, said advancing mechanism rotating said drive member, rotation of said drive member being generally transferred to said feeder structure within torque transfer limits of said slip clutch, rotation of said feeder structure causing paintballs from said container to be moved into said exit tube.   
   
   
       14 . The improvement of  claim 13 , further comprises an input signal generated by said marker indicating that said marker is ready to receive a paintball, said marker sending said signal to said controller, said controller, upon receiving said input signal, generates a loading signal and directs a loading signal to said advancing mechanism. 
   
   
       15 . The improvement of  claim 13 , wherein said advancing mechanism is a pneumatic actuator connected to said drive shaft that cuases said drive shaft to rotate. 
   
   
       16 . The improvement of  claim 15 , wherein said pneumatic actuator is a pneumatic stepper motor and said drive member connects said pneumatic stepper motor to said drive shaft. 
   
   
       17 . The improvement of  claim 16 , wherein said drive member is a generally circular planar structure having a perimeter with a plurality of ratchet teeth extending radially from said perimeter, said advancing mechanism further comprising:
 a cylinder containing a piston;   at least one inlet opening into said cylinder;   an elongate link linearly movable in first and second opposing directions and having first and second opposing ends, said first end connected to said piston; and   a first pawl and a second pawl connected to said second end of said elongate link, said first pawl and second pawl separated by said drive member and arranged to interact with said drive member on opposite sides of said perimeter, movement of said link in said first direction engages said first pawl into at least one tooth of said plurality of ratchet teeth and said second pawl at least one tooth thereby rotating said drive member in a feeding rotational direction, movement of said link in said second direction engages said second pawl into at least one tooth of said plurality of ratchet teeth and said first pawl moves past without engaging from said ratchet teeth and thereby causing rotation of said drive member in said first rotational direction.   
   
   
       18 . The improvement of  claim 17 , further comprising a spring disposed within said cylinder such that a compressed gas supplied to said at least one inlet opening of said cylinder causes said piston to move in one direction, and said spring causes said piston to move in an opposite direction. 
   
   
       19 . The improvement of  claim 17 , further comprising a first and a second opening in said cylinder such that a compressed gas supplied only to said first opening causes said piston to move in one direction, and a compressed gas supplied only to said second opening causes said piston to move in an opposite direction.