Reloading Launcher
 

So I know most people are using catapults or some other type of spring loaded launcher, and I was wondering how teams chose to reload their launcher and release the stored up energy quickly. Oddly enough, this seemed to be the toughest challenge for our team this year.

On a related note, many teams are using winch systems or a cam actuated radial release mechanism (the choo-choo) but how do you get the launcher to stay down until you want to launch (other than precariously stopping the motor at the exact moment the launcher is fully retracted)?

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

On our catapult we use a winch to pull the arm down into a gate latch held closed by a pneumatic cylinder. When we fire it first disengages the winch using a ball shifter (so the drum can spin freely) then we open the gate latch and it fires.

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

We have a spring catapult that is pulled down with Andymark's Shift-to-Neutral Winch (am-2774). The winch has a ratcheting wrench inside of it to prevent it from backdriving, and a dog gear to disengage. To release the dog gear inside, we have a rotating cam on a window motor that provides all the force we would ever need. We were thinking of using the recommended pneumatics, but our robot doesn't have any pneumatics in the design so the cam made more sense.

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

One way to accomplish this (especially simple if you are using a 1/2" Hex shaft in your mechanism is to just slip a 1/2" ratcheting box-end wrench on the shaft somewhere. This prevents back-driving. Another option is to use a worm gearbox somewhere in the mix which also tends to prevent back-driving.

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

Winch + ratchet + custom dog gear = infinitely adjustable launch mechanism for multiple shots from multiple locations.

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

motor -> 50:12 speed reduction -> ratchet -> 40:28 speed reduction -> dog clutch -> winch

Disengage the dog clutch and the winch can spin freely.

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

We have a bolt coming down from our firing mechanism that triggers a limit switch on its way down. The firing mechanism is programmed to stop at when the limit switch is pressed, and then, when a firing button is pressed, the motors engage again, running continuously until the limit switch is engaged again.

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

We use a cam cleat like you find on a sailboat.

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

We have a custom dog gear run by two window motors. It rolls down the catapult arm (low pivot with springs). It is actuated by a piston.
We have a button on the remote to roll the window motors, and will continue to roll them indefinitely either until the driver stops pressing it or the limit switch on the bottom is pressed.

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

Clever: Team68 uses a pneumatically-actuated automotive brake shoe to hold and release.

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

We used a ratchet strap and a custom dog gear powered by two CIM motors. Has great power and really gets the catapult down fast. :D

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

We are an inline shooter, so we have a tube in a tube, and a "truck" that pushes back the "T-bar" and lock a wedge between to fingers that stick out of the end of the pipe. Here is a video when we was debugging the software before we loaded it all the way with surgical tubing still works pretty good with 4 bands (1 band doubled over on each side), about 90 lbs on a fish scale to pull it back and the lock holds it no problem. Small air cylinder to move the wedge out of the way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbv_auENyTM

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

You have other options as well if you are using sailing line for your winch. There are a whole host of rope clutches by different manufacturers that can be actuated pneumatically with little force. That's how we did it in 2010.

Re: Reloading Launcher
 

900 also uses a customized Modulux Gearbox with a shift-to-nuetral. With the forces at play, we had to get creative with shifting the dog gear, but it has worked quite well.

-Team 900 Zebracorns

http://www.youtube.com/user/FIRSTRobotics900