[RRLedford]

We are testing our linear shooter today.
We are using one CIM and one mini-CIM, each with a stacked pair PAIR of inline skate wheels - 76mm OD & 75A durometer.
These have dramatically better grip than all the other wheels we evaluated so far.
The disk are captured in the V formed between the two stacked wheels per motor as they spins through.

We have a piece of 80/20 20mm slotted framing opposite the wheels, and we cover the side with adhesive backed, high density urethane foam sheet material.
The friction factor is significant, as we found out with our 180 degree arc 8" wheel, direct mounted to CIM tests.
With the small wheel shooter, we are starting out with lower RPM (surface feet per minute) to avoid melting the softer urethane skate wheels, and we expect that the more optimized friction will make up for lower surface speeds of the smaller wheels.

As we confirm what our 1st stage alone can do, we will initially add the mini-CIM second stage for an extra 1000RPM. If that does not give sufficient exit velocity we will install the BAG 14K RPM motor as the 2nd stage.

We expect that much less compression (~1/4") will be needed with the more resilient and grippy materials contacting the disks. We also expect the groove in the slotted framing will help center the disk as it rolls along the length of the channel. If the slot in the frame is too narrow to keep the disk centered, we will machine a 3/4" radius convex curve into the side rail and it will then be covered with the dense urethane foam sheet.

With the V grip of the wheel pair on one side and the concave face of the rail along the other side, we will be able to keep the disk traveling through the shooter maintaining an air gap below the disk, and only the edge of disks touching the shooter as they accelerate through.

Hopefully nothing will be needed to hold the disk down from above either.

Video soon.

-Dick Ledford

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