DE29622388U1 - Automatic gun - Google Patents

Description

Description

The invention relates to a soccer shooting machine according to the preamble of claim 1.

From the state of the art, automatic shooting machines are known, particularly for use on tennis courts, which shoot the tennis ball at the same speed and at the same angle to repeat a shot. The speed, the angle of release and the frequency of the shot can be freely selected within a predetermined range, with some machines being equipped with a random generator to vary the parameters mentioned above. For this purpose, the machine also has an adjustment mechanism by means of which a launch ramp or tube can be pivoted, which is movably mounted on a carriage.

The drive source is either a mechanically pre-tensioned spring or a compressed air tank with a compressor. When a firing signal is given, the compressed air tank releases a predetermined amount of compressed air at a predetermined pressure, which pulses the tennis ball through a supply channel and accelerates it via the launch ramp or the tube.

As already mentioned at the beginning, such automatic shooting machines are currently only known for tennis balls, i.e. for balls with a small diameter and low weight, which are shot from a tubular launching ramp like a cannon.

The invention is now based on the task of designing a shooting machine of this type that is also suitable for footballs or handballs.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a foot or handball shooting machine with the features of the appended claim 1.

The invention therefore consists in providing the inventive foot/handball shooting machine with a

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To create a pressure source which, when a firing signal is given, applies pressure to a piston or firing pin in a pulse-like manner, which, depending on the pressure pulse, hits the football or handball with a predetermined force or speed at a predetermined angle or in a predetermined direction and accelerates it.

A further development of the invention according to claim 2 provides that the piston is guided in a cylinder which is pivotably mounted with respect to the ball in order to set different release angles. This measure means that the entire release ramp on the gun carriage does not have to be pivoted, but only the pressure source or in particular the cylinder with respect to the ball. As a result, the structure of the machine can be simplified.

According to claim 3, it is further provided that the pressure source is a pneumatic or hydraulic pressure source, wherein in particular with a hydraulic pressure source the controllability of the machine is significantly more precise than with a pneumatic pressure source.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the remaining subclaims.

The invention is explained in more detail below using a preferred embodiment with reference to the figure.

The figure shows a schematic diagram of a football/handball shooting machine according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The machine consists of a carriage 1, which is supported on at least three wheels, of which at least one (the rear one) serves as a steerable steering wheel 2, while the other two (front ones) are designed as support wheels 3 with a large diameter, preferably 60 cm. On the carriage 1 or the base part there is a console 4

on which a support element 5 with a launch ramp for a football or handball 6 is mounted.

A pressure source 7 is also arranged on the console 4, which is intended to accelerate the ball 6. The pressure source 7 consists in this case of a compressor 8 for compressing air, which is connected to a pressure vessel 10 via a pressure control valve 9 and keeps the storage pressure in the vessel 10 at a predetermined level according to the setting of the pressure control valve 9.

Alternatively, a hydraulic pump could also be used, which sucks in a fluid from a hydraulic fluid reservoir (not shown) and pumps it into a hydraulic pressure vessel via the pressure control valve 9.

The pressure vessel 10 is also connected to a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 11 in which a piston 12 or firing pin is slidably mounted to form a pressure chamber 13 and is pre-tensioned into a retracted position by means of a spring 14. A directional control valve 15 for opening and closing a connecting line 16 is also arranged between the cylinder 11 and the pressure vessel 10 in order to apply a predetermined pressure to the piston 12 for a predetermined time when a firing signal is given and then to release the pressure in the through-chamber 13 into the atmosphere in the case of compressed air and into the reservoir in the case of hydraulic fluid.

According to the figure, the compressor 8 or the pump 8, M, the pressure vessel 10 and the piston-cylinder assembly 12, 13 form a single unit 7, which is mounted on the bracket 4 so that it can pivot and rotate in a horizontal and vertical plane. Of course, the components of the pressure source 7 can also be designed as individual components, which are connected to one another via elastic lines such as pressure hoses, in which case only the cylinder 11 needs to be mounted on the bracket 4 so that it can pivot and rotate accordingly.

A movement mechanism 17, which is only shown schematically in the figure, is used to move the pressure source 7 as a unit or the cylinder 11 as an individual component. This mechanism enables, among other things, a movement of the cylinder 11 on a circular path around a support point P of the ball 6 on the support element 5, such that the piston 11 can be pivoted in the horizontal plane at least within a third of a circle in the direction of arrow A and in the vertical plane at least in a quarter of a circle in the direction of arrow B according to the figure around the ball 6 lying at the support point P. The piston 12 also has an impact surface 18 at its end protruding from the cylinder 11 for transmitting momentum to the ball 6.

The console 4 also has a container 19 or basket for holding a number of bales, which can be conveyed via a guide or rail '20 from the container 19 to the support point P, preferably under the influence of gravity. The rail 20 is mounted on an opening 21 on the underside of the container 19, whereby the opening 21 can be locked by a manually or electrically operated slide 22.

To control the automatic shooting machine according to the invention, a central computer 23 is provided, which is powered by a battery 24 and is electrically connected to the electric slide actuator 25, the compressor 8, M, the directional control valve 15 and the pressure control valve 9, as well as the movement mechanism 17 and a light barrier 26, which detects the presence of a ball 6 at the support point P. Furthermore, position sensors (not shown in detail) are provided for controlling the position of the cylinder 11 with respect to the support point P, which are also connected to the central computer 23.

The basic functionality is as follows:

In principle, the automatic firing machine can be operated by remote control, whereby all setting parameters can be controlled via the central computer 23 by radio or cable.

As a result, the shot force or ball speed can be freely pre-programmed via the directional valve 15 as well as the pressure within the pressure vessel 10. To determine the shot direction and the angle of release, the cylinder 11 can also be pivoted vertically and horizontally with respect to the support point P or the ball 6 located therein.

Once all pre-programmable parameters have been set in this way, the operator can set the computer 23 to single or continuous shot with a pre-determined rate of fire and trigger the firing by remote control.

As soon as the computer receives the firing signal, it opens the directional control valve 15 to apply a pulsed pressure to the piston 12, which then moves against the biasing spring 14 towards the ball 6 and passes the impulse on to the ball 6. Depending on the position of the cylinder 11 relative to the ball 6, the latter is given a corresponding launch path with a predetermined speed and thus throwing distance.

Leaving the support point P is detected by the light barrier 17, which sends a corresponding signal to the computer 23, which then closes the directional control valve 15 and relieves the pressure in the pressure chamber 13. While the piston 12 is pushed back to its original position by the preload spring 14, the computer 23 controls the slide actuator 25 in order to convey a new ball to the support point P. Its presence is again detected and reported by the light barrier 26 or a corresponding sensor.

If after a number of firings the pressure within the pressure vessel 10 has fallen below a predetermined level, the computer 23 drives the compressor 8, M and simultaneously opens the pressure control valve 9 in order to recharge the pressure vessel 10.

Claims (10)

TIEDTKE -HBUHLI=NG "-»-&Kgr;-&Igr;&Ngr;&Ngr;&Egr;·' Sc PARTNER Patent attorneys Tiedtke-Bühling-Kinne & Partner, POB 20 19 18, D-80019 Munich Representative at the EPO* Dipl.-ing. H. Tiedtke' Dipl.-Chem. G. Bühling* Dipl.-Ing, R. Kinne* Dipl.-Ing. B. Peümann" Dipl.-Ing. K. Grams* Dipl.-Biol. Dr. A. Link Dipl.-Ing. A. Voilnhals* Dipl.-Ing. T. Leson* Dipl.-Ing. H. Trösch Dipl.-Ing. Dr. G. Chivarov* Bavariaring 4, D-80336 Munich 24 December 1996 Protection claims ^DE 18225 1. Foot-VHandball shooting machine with a pressure source (7) for applying pressure to a ball (6), characterized by a piston (12) which can be pressurized by the pressure source (7) in order to impact the ball (6) at a predeterminable angle and/or from a predeterminable direction and to accelerate it. 2. Football/handball shooting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that that the piston (12) is guided in a cylinder (11) which is pivotably mounted with respect to the ball (6) in order to set different throwing angles and directions. 3. Foot-ZHandball shooting machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure source (7) is a pneumatic or hydraulic pressure source. 4. Foot-VHandball shooting machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure source (7) and the piston (12) form a single unit which is pivotally mounted with respect to the ball (6) such that different launch angles and directions can be set. Telephone: 089-544690 100446.23610) CompuServe. COm Dresdner Bank (Munich) Account 3939 844 (bank code 700 800 00) ^ ^r Deutsche Bank (Munich) Account 2861060 (bank code 700 70010) Telefax (G3): 0 89-53 26 11 (During introduction phase mailbox Postbank (Munich) Account 670-43-804 (bank code 700 ioo sot Dai-Ichi-Kangyo Bank (Munich) Account 51 042 (bank code 700 207 00) Fax (G4): 0 89-53 29 09 50 check will be only twice a week) sanwa Bank (Düsseldorf) Account 500 047 (bank code 301307 oo) 5. Foot-ZHandball shooting machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure source (7) has a compressor (8, M) or a hydraulic fluid pump to maintain a pressure vessel (10) at a predetermined pressure level. 5. Foot-ZHandball shooting machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the pressure vessel (10) is connected to the cylinder (11) via a line (16) in which a valve (15) is interposed in order to open or close the line (16). 6. Football/handball shooting machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the machine has a pivoting or movement mechanism (17) for pivoting at least the piston (11) with respect to the ball (6). 7. Football/handball shooting machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a central computer (23) for controlling the automatic firing device in such a way that it can be operated in both single shot and continuous shot mode with a predeterminable cadence with a constant firing angle and speed or with a varying firing angle and speed via a random generator. 8. Foot-ZHandball shooting machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pivoting or movement mechanism (17) and the pressure source (7) are mounted on a carriage (1) which is supported by a number of running wheels (2, 3). 9. Football/handball shooting machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the machine has a container or basket (19) for receiving a plurality of bales, which can be individually conveyed via a feed channel to a ball support element (5). 10. Football/handball shooting machine according to claim 9, characterized in that a sensor (26) for detecting a ball (6) is arranged on the support element (5) in the area of a ball support point (P).