SpudFiles

I had an idea for a rapid-fire Gatling gun. It would need a sealed rotating joint and a check valve for each chamber/barrel assembly (there would be a chamber for each barrel). In all there would probably be 6 separate barrels/chambers, each electronically controlled. One of the biggest problems would be the cost. A single 1/2 inch rotating fitting costs well over $100 on McMaster, and all those solenoids would definitely add up. Another big problem would be finding a compressor big enough to supply the thing with enough air to charge all 6 chambers. I'm sure even a 1 inch gun would need a huge amount of air.

I believe this would be something to post in the pneumatic discussion, not here. If that is the case for sure, Mods, please move.

Depending on your needs a rotating joint does not need to be expensive.
Google air hose swivel connector. Top hits are under $10.

I'm new here, and as of now this thing is purely hypothetical. It probably won't be build, at least not for a couple of years.

As for the swivel joint: the difference between that and a rotating joint is that a rotating joint is designed for continuous rotation while most of those swivel joints may only turn 360 degrees before being stopped.

stuffbuilder wrote: One of the biggest problems would be the cost.

I can assure you that there are much BIGGER problems such as design, engineering and manufacturing.... just to name a few.

these swivel !

Goats spudz wrote:these swivel !

They also leak like sieve and pop off unless you use a hose clamp!

if you use a small airline pipe it wont leak and will swivel, you have to heat the pipe in boiling water the pipe to get it on http://www.airlines-pneumatics.co.uk/we ... =S08000105

there are much BIGGER problems such as design, engineering and manufacturing

I've got most of the design/engineering worked out. The problem with that design is that it requires expensive parts like a continuous rotating joint and multiple solenoids. And by "requires" I mean I can't find an acceptable alternative. I don't have any sketches but I can make some and post them here. I'm not sure of your definition of "manufacturing," but mine is along the lines of inexpensive production of a lot of an item. This gun, as with most spud guns, would be built in a garage with with a minimal amount of tools and custom parts.

Here is a true rotary union representation, for those that may not understand.

stuffbuilder wrote:This gun, as with most spud guns, would be built in a garage with with a minimal amount of tools and custom parts.

Well.... At times I do overcomplicate things.

Dewey's solution looks promising. Tech's has the problem that though the fitting is designed to swivel it probably isn't designed to do thousands of full rotations, which presumably a Gatling gun design would require.

Perhaps use a mod of Dewey's and Tech's suggestion: just use a compressed air quick connect.

(from Harbor Freight)

These will spin (but not really swivel), they are cheap, and if after a couple thousand revolutions they start to wear you can just replace them for a couple bucks.

I thought about just letting a quick connect rotate, but nearly every time I've seen them rotate I've heard air leak out. With something like this that requires a huge amount of air, I want the connection to be as efficient as possible.

Jimmy;
You beat me to it!

I was going to suggest the same thing as a "pseudo-rotating coupler".

Put some grease on the male coupler detent and probably good to go!