Getting a kick from the Paintball wizard

Sept. 28, 2006
Next time you find yourself mercilessly blasting away at an adversary with a paintball gun, thank Humphrey Products Co., for the gun's reliability and fast repeat rate.
  1. Trigger activates the solenoid on the Humphrey 310 valve.
  2. Custom manifold supplies "burst" of air to cylinder.
  3. Single-acting cylinder extends, striking plate in butt stock.
  4. Force of cylinder rod against butt stock plate simulates real recoil.

Humphrey's custom valve manifold/cylinder assembly fits in the stock of laser-firing practice weapons, providing realistic recoil to improve marksmanship.


Next time you find yourself mercilessly blasting away at an adversary with a paintball gun, thank Humphrey Products Co., for the gun's reliability and fast repeat rate. Humphrey, Kalamazoo, Mich., designed a miniature custom solenoid-valve assembly that operates at pressures up to 225 psig for use in paintball guns (called markers in paintball parlance). Its designers then adjusted the performance of the solenoid to match the mechanical properties of the marker. The result is a whole new generation of products that have swept the market.

Paintball markers aren't the only application for the valves. They also go into practice weapons that must simulate the real thing, down to the "kick" or recoil. A weapons-simulation customer uses actual assault rifles, modified to "shoot" laser beams. For a realistic recoil, Humphrey designed a solenoid valve-actuated cylinder assembly that fits inside the rifle stock. When the trigger is squeezed, the cylinder rod slams against a stop in the butt of the stock. Producing a realistic recoil, better prepares trainees, usually police and military personnel, for real-world situations.

MAKE CONTACT
Humphrey Products Co.,
humphreyproducts.com

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