University of Cincinnati CCM Pneumatic Bucket Drop Fall 2021
by gemayo in Living > Education
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University of Cincinnati CCM Pneumatic Bucket Drop Fall 2021
MATERIALS
- 1 5-gallon bucket
- Scrap Steel
- 2"x1" Box Tube
- 1 1/2" Flat Stock
- C Clamp
- 3' - 1/4" Pneumatic Hosing
- 4/2 Solenoid Valve
- Flow Control Valve
- Muffler
- Pneumatic Cylinder with a 13" stroke
- Small fixed pulley with mounting plate
- Small fixed pulley with ring top
- 1/16" Aircraft Cable
- Zipties
- Various Lengths of 3/16" and 1/4" bolts, nuts and washers
Assemble Mount
Weld a U shaped bracket with a piece of 1"x2" box tube and two pieces of 1 1/2" flat stock. Additionally, cut a piece of flat stock for the mountable pulley. Drill holes for the C clamp through both pieces in the center, and attach the C clamp. Using the holes from the five gallon bucket handle, bolt the hanging bracket onto the bucket, making sure to leave enough wiggle room for the bucket to rotate.
Add Mechanical Elements
Once the bucket is attached to the frame and hanging, begin adding the mechanical elements. The pulley with a mount attaches onto the piece of flat stock that runs perpendicular to the bracket. The cylinder mounts directly onto one of the sides, with the piston facing out. The solenoid valve mounts to the top of the bracket to keep it out of the way. Bolt all of these items on with an adequate length of 3/16" bolts. The other fixed pulley attaches to the clevis of the cylinder with a 3/16" all thread bolt and lock nuts.
Plumb the System
Once most of the mechanisms have been installed, begin plumbing the system. Using 1/4" air hose, run the lines between the output ports and the ports on the cylinder, making sure to keep in mind which state you want the cylinder to naturally live in. Plumb the exhaust line to a flow control valve, and then plumb that into a muffler, mounted to the side of the bracket. The muffler I used is shop made. There is no need to plumb the inlet port until ready to run or test the bucket.
Run the Aircraft Cable
Once everything has been attached to the mechanism, it is time for the final step, running the cable that links the bucket to the pneumatics. Crimp a stop sleeve onto one end of the cable, and then feed it through the not used side of the cylinder mounts (to act as a termination), through the pulley on the clevis, into and through the mounted pulley, and finally through a hole near the bottom of the bucket. Play around a little bit to get the tension that you want, and then crimp another stop sleeve onto the other end of the cable. The cylinder should be retracted when the bucket is full/upright. Trim excess cable.
Test the Drop Bucket
Plumb the inlet port with pressurized air. I recommend having a regulator in the airline to control the flow. Attach the wires of the solenoid to a power supply. Once you are ready, flip the switch of the power supply and watch your bucket tip. The regulator and the flow control valve give you options to change the speed. We found that 40 psi and a lot of flow control was a good moderate speed, however the bucket could handle up to 80 psi. In the testing phase, I discovered that my bucket was strong enough to drop 28 lbs., although that required a lot of psi. Overall, this tip bucket is pretty trim and quiet, making it great for overhead theatrical applications, such as confetti. I hope you enjoyed learning how to make it!