Hydraulicspneumatics 2164 Pneu Trigger
Hydraulicspneumatics 2164 Pneu Trigger
Hydraulicspneumatics 2164 Pneu Trigger
Hydraulicspneumatics 2164 Pneu Trigger
Hydraulicspneumatics 2164 Pneu Trigger

Target shooting for the physically challenged

June 10, 2013
A puff of air is all it take to pull the trigger.

Target shooting and hunting are pleasures most people cannot participate in if they do not have steady control of their arms or hands. Jeff Malloy changed all that. Jeff was an avid outdoorsman until 2004, when an accident robbed him of his ability to go deer hunting or even fire a weapon. Undeterred, Jeff developed the Equalizer Adaptive Shooting System, which allows people to fire rifles and shotguns even with limited use of their upper body.

Jeff Malloy is shown with a bench-mounted version of his Equalizer Adaptive Shooting System. It can also be mounted to a wheelchair for greater mobility.

LLC faced many challenges designing its revolutionary adaptive shooting system for moderate and severely disabled persons. One such challenge was coming up with a reliable, sensitive, and easy-to-use trigger actuation system. With those factors in mind, Jeff created a simple air pressure system with technical assistance from engineers at World Magnetics Co., Traverse City, Mich.

Now, with a simple puff into a straw, an operator is able to activate the trigger mechanism to reliably shoot a firearm. The DesignFlex PSF103 pressure switch, from World Magnetics, was chosen for this application because of the need for a durable, compact sensor that would switch a 12-V supply. Available in a wide selection of pressure ranges and port configurations, this  pressure switch was adapted to meet the Equalizer Adaptive Shooting System’s exact needs.

Individuals with different levels of disabilities can wheel up to the Adaptive Shooting Bench, aim a firearm using an 8 way ultra-sensitive joystick, and fire the weapon with a single puff of air. The air puff actuates the PSF103 switch, which energizes a trigger actuation circuit. The system can be bench mounted or custom mounted to a wheelchair.

Click here to see video of the system aiming and firing a rifle that hits a jug of water from 300 yds. The Equalizer website has other videos of interest to hunting enthusiasts and has Jeff's summary of how he develped this novel system.

Click here to see an article in our sister publication, Machine Design, about similar technology used for helping disabled people with fishing.

About the Author

Alan Hitchcox Blog | Editor in Chief

Alan joined Hydraulics & Pneumatics in 1987 with experience as a technical magazine editor and in industrial sales. He graduated with a BS in engineering technology from Franklin University and has also worked as a mechanic and service coordinator. He has taken technical courses in fluid power and electronic and digital control at the Milwaukee School of Engineering and the University of Wisconsin and has served on numerous industry committees.

Continue Reading

Motor leakage variations

Oct. 18, 2006
affect low-speed performance

The Impacts of Electrification on Fluid Power Systems

May 15, 2023
Electrification presents challenges as well as opportunities to re-evaluate and improve upon the design of hydraulics and pneumatics.

Sponsored Recommendations

7 Key Considerations for Selecting a Medical Pump

Feb. 6, 2024
Newcomers to medical device design may think pressure and flow rate are sufficient parameters whenselecting a pump. While this may be true in some industrial applications, medical...

How Variable Volume Pumps Work

Feb. 6, 2024
Variable volume pumps, also known as precision dispense pumps, are a positive displacement pump that operates by retracting a piston to aspirate a fluid and then extending the...

What is a Check Valve and How Does it Work?

Feb. 6, 2024
Acheck valve, a non-return or one-way valve, is a mechanical device that allows a gas or liquid to flow freely in one direction while preventing reverse flow in the opposite ...

The Difference Between Calibrated Orifices and Holes

Feb. 6, 2024
Engineers tasked with managing fluid flow talk about both holes and calibrated orifices, but they are two distinct entities. A hole can be any opening, but a calibrated orifice...