From the animations to get the ball to be hit hard enough to send it 20 - 30 ft on carpet it seems like it would have to be a hard hit and the diagram appears that the pushing the rod forward to strike the ball is slower than the drop off?

Pushing the rod forward doesn’t hit the ball; it retracts the “flipper”.

When the follower drops off the high point of the cam, it drops rapidly. The flipper is sprung, so the force of the spring on the return is what strikes the ball.

 

Yaakov TY for the diagrams!
Yaakov and Mr. Bill 2 ( have to laugh as my dog has destroyed 2 Mr. Bill toys in the last few months !
I hope this ball return will keep her busy also when I am working

From the animations to get the ball to be hit hard enough to send it 20 - 30 ft on carpet it seems like it would have to be a hard hit and the diagram appears that the pushing the rod forward to strike the ball is slower than the drop off?

As for the golf ball return I am using. The video shows when the ball hits the little pin at the back of the cup it activates the selenoid to shoot the rod forward and hit the "golf" ball I tried to cut the plastic out for the larger ball but it appears i wil have to remove the solenoid from the plastic and screw it onto wood to see if it is strong enough to send the bigger rubber ball 20 - 230 ft. if not, I need to find a more powerful solenoid.

The "flipper idea" like in pinball may send the ball off center which I will have to account for. But whatever will make it work is fine by me. Maybe after this one I will explore the outside version shooting it up in the air.

Any links to parts definitley helps and had sketch.

TY

You would use the snail cam to pull back a spring loaded "bat" or plunger and then it reaches the flat part, the spring is released, striking the ball.

 

You would use the snail cam to pull back a spring loaded "bat" or plunger and then it reaches the flat part, the spring is released, striking the ball.

Ok any idea where to get these parts? This way I try to build something to see how it works.

TY

 

Ok any idea where to get these parts? This way I try to build something to see how it works.

TY

I think you would have to fabricate something, or have it laser cut or 3D printed. You could probably find a 3D mode; to start from.

 

Pushing the rod forward doesn’t hit the ball; it retracts the “flipper”.

When the follower drops off the high point of the cam, it drops rapidly. The flipper is sprung, so the force of the spring on the return is what strikes the ball.

EXACTLY!! the rotation provides the "cocking"of the spring, pulling against the spring so that energy is stored over the full rotation, then the follower drops,allowing the arm to push the ball with all of that stored energy.
So the first part of the project will be to build the part with the lever and the spring to see how much spring it takes to launch the ball the desired distance.
I did have another idea which would involve using compressed air, but all of the dogs that I have ever met did not like compressed air at all. AND it would require an air compressor as well. But a version oof the "ratapault" that I designed many years ago could easily send the ball a hundred feet, at least. Slightly dangerous, as it was intended to kill rats.