I have an invention that I have been thinking about for many years. I
cant not say what it is at this time although maybe someone can help
me..

Here is my question..

I need something either handheld or fixed but mobile that can launch a
weight of 4-5 ounces at least 350 yards.

This can not be any use of gun power, or explosive in anyway. I have
thought about large sling shots and crossbows but at the weight of 4-5
ounces it would not work. I have thought about those water balloons
launchers but this must be done with one person..

Is there a manufacture that makes a super strong sling shot type cord
that would work? It also can not be longer than 3 feet as the idea I
have has to be hand held or easy to carry around.

Just need a simple not dangerous way that I can shoot or sling a item
over 350 yards easy and safe?

Any ideas?

Please let me know if anyone has any ideas?

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Clarification of Question by mpis11-ga on 09 Jun 2006 22:25 PDT

When I said three feet I mean that pulled back all they way it can
only be 3 feet long.

Other ideas may work but please let me know this has to be safe no air
compressors, all manual, no explosives, nothing harmful.

No battery, no AC, all manual..

Such as a sling shot, cross bow, type device. One person can operate this easy.

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Clarification of Question by mpis11-ga on 11 Jun 2006 20:55 PDT

Ok,

What about 200-250 yards? They make balloon launchers that three
people hold that can shoot a water balloon to 300 yards.. See
http://www.slingking.net/online_store.htm

What about a harpoon or other device?

What about if there was a crossbow or other device that you could
crank with a manual winch to get the power/ energy needed?

Does not have to be handheld but needs to be easy to move around.

Let me know if anyone has any other ideas, or manufactures?

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Clarification of Question by mpis11-ga on 12 Jun 2006 00:14 PDT

Mountain or height would not work.. Has to be ground level..

I know this can be done with a large Air Comp.. or other device as the
Navy and others use this.. But I what this done with a simple device
that can be under 70lbs and moved easy.

It's a tall order.

A golf ball (1.62 ounces) can 'only' be driven 247.86 m - without carry. See:

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2004/CrystalCuevas.shtml

Maybe you can summon Superman, if he lives near you?

I agree with probonopublico: but do have a suggestion. What you need
is a sysytem that can store more energy than can be produced in a
single motion. What comes to mind is a wind-up crossbow or one of the
medieval siege weapons like a trebuchet. In both cases you can keep
adding more energy to the sytem over time, and release it all at once.

Clay pidgeon launchers for shotguns might achieve a quarter of the distance required

What you are asking for can't be done,like probono said you'd need Superman. 

To understand the amount of energy needed, the physics of it and why a
man couldn't possibly exert that kind of energy into a bow or even a
crossbow read this short document
In HTML
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:YqMOQ8ZMiToJ:dvworld.northwestern.edu/class/mechanics/330presentations/ellen_olgagopan_archery/Presentation.ppt+amount+of+energy+in+a+crossbow&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5

In PPT
http://dvworld.northwestern.edu/class/mechanics/330presentations/ellen_olgagopan_archery/Presentation.ppt

What about launching the weight from a suitable height, say, from a mountain?

According to your question, the system can use electricity.

If it can be plugged in, then great! But you said, "mobile" which I
suppose means battery-operated where electricity is concerned.

Therefore, you need a battery and a large capacitor (or series of
capacitors). The battery charges the capacitor(s) for a few minutes
and then the capaictors run the motor in such a way that the motor
accerates continuously.

The reason for the capacitors is that you need to deliver a large
amount of energy in a very short period of time. I haven't calculated
what that is. Because of "drag" I don't thnk anybody will be able to
tell you for sure. That's a matter for experimentation

The machine is an electric motor driven spool. The spool is connected
to a long (up to 100m) cord and simply reels in the cord. At the end
of cord is a small "car" that carries the load. The car is low, light
and stable (wide wheel base?) It could be a little chariot, I suppose.
The load rests in the car but is nested inside a pocket. The pocket is
directly attached to the cord. The pocket is lifted from the car as
the cord is collected at the top edge of the vertically spinning spool
and the car is quite low. The release of the load activates cute
little breaks on teh car so that the car doesn't hit the machine at
highspeed. I can't tell you how the breaks work at the moment -- no
idea. After the loaded pocket leaves the car, the load sails smoothly
through the air toward the spool because the motor/clutch combination
is designed to cause the spool to continuously accelerate. When the
pocket & load reach the spool, thanks to the pocket design, the load
is released as the pocket changes trajectory as the pocket will follow
the curve of teh spool. A break brings the high speed spool to a safe
stop. Meanwhile, the load has been released and will only travel as
far as its final velocity will take it.

Clearly, you need to figure out how much battery power you need and
how much capacitor capacity is required. You could use a flywheel to
help get the load accelerated from a stand-still. The flywheel could
be engaged via a clutch just to get the load moving and then
disengaged so that the motor can take over. Of course, the flywheel is
charged from the battery at teh same tim that the capacitors are
charging.

Come to think of it, a compressed air motor might work as well if a
bottle of compressed air is sufficient and not too heavy. You said you
didn't want anything explosive, but I don't think a compressed air
motor can be deemed "explosive". A compressed air motor might be able
to replace both the capacitors (of course) as well as teh flywheel.

The key will be to have a smooth acceleration to the necessarly launching speed. 

This will of course be dangerous to anybody who gets in the way of the
cord. But let's face, it this whole idea is dangerous no matter how
safe you make it...

Perhaps a 100m cord is not necessary. It all depends on the
characteristics of the motor and the acceleration it is capable of
achieving.

The "car" might not be necessary if the pocket can be designed to be a
stable sled for the intial part of the acceleration where the pocket
has not yet lifted from the ground.

Instead of a car, perhaps the pocket could start as a sled and then,
take flight with the assistance of tiny wings.

Of course, you never defined the 4-5 once load. Maybe it can serve
itself as a car/sled/flight vehicle.

I would love to see that work!

If the item you want to shoot is a ball shape, perhaps you could rig
up something with two wheels laying side by side with a space just
slightly smaller than the size of the object, which can roll down on a
track of some kind, get caught between the wheels, and shot out the
other side.  I realize you will need a crank to turn the wheels, and
it will probably be difficult to turn it that fast unlesss you work
together a serries of gears, making the wheel actually turn several
times faster than you could even hope to turn with your hand.  You
will ofcourse have to enclose the entire thing, and have the ball
shoot out of a tube if you want to keep it safe for kids.
I haven't tested this, but it at least it offers slightly more hope
than the other answers that suggest it is impossible without superman.

An 18" helium filled balloon will lift 1.8 oz. and a 3' helium balloon
will lift 12 oz.   If you have a favorable wind and an appropriately
sized ballon you can deliver your object 350 yards away.

If a 4-5 ounce 'thing' should now land on my head, I will know where
to come looking.