Do Nothing Machine.

[EE_Bota]

Also unrelated, Harbor Freight or Northern Tool used to market a two book set of "mechanisms" if I remember right, and I am curious of anyone who see's this message actually bought one of those books, and if so, what did you think?

 

[mikehaugen]

It was definitely the latter...small bits, etc. One of the earliest bits was a grain elevator, with the long vertical belt, and the little buckets riveted to the belt. It was just like a full size grain elevator but shrunk, and it would move cornmeal I reckon, but a kernel of corn would be a chunk!

Over time, bits would come and go, and challenges would form and be overcome. I think a challenge early on was to find a motor with appropriate speed and power. But truly, the longest challenge, remaining mostly unsolved, is what to use for belting. The existing belts are bootlaces (not the leather ones, the woven ones) that are stitched together at the ends. He is a very sharp fellow, so I doubt he is botching these up, yet they don't serve him well.

For example, many of his tensioners are out of tension...I presume due to stretch of those laces. I think he is too sharp to have made them too long. There is the possibility that the wood is eroding, but I am skeptical. He has asked me and his son too for suggestions / ideas on the belting material, but we have mostly come up dry.

I am a fan of some sort of elastomer, so I suggested o-ring kits. But heck, if his boot laces eventually stretch, I know the elastomer will.

A service belt in real equipment will have the fiber of that boot lace, and an elastomer coating to aid friction. I wonder if his boot laces could be painted or coated with some sort of elastomer, which might allow a reduction of tension, and therefore lower the stretch.

not sure that it would really fit the theme of this machine, but where I work we use very small timing belts. Off the top of my head I want to say that they are 8mm pitch and about 8mm wide. They are used to drive encoders off of some of the main drive motors for some of our equipment. They don't slip since they have teeth on them, and you can get small (maybe quarter size) pulleys for them.

We also use some very small roller chain... maybe 06b? not sure but maybe check that out at well?

...also, I would think that the shoe laces would only stretch so far. Maybe make them small and pre-stretch them?

 

[EE_Bota]

not sure that it would really fit the theme of this machine, but where I work we use very small timing belts. Off the top of my head I want to say that they are 8mm pitch and about 8mm wide. They are used to drive encoders off of some of the main drive motors for some of our equipment. They don't slip since they have teeth on them, and you can get small (maybe quarter size) pulleys for them.

We also use some very small roller chain... maybe 06b? not sure but maybe check that out at well?

...also, I would think that the shoe laces would only stretch so far. Maybe make them small and pre-stretch them?

Thanks for the ideas, and your final point I have considered, but I am assuming he does this because he is such a brilliant man. But once I see him next, I am going to inquire if he actually pre-stretches the boot laces. I would think hanging weights fro them ought to get most of the stretch out.

Maybe pre-stretched and then painted with that rubberized tool dip would be a good belt.

 

[Danno1]

.


Here are a set of books with mechanisms:

McMaster-Carr


Here are drive components:

Precision Gears Timing Belts Timing Belt Pulleys Precision Bearings Brakes Clutches Precision Couplings Sprockets Chains and Maufacturing from SDP/SI



.

 

[dex3361]

Here is a link to the Gunderson Do-All machine on You tube
Machines in Motion Gundersons Do All Machine - YouTube

 

[EE_Bota]

.


Here are a set of books with mechanisms:

McMaster-Carr


Here are drive components:

Precision Gears Timing Belts Timing Belt Pulleys Precision Bearings Brakes Clutches Precision Couplings Sprockets Chains and Maufacturing from SDP/SI



.

Thanks, I am thinking about getting some references that would suggest mechanical solutions for some problems I see at work. One book I bought was called the "Machinist's Bedside Reader." I am an electrical guy, but I encounter lot's of mechanical problems I'd like to be better able to speak too.

The Machinist's Bedside Reader: Guy Lautard: 9780969098027: Amazon.com: Books