i think its genius thx for that
Thanks for the ego boosting comment. Just think of it as a tax rebate. Much of my undergraduate physics was financed by taxpayers through the Viet Nam GI bill and simple physics is all the pendulum idea is.
I'm not knocking anyone's pet solution and lots of neat dollies and "gallows" got engineered but I have no need to roll the PHD around after it is removed and find the simple pendulum to be very easy to use attaching or detaching.
I have something in one of my barns that probably not everyone has that would enable me to store/retrieve a PHD. I have a jib crane with sliding electric hoist that has a lateral reach of 17 feet and vertical reach ofr 18 feet. This would allow me to store the implement or attach it to the tractor anywhere in a 34 ft diameter semi-circle, swinging it over any thing in the way that is less than 18 feet tall minus PHD height. I'm thinking of adding an overhead gantry to that barn as well and who knows, maybe one day I'll use one or both to store/retrieve/attach/detach the PHD.
Meanwhile, I just back up to whichever "skyhook" I want to use, raise the PHD to an intermediate height with the 3PH and affix it as a pendulum to the overhead support, disconnect and drive away. If I did need to be able to roll it around I'd go with a good dolly design similar to those posted here. As I used to teach marlinespike seamanship (ropes and knots) I just employ a simple easily removed hitch to support the PHD. Those less facile with knots might want a snap swivel or whatever or weld a eye on the PHD.
Not that it matters much but I suspect I can ease my PHD in any direction a few inches with less effort than a dolly on castors. Hanging as a pendulum it is free to rotate on a vertical axis, move forward or back, left or right, or any combination without struggling to get loaded castors to align with your pushing. I can use the pendulum without a nice concrete floor as required with castors.
I would suggest trying the pendulum approach before investing time, materials, and effort into anything more complicated. It costs nothing and if you are not satisfied or have unmet requirements you are throwing nothing away to abandon it and build a SUPER DUPER PHD DOLLY with lots of pizazz.
Pat
