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For our current train layout I have attempted to create a working lift lock.
Attempt 1:
The lift lock project started about a year ago. My first designs used a scissor
type construction ( XXXXX ) To try to raise the water, but there was not
sufficient room under the water level to incorporate more then 1 or 2 scissors.
Also the initial part of the Lift required two much torque to start compressing
the scissors. We attempted to add pnumatics to help the scissor out but did not
help much.
Attempt 2:
This attempt Used mutiple worm gears line up on an axle. One motor turned the
axles and A Base plate with 2 8 tooth gears locked together per side ('teeth')
attached would raise up as the axles turned. Prototype pictured below.
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jvwinden/Technic/Lock/dscn3509.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jvwinden/Technic/Lock/dscn3510.jpg
After some refinement this design seemed to work.
Attempt 3:
Was a redesign or Attempt 2. We added two motors one to drive the front two
columns and one to drive the rear columns The motors has an 8 thooth gear,
connected to a 24 tooth gear, the changes in direction using new 16 tooth bevel
gears and connected to the columns using the slim 20 tooth bevel gear. The
Columns use 11 Worm gears each starting 1 stud into a 12 long axle, and ending
one stud beyond a 10 long axle, Which is then connected to a axle pin, which is
then set into a Technic plate and mounted into the wall..
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jvwinden/Technic/Lock/lift.gif
Imbeded into the wall of the lift are 4 touch sensors, two on top, two on
bottom, when the front or the back of the lift hit one of the sensors the
appropate motor stops. When both motors stop. the program waits ro 60 seconds
and then starts in the reverse order.
This seemed to work quite well. At our last show (two weeks ago) the lift ran
for about 1.5 hours and then started to fall apart.
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jvwinden/TrainLayouts/TheL/ToyShow0405/dscn4785.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/jvwinden/TrainLayouts/TheL/ToyShow0405/dscn4786.jpg
Slowly after time the baseplate that supported the 'teeth' that locked into the
worm gears, began to tip to one side and the front and back. because the sensors
were only on one side, the motor would continue to run and try to raise the
other front or rear side. this caused two things to happen.. The worm gears
started moving upward, since they could not spin any further, at the same time
some of the 'teeth' came loose, and the Lift stoped lifting. Since this
mechanism is in the middle of our layout it was inoperable for the rest of the
show :(
So is there a beter way to build a contraption that can lift a baseplate with a
boat on it approximatly 20 bricks high. (17 actually)
Limitations
The contraption fits on 3 16 x 24 base plates attached on the long edges meaning
it is 24 x 48 studs in size.
The 'water' can only be 2 2/3 bricks above the baseplate
There is room outside the 24x48 stud Lift for the Motors and RCX.
Any sugestions would be greatly appreciated, As I would love to have this
opperational for the Large NMRA Lego show in 'WKRP' ;)
Jeff VW
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Message has 6 Replies:
 | | Re: Help with redesigning a Boat Lock
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| (...) Nice work!! (...) I would suggest trying string. Just have a loop of string in each corner, coordinated like you do with the screws. Or you can run it as 1 big loop, that would avoid the problem of slippage causing tilting. But you would (...) (20 years ago, 4-May-05, to lugnet.technic)
| | | Re: Help with redesigning a Boat Lock
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| (...) ... (...) ... (...) Rosco beat me to it... anyway... What about using string? With good rollers, the string should not wear out, at least not in one weekend. If the platform & boat are somewhat balanced, you could get away with one connection (...) (20 years ago, 4-May-05, to lugnet.technic)
| | | Re: Help with redesigning a Boat Lock
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| (...) (snip) A worthy project! Hope to see it in person at NMRA... I suppose you already considered vertical racks at the 4 corners of the "water" that are embedded in the lock walls (the rack, visible, might look like a ladder or steps cut into the (...) (20 years ago, 4-May-05, to lugnet.technic)
| | | Re: Help with redesigning a Boat Lock
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| (...) That looks like a *great* project - I hope you can make it sturdy and reliable! As Larry pointed out, you need to keep all the vertical worm gears in sync by tying them all together. Do you have room for the 24t - worm gear gear blocks in (...) (20 years ago, 4-May-05, to lugnet.technic)
| | | Re: Help with redesigning a Boat Lock
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| (...) You know Jeff, for a train guy, you are pretty good with gears :) I think you are very close with Attempt 3. The tricky part is designing a "nut" to mesh nicely with the worm gears. I have a design for a leadscrew that is very smooth and (...) (20 years ago, 5-May-05, to lugnet.technic)
| | | Re: Help with redesigning a Boat Lock
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| (...) Hmmm. To expand the idea of climbing up four gear racks at the corners, the problem would seem to be burying a motor (or several) in the water+boat system to power the on-platform gears that crawl up the racks. One possibility is how much room (...) (20 years ago, 5-May-05, to lugnet.technic)
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