A depository for failed and teaching wheel designs.

[rlortie]

For years I have heard the wishes of many to start a thread on failed designs. So in an attempt to learn how to post such data, I am taking the bull by the horns, breaking the ice and starting such a thread. Lord only know how many time it has been tried in the past!

Over a period of time I will post pictures of actual builds and sketches from my archives. I expect and anticipate others will join in and feel free to post their failed attempts as well.

For starters you will find attached a radial design purposely built as a teaching aid with no intent of it ever working. It shows that a symmetrical display of weights within a wheel does not create an OB in the outer driven wheel.

The Journal is as the type used in a radial aircraft engine with a four inch stroke or a total of eight inch off set. The weights riding in dado-ed grooves are free to turn on 3/8" X 1-1/8" wheel barrow bearings. Note that one (main) connecting rod is double bolted to the main journal while the remaining is allowed to pivot. This keeps the machine from wrapping (skewing itself up.

The axle is hollow with a shaft and locking handle attached to the journal and can be set at any desired angle. It can be turned 180 degrees for allegedly reversing the machine.

If you have any questions or wish more detailed pictures feel free to request it.

Ralph

[path_finder]

Dear riortie,
I associate myself with your pertinent idea, with this shot taken in my bathtub under the water in 2006.
The purpose of this test was to check if a negative gravity (in this case the Archimedes force) can give a different behaviour for a double Sommerset wheel.
The weights have been replaced by table-tennis 'ping-pong' balls.
Although the best quality of the bearings and of the balls (brand name Dunlop, the must), nothing can be deducted at all from this specially stupid experiment.
Nobody is perfect.
If you are patient I have some materials enough for the next 365 days.

[triplock]

That's seems familiar,

A few years ago I remember filling my bath up with water and placing a similar device in it, which can only be describe aa a small spoked wheel without the rim, with ping pong balls glued to the end.

I have absolutely no idea what I was trying to achieve, but I do remember scratching the enamel and trying to cover it with white correction fluid so that the wife didn't tell me off.

Another time I tried to utilise water pressure as a means of actuating pistons, so thought it a good idea to put red food dye in with the water so that it would be clearer in the video

Well this thing had more leaks than I could care to count. The wife's syringing the red dye into the filler loop, trying to keep up with the leaks. Absolutely covered the kitchen floor. Looked like a slaughter house with all the red water everywhere.

Actually, thinking about it, I must publically thank my wife for putting up with such an idiot of a husband. ;-))

Chris

[rlortie]

Path,

Rather than address me as 'Dear riortie' as you have done in the past, just make it 'Ralph'. The name is Lortie but I prefer Ralph when being addressed by a peer on this forum.

As for Buoyancy designs, I have seen my share, but for the better part they were introduced to me in confidence.

I will say that the most viable is to use water as the mass, fill the balls with water. You have mass descending and when submerged you have zero gradient other than the weight of the ball. There is little resistance to the ball sinking or rising.

Now all you need is a 'Trekkie' force field to keep the water on the ascending side of the device! :-)

Ralph

[triplock]

Although not a gravity wheel, I must ressurect for public viewing my variant of my device which tried to utilise deep water pressure.

The principle was:

High water pressure entered the inlet under the base, and force one of the pistons up.

This upwards movement, via a rocker, pushed another piston down. This low pressure water was forced up a central duct, with NRV's to prevent back pressure. This ejected high velocity water spun a turbine / generator.

As the rocker arm was rising, this lifted an actuation arm, which in turn, quickly rotated a directional control valve at the inlet.

So now the down piston compartment was pressurised with high pressure water, so it went up.

The other contain low pressure water which was ejected to the surface.

The space above the piston assys was open to atmospheric pressure, via the snorkels to the surface.


Right, who will start the bidding for this ingenious device ?

Do I hear $1.00.......


I have such a fondness for this stupid design :-)

Chris

[triplock]

Any successful bidder will receive this free single page instruction pamphlet !!!!!!!!!

Being a hydraulic's man, maybe Jim_Mich can let me know where it all went so 'orribly wrong with this concept ;-))

Chris

[path_finder]

Ralph,
The concept has been presented earlier here: http://www.besslerwheel.com/forum/download.php?id=6220.
I never built any device like that. May be it works?

[Tarsier79]

Here's a simple device probably most here have already built at some stage. I had already built similar models and knew its chance of working, but wanted to know at what angle the flipping levers were most advantageous... It turns out about 135 degrees from the radial lever to the flipping lever, with the flipping lever moving about 20 degrees each way.

I also used this with a second axis with radial wires to control the position of the flipping levers. No prizes for guessing the results.

Edit. removed incorrect information

[path_finder]

Another unsuccessful attempt of the same concept (two excentered Sommerset primemovers in phase opposition, like a pedalier) this time on the fresh air (forget the water and the Dunlop balls).
Even with marbles in uranium I suspect it will not work better.

[rlortie]

Variable Ramp Test Bed

I constructed this device to prove or disprove concepts using ramps.

The outer radius is constructed of a double layer of 1/8" tempered hardboard allowed to telescope. This ring is held in place by 'L' brackets which allows one to make any desirable eccentric desired.

The shown levers with Roller Blade wheels is of perforated flat bar and is guided by 1/8' X 1-1/8" flanged bearings giving the same effect as railroad car wheels riding on the track. The lever wheel assemblies weigh in at 2 pounds seven ounces and were all checked for exact weight per assembly. friction is held to a minimum.

No configuration of the ramp placement, how much out of eccentric, % of change or starting position, the outcome was always negative.

Therefore it is my conclusion that grounded ramps live up to their reputation as causing to much back-torque and drag.

Ralph

[path_finder]

Another unsuccessful attempt.
This time there are two 'Sommerset like' primemovers, excentered in phase opposition, but instead to include some marbles in a quarter of disk, there are some doubled weights rolling inside an half circle shaped hole (four double weights in each primemover, located in quadrature).
In addition the shot shows a very common mistake: often some parts are mismounted, and you are obliged to redo the job.
That's the experience...

[rlortie]

An acquaintance had replaced their heavy duty clothes dryer and was going to pay to get rid of the old one.

I brought it home and salvage the drum hub and supporting brackets for an open face split axle test bed.

Here it is shown with a 48" steel rimmed disk and my version of Christian von Wolfius elongated warped boards. This apparatus will easily support up to fifty pounds of swinging weights on the oil impregnated brass bearing.

I salvaged the motor, belt and pulleys and sold the rest for scrap iron.

Ralph

[rlortie]

Path,

This is my reply to your post on your simple cam thread, I felt that we were taking it away from subject matter. This thread is more appropriate for discussing shop and material usage:

Where as you do not have the shop space your use of plastic appears to be a cost effective approach.

I on the other hand having the shop space and resources (tooling ) to build larger versions. A sheet of industrial grade MDF measuring 1.95cm thick X 124.6cm wide X 246.38cm (3/4"X 47 x 97") long costs me less than your plastic. I get my nuts and bolts for $2.69 US per pound (0.4535924kg)

Ralph

[path_finder]

Another attempt, based on the 'creyfish tail' concept.
Very close to rotate, but the wires are difficult to adjust.

[getterdone]

I found a picture of an old one I built before a had a computer. At the time I was building different types of wheels based on the two opposing triangles.In this desing I think I was trying to combine that with a swatsika type of lever. This was only the begining of my decent into madness. The problem with working with water is that as soon as you have one little leak you have to take everything apart and weight it all again. I discovered keeling before I knew what it was called.
I worked around this kind of design for about 2 years, then I got a laptop and found this site. Since then my builds have been a bit more Bessler inspired