Posted by MrTim (152.163.188.198) on March 04, 2003 at 16:58:35:
In Reply to: excess weight posted by gill simo on March 04, 2003 at 05:06:07:
ummmm, custard! (drool, drool)
I can sum up the whole 'theory' behind the operation of the wheel in one word:
-Leverage-
It just does not take very much weight to throw a balanced wheel out-of-balance. If you have a wheel handy, try it!
Say you have 8 wts equidistant around the wheel. It is balanced, so it doesn't move. Now shift just one of the wts in or out a fraction. What happens?
If you moved the wt inward, the wheel will rotate until that wt is at the 12 o'clock position.
If you moved the wt outward, the wheel will rotate until that wt is at the 6 o'clock position.
Or, to use another analogy, the wts are like water. Water will always seek it's lowest level. The wts will try to do the same thing... (Failing that, they will seek balance with the other wts.)
Of course, the trick is to do just this, and take it from me, it ain't easy to figure out! (Even though it was stated that the mech was very simple...but that's only relevant to the designer/observer....until somebody figures it out...(hopefully me!) ;)