Posted by John Lindsay (207.150.66.242) on February 12, 2003 at 18:30:20:
In Reply to: New Theory posted by Dave Roberts on February 12, 2003 at 08:28:09:
: I have tried many variations but the most interesting is as follows:
: 1. Take the drawing from the previous post "Intriguing idea by John Lindsay".
: 2. Lengthen the weight and make it hang straight in the 90 degree position. Make the support wide enough that the weight can pass through it as it eventually will rotate 360 degrees.
: 3. Instead of a round weight, make it in the shape of a hammer head (Bessler?)
: 4. Just below the lowest pivot point below the wheel center, add a small wheel with a small ramp to it. When the weight comes to this, it will strike and rotate upward toward the center without much resistance. If a latch from the center shaft is made to catch the weight, then you will have one weight closer to the center than its opposite.
: Now, I have tried this and it doesn't work for me (but I continue to experiment) but maybe someone else has a better idea.
: Note: The weight at the 90 degree position is hanging vertical just like Bessler's drawing.
: Just trying to offer ideas.
Thanks for the input. The design that I came up with has very specific ratios, chain angles and various movements going on because of those ratios, the point being that a large, slightly slower moving, bottom heavy "half-wheel" is more "intent" on keeping it's gravitationally placed position than the pendulums attached to the small discs. It's a fairly simple idea but everything has to be made with precision. John