Posted by Ron Flory (66.58.197.239) on February 12, 2003 at 03:37:23:
While working on my current pm device last week I realized that although the idea is sound, the materials I used for its construction are not consistent enough to make it work properly. The best it can do now is make it back to the starting position but not past it. I am fairly certain that small differences of friction within the weights is stoping it.
The device is made up of nearly 900 pieces many of which needed several steps to process and the whole thing weighs in at just over 1000 pounds. I decided that even though it is possible to make it work, it may not work long enough to prove the point and to move it would mean that it would need to be disassembled, reassembled, and then retuned.
I came to the conclusion that the best thing I could do was learn from it and I've learned alot in the past week. I have discoverd it's most basic function and that is a single solid weight can make a wheel turn 360 degrees with the weight only moving 180 degrees (TDC to BDC and back to TDC in 180 degrees). That may sound crazy even to most of you here but that is what I have observed. A single solid weight is enough to achieve pm but is not enough to gain usable power. When I add a second weight working 90 degrees from the first it has a gain equal to half of the total weight to achieve usable power.
I have purchased a used sign plotter so I can make exact drawings for the weights and the wheel. I'm not sure what to use for the wheel, maybe high density foam or clear plexi-glass.
Maybe goin loco,
Ron