Quote:
Originally Posted by sparkycuda
Concerning how to power tracks from the upper works: there was a center shaft (vertical) that was driven by bevel gears upstairs and ended in bevel gears in the lower works. These drove a horizontal shaft with sprockets on the ends for chain drive to the track sprockets (crane folks called them tumblers) that made the tracks turn. There was a dog-clutch in the horizontal shaft for each side, so to turn, one was disengaged and the other side was driven. The reversing gears were in the upper works where the vertical shaft was driven, again with dog clutches for forward and reverse functions. It was complicated but worked very well - for the "olden" days.
Your model is big enough that it could be done but would take some major repositioning of what you have already built to install. Since you have all the other machinery up there already, it will be easier to put electric motors in the lower works and just make a slip ring for getting the electrons downstairs.
I enjoy seeing your crane - lets me remember how machines worked 50 years ago.
Ken
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Yes, I am leaning towards just putting motors down there. The clutches have been fun to work with but a big hassle. I took a video today.
https://youtu.be/5xwmcmF8dXY
I threw a belt drive in just in case something were to bind up, the crane wouldn't tear itself apart, but it slips too easily. I may make a tensioner, get a bigger pulley/belt, or convert back to chain drive, I don't know.
The solenoids that I was going to use to disengage the ratchet paw mechanism is too weak when there is a load on the drum, so it looks like I am going to have to engage the up functions, take the "brake" off, than engage the power down functions. This actually simplifies things in a way, but also makes it very easy to drop the boom or the load.
Maybe if I ever get around to learning arduino I can program some of this in.