A working ball wheel

[hansvonlieven]

Still does not work, the relationships are the same.

Hans von Lieven

[AB Hammer]

Great talking to you Hans

I agree with you on the straighter line instead but to a milder dip. That is my first drawing and that design allows the ball to finish more in the direction of the rotation which gives less vibration of the ball or disk of hitting the outer wall. I have 2 other versions that came from this wheel design with other effects. And if you look a little closer you will see the the third ball or disk is not a drain from the dropping ball or disk. It is rolling as well around the lower tracking ready to drop on its time. It does work better with six for my test (pleas don't laugh) with cardboard and duct tape I built a 3 plate version and it ran fine until one of the ball fell out the seam. But I felt it was time to build it in Plexiglas  so people could see the ball or disk rolling. Then I started improving it  which will give a little more power and speed, so I backburnered the first wheel for the better design.

The little drawing in the lower corner, is just to give an ideal of how they are supposed to be stacked. It is not precise.

So please check again and use 6, but account for the 3rd positioon which will the have a ball rolling in at the same time a ball is rolling out with the six disk.

[hansvonlieven]

G'day Hammer,

I will never laugh at someone who makes a cardboard and duct-tape mock up of a design in order to test a principle. This is common sense and good practice before committing time and resources to a full scale prototype. 

Far too often I have seen people spending large amounts of time and money on something only to find out that it does not work, when a few simple tests could have established that.

Keep going, I will make a mock up of the amended version and see what happens.

Good luck

Hans von Lieven

[norman6538]

Cardboard mockup is a great idea and I have done that sometimes
even in my office just to see quickly. But the problem I have seen
many times is look at the weights below the axle - usually they are bottom
heavy and will not rotate.

Its easy to get one to move but not so easy to get it to reset and make
another move.

Norman

[AB Hammer]

norman6538

Yes the balls or disk are under the axle, but you have missed that there are none to be lifted over the axle eather. It is like its own orbit causing the wheel to move, as if you where in a big wheel as you walk up the wall the the big wheel roles. Now it may only work in a light wheel for I only consider this wheel a toy, but for us it is a great toy.