Building a self looping "SMOT"

[lumen]

Now that you have shown how it's done, you might as well just show the real prototype running endlessly, yes?

[elecar]

Now that you have shown how it's done, you might as well just show the real prototype running endlessly, yes?

Sigh

[JouleSeeker]

For the purpose of this thread the term SMOT will be used. To date no one has looped a SMOT, largely because when a ball leaves the SMOT ramp it ends up at a height equal to or lower than the point at which it started. To over come that problem it is necessary to have the ball leave the SMOT ramp at a height that enables feeding the ball back to the start point.
Most previous designs utilize the ramp design in US4215330 A  which consists of an incline with two rows of magnets, one fixed either side of the incline with a track positioned in between the two. The ball is drawn up the ramp by the magnets and leaves the top of the ramp and under gravity falls off the end. Always ending up at a point lower than or equal to the start point which then leaves the problem of getting the ball back to the start point.

My design (Patent Pending) approaches the problem in a different and unique way, which I hope some of you replicate independently. 
I will start by saying I will not be showing my finished design for a while and if that is what you want to see please come back to this thread in the future when I will post a video of my unit.

What I will do however is tell you how to go about building a self looping "SMOT" of your own using the principles employed in my design. 
I will include rough drawings (sorry its not one of my strong points) I shall also include experiments for you try out which I used myself to create my own design. The experiments are worth doing, especially for the naysayers as they will show the working principle and give you chance to make adjustments before you go into a full fledged build.
[snip]

Next the working principle.

Thanks so much for sharing what you have, Elecar.  I enjoyed the intriguing video.
You said clearly, "I will start by saying I will not be showing my finished design for a while", and that's fine.

You also said,
"What I will do however is tell you how to go about building a self looping "SMOT" of your own using the principles employed in my design. "

Hurray!  thanks for this.  I'd like to give it a try, and contribute if I may.

Thank you again.
Steve

[JouleSeeker]

Elecar, making your tear-drop-shaped track took some time, no doubt. 
I wonder if a plastic track, U-shaped, would work and be easier to bend into the proper curve?  Screwed down to a board still, as you have done.  Or perhaps model-train (or car) tracks?  Hmmmm... something flexible and hopefully cheap...
  How about a clear plastic TUBE? tubing would be flexible... might work if the friction were low enough.  A track is probably better.  3D printer, with track built in?  that would be cool. Thinking out loud here.

[elecar]

Hi Jouleseeker. I thought about acrylic tube when I set out to design a track, but they are not easy to bend (actually they bend easily but do not keep their shape).
I am not sure about a model train unless you were to use the D type which I think is the smallest gauge. A 3D printer would be awesome if not a little expensive.
I also toyed with the idea of aluminum channel wide enough to sit the ball in as I had an idea for the junction, in the end I settled with aluminum rod.

If you were referring to the bend in the test track, no it took a few minutes with a hacksaw.