Bill Muller has shown it too !

[m668004]

Hello Stefan,

I have attached a picture to show how I mean this. It is a view from the top = the balls move in horicontal circles. They are free to move. This could be arrived by fixing each ball on a separate rotorarm or by the installation of a curved groove where the balls can freely roll and collide.

M.

[m668004]

Another idea ... Its in principle like the straight line horizontal gaussrifle, but vertically mounted and curved. Ringmagnets are used, so the amount of balls is always the same and the loop is theoretical closed.

[Light]

"I did buy today a plastic hose..."
- You need at least hard plastic tube, not a hose as the hose has pretty high coefficient of friction, almost as a rubber.
And keep in mind, even when ball falls, it's still under action of magnetic field and it slows  down falling and consequently not enough force to come back to top.

Three balls between magnets will not work, because the middle ball has to kick magnet in the nearest point where the magnetic field is maximum. But if you have a ball already sitting on a magnet force of attraction will be in 4-6 times less.  Unfortunately "rifle" works only in one direction...

[pinobot]

And keep in mind, even when ball falls, it's still under action of magnetic field and it slows down falling and consequently not enough force to come back to top.

Gravity is used to pull away the botom ball from the magnet, the magnetic forces acting on the top and botom ball are not equal.

[hartiberlin]

@m668004

Thanks for the 2 pics.
Now it is getting clear.
In a few days I will get the steel balls from my Ebay order.
Then I will try a few configurations.
The plastic hose and the magnets I already have here at home.

Regards, Stefan.