Building an automatic marble elevator?

[Dougmeister]

We have a few of those simple, wooden marble rollers. They're neat, but too small.

We build huge, whole-room ones out of cardboard tubes and V-shaped packing strips.

My kids would really enjoy some automated method of getting the marbles back up to the top again.

Like these:

rollingballsculpture.com

Fantastic Machines

Wouldn't have to be that elaborate, and price is a main factor.

What do you think? K'Nex? Erector Set? If so, is there a particular set of either that would be more beneficial, i.e., have all the necessary components?

 

[loup garou]

Damn, I'm sure I saw a video of somebody making a marble elevator recently...maybe on Instructibles? Let me check...

 

[uberman]

Perpetual motion machines are easy. I think one of the posters in the, "Does the plane fly?," thread builds lots of them.

 

[Dougmeister]

Originally posted by: uberman
Perpetual motion machines are easy. I think one of the posters in the, "Does the plane fly?," thread builds lots of them.

You don't mean this thread, do you? I searched on "plane fly" and that's the only one that came up.

If so, which poster?

Thanks.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: Dougmeister

Originally posted by: uberman
Perpetual motion machines are easy. I think one of the posters in the, "Does the plane fly?," thread builds lots of them.

You don't mean this thread, do you? I searched on "plane fly" and that's the only one that came up.

If so, which poster?

Thanks.

Just ask around....any entry-level grad student should be able to build a perpetual motion machine. We built them my Junior year in an Engineering Phys class, but I lost the manual.

 

[quakefiend420]

:laugh:

 

[Chaotic42]

They're having a bit of laugh because they're thinking of perpetual motion machines (Which violate thermodynamic law and are impossible to construct), but unless I'm just really tired (I am), you used perpetual correctly there.

Like I said, I'm tired.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Friction on the downslope and within the mechanism to raise the marble will prevent it from being pure.

Some external energy will be required at times.

 

[Dougmeister]

Thanks, Chaotic42. I am tired, too.

My fault. Should never have used the word "perpetual"...

You guys know what I mean ;-)

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Friction on the downslope and within the mechanism to raise the marble will prevent it from being pure.

Some external energy will be required at times.

Where does he say perpetual motion though? He just said perpetual. Like it's always moving and always returning the marble. He didn't list entropy requirements.

Edit: No, you used perpetual correctly.

 

[edro]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats

Originally posted by: Dougmeister

Originally posted by: uberman
Perpetual motion machines are easy. I think one of the posters in the, "Does the plane fly?," thread builds lots of them.

You don't mean this thread, do you? I searched on "plane fly" and that's the only one that came up.
If so, which poster?
Thanks.

Just ask around....any entry-level grad student should be able to build a perpetual motion machine. We built them my Junior year in an Engineering Phys class, but I lost the manual.

I got my manual on eBay for $0.99. I have all the materials except for some Alphamorphic Crystal... It doesn't seem to work without it.

 

[RayH]

Archimedes Screw

 

[Dougmeister]

Is there a better place to ask this question?

 

[So]

Originally posted by: edro

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats

Originally posted by: Dougmeister

Originally posted by: uberman
Perpetual motion machines are easy. I think one of the posters in the, "Does the plane fly?," thread builds lots of them.

You don't mean this thread, do you? I searched on "plane fly" and that's the only one that came up.
If so, which poster?
Thanks.

Just ask around....any entry-level grad student should be able to build a perpetual motion machine. We built them my Junior year in an Engineering Phys class, but I lost the manual.

I got my manual on eBay for $0.99. I have all the materials except for some Alphamorphic Crystal... It doesn't seem to work without it.

I got mine for free when I bought a bulk order of flux capacitors.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: edro

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats

Originally posted by: Dougmeister

Originally posted by: uberman
Perpetual motion machines are easy. I think one of the posters in the, "Does the plane fly?," thread builds lots of them.

You don't mean this thread, do you? I searched on "plane fly" and that's the only one that came up.
If so, which poster?
Thanks.

Just ask around....any entry-level grad student should be able to build a perpetual motion machine. We built them my Junior year in an Engineering Phys class, but I lost the manual.

I got my manual on eBay for $0.99. I have all the materials except for some Alphamorphic Crystal... It doesn't seem to work without it.

I happen to have some left over. I'll make you a sweet deal on it.

 

[uberman]

Originally posted by: Dougmeister

Originally posted by: uberman
Perpetual motion machines are easy. I think one of the posters in the, "Does the plane fly?," thread builds lots of them.

You don't mean this thread, do you? I searched on "plane fly" and that's the only one that came up.

If so, which poster?

Thanks.

Perpetual motion machines have been discussed for ages. Motion requires energy, when the energy is used up motion ceases. I was referring to the plane on a treadmill thread which made about as much sense.
[http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=50&threadid=1947206]

 

[uberman]

Originally posted by: So

I got mine for free when I bought a bulk order of flux capacitors.

Please post the information here when you've finished with your time travel machine/s. I want to build one too.

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: uberman

Originally posted by: So

I got mine for free when I bought a bulk order of flux capacitors.

Please post the information here when you've finished with your time travel machine/s. I want to build one too.

I built my mine 50 years from now. It's pretty cool.

 

[phisrow]

Try this idea on for size:

Construct a belt by daisy chaining cable ties(medium to large size). This should produce a continuous loop with little prongs sticking out were one cable tie pokes through another. Given the low cost of cable ties, you should be able to produce a belt of ample length for 10 dollars or so.

Obtain a small motor, ideally already geared down. http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G16034 might do(I've dealt with that merchant, never had any trouble).

The motor will be directly coupled to the drive drum. Any largish spool or small wheel can be pressed into service here. The spools that fishing line or wire come on would work, a wagon or lawnmower wheel, or anything of similar size should serve. Either by cutting away material from the drum surface, or by gluing cardboard or similar onto the drum, create a channel in the drum center that neatly fits your belt. To improve drive efficiency, if the surface is slippery, put a wide rubber band tightly around the drum in the groove.

The tension drum can be any freely rotating drum or spool. Inexpensive pulleys are available from most hardware stores which would do the job nicely.

You then need to stretch the belt between the two drums. A piece of scrap wood of the necessary length would provide the suitable strength. If all goes well, you'll have a belt that rotates continually when power is applied. Just below the belt, so that the prongs don't quite touch the surface, mount a V-shaped packing strip. When a marble rolls onto the base of the packing strip, the belt's prongs will push it up the packing strip and to the top.

PM me or reply if my description doesn't make sense, and I'll try to clear things up.