Back and Forth Motion

Two Hundred Eighteenth Post: Back and Forth Motion

In the 198 post of this Blog, I mentioned the need to generate a back and forth motion. It was needed for a machine to go back and forth with a “piston like” action to pump water. The intro story is in the MakeShift 04 design problem. http://www.makezine.com/ It was my entry, that I will be posting on http://www.constructorscorner.com/ soon, where the idea originated. I needed to make an improvised pump, but in order for that pump to work it had to move back and forth.

This back and forth motion is a mechanical design problem. On the RadioShack VEX robot kit there is regular rotating motors and “servo motors” that spin one way and then back the other (producing a back and forth motion.) Admittedly I don’t really know the workings behind the servo motor, but I have a few guesses. This is still an idea I am tinkering with and going to research.

I want to blog about my MakeShift 04 entry and why I chose this solution. First my solution is a detailed drawing. It is more difficult to create many drawings so I included the original file with accurate proportions. I could have had a numbered drawing explaining the parts, but that would have taken too much time when the project does not require it.

The problem solution dealt with a need to move large amounts of water across a field of crops. I felt the only way was to get the water into the oil tank and then move the tank with the donkeys. The trick is getting the water from a pond into the tank. What is the most practical way to do this? The solution is a pump. Not just any pump, there has to be one that uses the principles of pumps with the ability to be improvised and built within 3 to 4 hours.

I’m going to post this solution soon. You may post you feed back on the message board or email me any questions. See for yourself if you think it is a practical solution. You may want to visit www.makezine.com and look up MakeShift04 to fully understand the reason behind the solution. So as I wait for MakeShift 05... May the Creative Force be with You