Something else to drive with an engine

[black85vette]

Don't know if this will work. Maybe it is just late and my brain is tired, but I was remembering something called a Do Nothing Machine. A crank turned and two pieces moved back and forth. Like this:

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/03/howto_make_a_donothing_machine.html

So then I got to wondering if anyone ever made one out of metal?

Then I wondered if the thing could be rigged to be driven by a steam engine?

Maybe its best I go to sleep now and not let my mind wander off too far.

 

[Twmaster]

Sleep buddy. Sleep!

 

[Cedge]

Blackvette...
If you visit my web site, there is an engine called the "Rectillinear". That is the very mechanism that coverts the vertical motion of the cylinder to rotary motion rotate the flywheel. The engine has no crank arm at all. There is an animation of the linkage if you are curious as to how it can do its job.

I'm told that the engine design was possibly used to drive the pump on some of the old horse drawn fire wagons in the UK. It has the advantage of being rather compact for an engine with such a relatively large bore and stroke.

Steve

 

[black85vette]

Blackvette...
If you visit my web site, there is an engine called the "Rectillinear". That is the very mechanism that coverts the vertical motion of the cylinder to rotary motion rotate the flywheel. Steve

Steve; when I first started getting interested in steam engines it was mostly an interest in Mamod and others like it. Just toys. But in searching I ran into your web site and had an OMG! moment. What an awesome collection. That got me going in the "so maybe I could make one of these?" direction. It was cool later to discover that you posted on this forum.

 

[nkalbrr]

If it wore a suit you swear it was a politician

 

[bearcar1]

My Grandfather used to make those devices out of hardwoods s gifts for his friends. He used to call the "Bullsh*t Grinders" It always brought a smile to all of his recipients.

BC1
Jim

 

[Cedge]

Blackvette...
Yeah yeah.... blame the pudgy bald guy....LOL. I'm not very well loved by a fair number of the wives of guys in this hobby...(grin). Glad to hear I'm at least partly to blame for your addiction.

Steve

 

[shred]

This looks like a good spot to post this web site-- a fascinating collection of mechanisms, most with explanations and movies of their operation.

http://kmoddl.library.cornell.edu/model.php?m=reuleaux

The double-slider-crank is in there somewhere.

 

[ChooChooMike]

So then I got to wondering if anyone ever made one out of metal?

Frank Ford's wonderful website, Frets.com :

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/hstpages.html

has tons of machining tips, tricks and goodies ! He has plans for that dohickey, thingamajig, thingamabob, whatchamacallit. He calls it the "Two Slider"

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/StepByStep/TwoSlider/twosllider1.html

There are step-by-step instructions/tutorials to build this contraption. I made one of these last year when I had some time to kill in my shop class. His instructions are geared to the novice machinist so I greatly appreciated all the detail. This was my 1st time using a T-slot cutter, so was good experience.

Here's the little animated picture from the above link :

Mike

 

[black85vette]

Thanks ChooChooMike! I figured some machinist somewhere had done this. Since I just got a mill and have 2 dovetail cutters I may have to do this.

Also; very cool website.