6 replies to this topic

[alpal]

Yes, I know that this seems almost pointless, you would need a coaster that requires a secondary chain dog, needs station brakes, and needs an immovable secondary chain dog. However, even if you don't want brakes, this is an excellent way to prevent a motor from ripping mechanisms and chains apart when they get stuck, and if a friend pushes the train when it is on the chains, it will give you time to stop them. Well, here it is:

In this picture, you will see that the gear is attached by micro rods to a white snowflake connector. You must do this! If you don't have them attached by micro rods and nothing else, it won't work. (Micro rods fit in the lock holes of gears and connectors, if you don't know. Then you can see that a white rod is attached to the white connector, and a grey single slot connector is attached to the rod and when the motor is on, pushes the white rod, the white connector, and the red gears simultaneously. But, if you or the train with the immovable secondary chain dog comes and pushes the chains forward faster than the chains are going, the white rod goes ahead of the grey connector and the motor, mechanisms, and secondary chain dog aren't damaged. If the chain gets stuck, the white rod attached to the white connector is flexible in the connection enough to let the grey connector to slide under and past, similar to what some knex motors do. However, some mechanisms will break at the threshold of a knex motor's emergency mechanism, so this is a great alternative. I hope this all made sense.
Video of it in action:

[LaMbChOpZ]

So it's like an automatic shut-off for the chain but the motor keeps on turning?

[alpal]

Sort of. The train stops then starts again, but depending on the speed coming in, it could be a long stop or a brief one. It also depends on the speed of the motor.

[Knexrule11]

I don't understand how it works. Could you get better pictures?

[ickus305]

It is a bit awkward to understand, but I got what you are saying.

You more or less created a "slip" drive. SO that is too much tension is created the gear can slip, without breaking the chain. Also, if the chain is pushed it prevents it from "sucking" into the gears.

Great job.

[LaMbChOpZ]

^Perfectly stated.

Kinda makes sense, but couldn't it become a problem if you have a weak motor? If it can't pull the chain as well as the motor shown in the video, then it will as Ickus said

"slip".

Interesting.....

[SuperTKDKid]

^Perfectly stated.

Kinda makes sense, but couldn't it become a problem if you have a weak motor? If it can't pull the chain as well as the motor shown in the video, then it will as Ickus said

Interesting.....

Very nicely stated about the motor, but that is not that bad. Of my 3 SS motors one is quiet, one is screechy, and one is so loud and screechy it is very high pitched. It is louder than if you had 20 normal SS motors on at the same time.