Grassroots Mechanic Movement

March 30, 2020 The pendulum weight itself has changed several times & now I will try out another change. This latest incarnation (Version 3) replaces the threaded mounting pivoting on a steel bushing with a solid 1”x1” square steel rod weighing in at approximately 1 pound. The swing rate is actually slow enough that unit rpm will be limited and an outer trap may be of a simple momentary contact design.    

March 29, 2020 The outer stops/traps are the next (last?) item to get working properly. Roy (Thornson) stated that the planet traps (stops) could be either mechanical or electromagnetic and that they should act as a braking system that would momentarily restrain the pendulum weights and release them at the correct moment in the planet’s orbit & rotation. When the weight is released it snaps outward in the direction of desired movement pulling the unit forward. Now having tried several variations of stops/planet traps, I can see that this is a very important part of the unit that enhances its functionality as much if not more than any other single component does. It seems to be all about “steering” the weight into a position where it can “whip” outward at the correct time. At this time, several methods have been attempted to steer (or trap) the weight(s) with some limited success. So far, the most effective method uses permanent magnets mounted on an adjustable steel ...

March 26, 2020 A minor distraction has shown that the statement “It’s about the impact” is partially correct. Impact is very important to creating an inertial thrust device with enough efficiency to be worthwhile, however, impact alone does not make a viable working unit! It is very apparent that if the centripetal push is in opposition to impact push the two will attempt to cancel each other out. A POP device was created with a 2-speed motor which freewheeled at either 60 or 80 rpms. A loose bracket with a sliding bar was fastened across the axle. Each end of the bar had a bearing on it and the whole assembly inserted in a plastic housing. Operation: The bar would impact the housing and be pushed away from the impact and the reaction pushed the unit in the direction of the impact… However, by pushing the bar into an opposing position it instilled the centripetal force in the opposite direction. By indexing the position of the housing into a more “sideways” push, t...

March 19, 2020 I have been experimenting with the pendulum weight & stops (“planet traps”). I have increased the weight of the pendulum weights from 8 oz to 1.25 lbs. and made them a bit different shaped (Version 2). I found that the inner stop/trap is easily accomplished by letting the weight contact the sun gear’s axle and the addition of a movement limiter welded to the planet gear, which keeps the pendulum from swinging too far. I tried several ways to make an effective outer stop/planet trap, from allowing the weight to hit a fixed stop to using a curved “guard” which limits movement & guides the weight into the correct position for full release. None of the physical contact types had the desired effect as of yet & I do not believe that having the pendulum weight “slip” through a friction brake (as suggested by Roy Thornson) will be much better. Using a magnetic brake seems to be effective. Using rectangular ceramic magnets from Harbor Freight, 1 ...