Page 18, Little Red Wagon & Modifications Made


April 30, 2020

I decided to put the whole unit on a small (rather wobbly) little red wagon to see if it would pull it around or at least if it would make it easier to push it up an incline. The wagon is far too wobbly to be used effectively but it did push it around my shop floor.

I also see the absolute necessity of making the sun gear timing adjustment lock securely. As I was testing, one of them suddenly drifted right, to the point where it tried to tip the red wagon over.

It was time to tear it down and rebuild the gear adjustment locks…And so I did...

Here is where I ended up.

 


I have realized that the only "good" video I have put here is of the first functional demo unit. Here is a video of the it with all of the latest modifications (listed below). I did not have it on wheels in this video, it is very difficult to keep it on the bench if there is anything under it that it will roll on.


 

Modifications Made:

Switched wires on motor to obtain an effective 3rd speed (I will measure that speed & post it here soon).
The center axles were removed for rework. 
Washers were welded to the topside of the lower beam.
The axles were repositioned downward to allow for double nutting underneath the beam.
The sun gears were welded to the washers (top side and bottom side), then were mounted back onto the axles where the washers were welded to the nuts & the nuts welded to the axles.
When mounting the axles on the beam, the bottom nuts are only somewhat tight.
A locking (double) nut added to each axle to keep the bottom nuts from loosening.
A pair of doubled nuts ware added above the center stop contact area, a metal top bar placed on them, and the axles are locked by tightening a nut on top of the top bar keeping the sun gears timed properly.

Settings:
Timing (T-belt) set at 12 & 1 o’clock.
Planetary weight set to contact center stop with plant gear approx. 40 degrees before BDC (Bottom Dead Center).
Running at highest speed allowed by the motor on a 12V battery.
Results:
On bench, no wheels, pulling bench violently to one side & lifting 1 leg of bench off the floor. 
Very encouraging!!


Ready for another test…

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