Gravity Driven Mechanisms

[Guest Aemilius]

Before launching into any in depth discussion, perhaps it would be useful to compile a list (including illustrations if you'd like to include them) of all the various practical gravity driven mechanisms currently in use. I'll star the list....

 

1. The Water Wheel (and its numerous variations)

 

2. The Weight Driven Clock (and its numerous variations)

 

Any others?

[belovelife]

http://scienceforums.com/topic/24665-this-is-cool-is-it-for-real/page__p__315714__fromsearch__1?do=findComment&comment=315714

 

 

 

this has gravity and magnetism driven mechanism

[Guest Aemilius]

belovlife "http://scienceforums...__1#entry315714.... this has gravity and magnetism driven mechanism"

 

Hey belovelife (nice to meet you).... thanks for the input but I am limiting this thread exclusively to mechanisms driven by gravity alone. No magnets allowed.... The reason for this will become apparent over time.

Edited July 16, 2012 by Aemilius

[belovelife]

ok, sounds cool, i like the mechanisms built by leonardo davinci, where the weight is on the sand, and as the sand drops out of the box, the weight spins a pully that causes "work"

 

also the gravity driven tea ceremony in japan

 

where the robot drives itself as you put the cup of tea on it, then when you grab the cup of tea, it spins in reverse

[Guest Aemilius]

belovelife "ok, sounds cool, i like the mechanisms built by leonardo davinci, where the weight is on the sand, and as the sand drops out of the box, the weight spins a pully that causes "work"

 

I'm having trouble with "the weight is on the sand, and as the sand drops out of the box, the weight spins a pully that causes "work".... Could you expand on that by adding a schematic illustration for the sake of clarity?

 

belovelife "....also the gravity driven tea ceremony in japan where the robot drives itself as you put the cup of tea on it, then when you grab the cup of tea, it spins in reverse"

 

Again, the written description doesn't clearly illustrate the process, could you expand on that by adding a schematic illustration for the sake of clarity?

 

Thanks.... Emile

Edited July 16, 2012 by Aemilius

[JMJones0424]

belovelife "....also the gravity driven tea ceremony in japan where the robot drives itself as you put the cup of tea on it, then when you grab the cup of tea, it spins in reverse"

 

Again, the written description doesn't clearly illustrate the process, could you expand on that by adding a schematic illustration for the sake of clarity?

Here's a clip of a Karakuri ningyō

 

As you can see, they are spring driven. However, you could use the weight of the teacup to provide potential energy for a gravity driven one, but it would then fall under the second category in the opening post.

[belovelife]

 

 

 

 

 

[belovelife]

oh yeah, on the sand one, the rope is wrapped around the bar, as it is pulled down, and unwraps, it causes the bar to spin

[Guest Aemilius]

JMJones0424 "As you can see, they are spring driven. However, you could use the weight of the teacup to provide potential energy for a gravity driven one, but it would then fall under the second category in the opening post."

 

Thanks JMJones0424 (nice to meet you).... I don't know if the weight of the tea cup would be sufficient to drive the mechanism (something tells me not). It was, however, originaly devised as a spring driven mechanism and is therefore disqualified from consideration. Again, I'm interested exclusively in listing gravity driven practical mechanisms currently in use.... Emile

[Turtle]

locks (as in canals & rivers)

[Guest Aemilius]

Thanks for that elaboration belovelife (pictures really are worth a thousand words), I think I get it.... fascinating! I thought I had researched everything. Any others that anyone can think of?

Edited July 17, 2012 by Aemilius

[Guest Aemilius]

Hey Turtle (nice to meet you).... I think locks would fall more into the category of being a gravity driven "process" rather than "mechanism", since the gates themselves are not opened and closed as a direct result of the gravitional force but electric motors (generally).... so I would be inclined to disqualify that one. Any others?

[Turtle]

Hey Turtle (nice to meet you).... I think locks would fall more into the category of being a gravity driven "process" rather than "mechanism", since the gates themselves are not opened and closed as a direct result of the gravitional force but electric motors (generally).... so I would be inclined to disqualify that one. Any others?

 

i disagree. whether the gates are opened by hand or machine, it is gravity that both raises and lowers the water and so the boats riding on it.

 

so too, i would include water towers which give the motive force to municipal water supplys as well as some fire-suppression systems in multi-story buildings.

[Turtle]

Hey Turtle (nice to meet you).... I think locks would fall more into the category of being a gravity driven "process" rather than "mechanism", since the gates themselves are not opened and closed as a direct result of the gravitional force but electric motors (generally).... so I would be inclined to disqualify that one. Any others?

 

you have a right to your own opinion, but not your own facts (or definitions).

 

mechanism

1.

a. A machine or mechanical appliance.

b. The arrangement of connected parts in a machine.

2. A system of parts that operate or interact like those of a machine: the mechanism of the solar system.

3. An instrument or a process, physical or mental, by which something is done or comes into being:

...

 

machine

1.

a. A device consisting of fixed and moving parts that modifies mechanical energy and transmits it in a more useful form.

b. A simple device, such as a lever, a pulley, or an inclined plane, that alters the magnitude or direction, or both, of an applied force; a simple machine.

2. A system or device for doing work, as an automobile or a jackhammer, together with its power source and auxiliary equipment.

3. A system or device, such as a computer, that performs or assists in the performance of a human task:

...

[Guest Aemilius]

Turtle "i disagree. whether the gates are opened by hand or machine, it is gravity that both raises and lowers the water and so the boats riding on it.

 

so too, i would include water towers which give the motive force to municipal water supplys as well as some fire-suppression systems in multi-story buildings."

 

You're right, but I think this (and the water tower) would fall into the category of being a variation on the water wheel, where the energy released by the water falling from a point of higher potential to a point of lower potential can be used to do work (run a mechanism or machine).... we'll leave it in though. Not trying to be argumentative, thanks for the input! Any other examples anyone can think of?

Edited July 16, 2012 by Aemilius

[Turtle]

Turtle "i disagree. whether the gates are opened by hand or machine, it is gravity that both raises and lowers the water and so the boats riding on it.

 

so too, i would include water towers which give the motive force to municipal water supplys as well as some fire-suppression systems in multi-story buildings."

 

You're right, but I think this (and the water tower) would fall into the category of being a variation on the water wheel, where the energy of the water falling from a point of higher potential to a point of lower potential can be used to do work.... we'll leave it in though.

 

again i disagree. there is no "wheel" [necessary] as part of the lock mechanism nor the water tower. they are unique gravity machines in their own rights.

[Turtle]

dead-fall and pit traps are gravity driven mechanisms.