02-11-2004 10:05 PM

shawny963

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

heres a strange perspective to a mechanism on our bot, shouldnt be too hard to figure out i think.

02-11-2004 10:07 PM

Solace

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

its an extendable, nonpivoting mast.

02-11-2004 10:09 PM

greencactus3

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

yeah, not hard to figure, but wow!
but is that rope?

02-11-2004 10:09 PM

shawny963

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

its spectra

02-11-2004 10:10 PM

Solace

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

spectra is awesome. I love that stuff.

02-11-2004 10:11 PM

shawny963

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

it definitely can hold its weight, and then some

02-11-2004 10:48 PM

Rickertsen2

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

Can somebody please explain to me how these types of lifts work. How do you get somethign to go up by pulling down? I understand how the multistage cascading lifts work. Is is the same thing?

02-11-2004 11:05 PM

shawny963

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

It is really quite simple, it works the same way as a series of pulleys except for the fact that we use hdpe bushings with slots for the spectra to run through instead of a pulley. So as we pull down on the line in the innermost tube it pulls the end of the middle tube up until it comes to a hardstop. Then the spectra runs to the top of the middle tube, through a bushing which sends it back down to the bottom of the outermost tube, which allows the outermost tube to be lifted also. This can all be achieved with one piece of spectra, and they can be pulled down also with the same line.

02-11-2004 11:06 PM

OneAngryDaisy

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

[shrinks]

what is spectra?


[/runs away]

02-11-2004 11:08 PM

shawny963

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

spectra is the type of rope we are using. Its often used in sailing. I believe 1/8" spectra has a breaking strength of 1200 lbs., at least the stuff we have does.

02-11-2004 11:38 PM

Clark Gilbert

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

Spectra cable is great stuff. In 2000 we used it to left our robot off the ground. At first we tried using just steal cable and it snapped all the time. We found out about spectra and it worked like a charm, we were hanging our 130lb robot from a hook that was connected to this cable. We also had a foreign exchange student from France that year and she was also a sail boat racer. She was GREAT with this stuff and could tie some amazing nots that really helped us. As long as you keep an eye on fringing or snags this stuff should hold up great.

02-11-2004 11:40 PM

Elgin Clock

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

A.K.A. to the camping world as "parachute cord"??

Or am I thinking of something else?

02-12-2004 02:53 AM

ahecht

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

Parachute cord is usually spectra wrapped in a nylon sheath to protect against abrasion.

02-12-2004 06:44 PM

Elgin Clock

Re: pic: Team 930 2004… thing

Ah, gotcha... I used that a lot in Boy Scouts since it was easier to deal with than braided rope for most things. - And it didn't shed it's material like rope does! lol