Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Johnson
One of the things about a differential is that you have 3 shafts to manage. Perhaps they are using the gearbox as a way of engaging/disengaging a high ratio gearbox from the output (put on a break on shaft 1, then shafts 2 and 3 have a linkage to each other, let go of shaft 1 and the connection between 2 and 3 is broken).
This could be used to engage a ball kicker cocker or perhaps to switch from driving the wheels to driving a winch.
Lots of nails to hit once you make up your mind that you've invented the best hammer since Thor.
Let's get whacking...
Joe J.
P.S. Of the people I know that put bevel gears in a "pretty harsh environment" on a FIRST robot, I only know one who didn't live to regret that decision (and I am not 100% convinced that JVN is being completely honest with me ;-) Unless you know what you are doing you are very unlikely to be the 2nd, especially if you consider getting a gear hardened as something of an exotic art... Free advice... worth every penny...
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Thanks for the feedback. The differential-based gearbox was at the bottom of our idea list, but after reading this and thinking it over even more, we can probably accomplish the same outcome using stock AndyMark dog shifter parts. It adds a pneumatic cylinder, but reading from these experiences, removes a lot of complexity and headaches.