neep help

[Partiot Force]

Greeting,

We are a new team this year and are in need of some help. The team has decided to focus on building a "goal post" apperatis that will hinge down off the front of the robot to help guide the ball while pushing and passing. We do not know how to motorize the "goal post" so we can raise and lower it. We have several motors left over but do not know what to do. One thought was to attach a spring to the front of the upright post attached to the frame and the other end of the spring to the hinged part of the goal post putting the spring in tension therefore pulling it down over the edge of the frame and then having a winch attached to the other side of the goal post to pull it back up. However, after reading the rules this morning that would be illegal as the non-electrical device, the spring, would be storing energy while at rest. We could always switch the spring and have it pull the "goal post" back up and the winch pull the "goal post" down but then we do not know how to make a winch out of a motor. We can not find a pulley kit at andymark to turn one of our motors into a winch. Your help in any way is much appreciated. Feeling stressed!