pic: Floating Zip Tie Chain Tensioner

[ATannahill]

very nice, were there any problems at the championship?

[R.C.]

The only one was that we did not cut the ends of the zip ties so they got stuck to the chain. That was a nightmare.



Here's a darker render.

[ATannahill]

hmm i would expect that was second nature, were you in a rush?

[R.C.]

Yes we were, it was a minute before our 4th match at nationals.

[Brandon Holley]

patent it.


i'm serious.

[R.C.]

Originally Posted by Brandon Holley

patent it.


i'm serious.

how???

[Lowfategg]

Originally Posted by rc_cola1323

how???

I am sure there are a ton of guides on how to do that online, Google it!

Like try this, http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/howtopat.htm

[Brandon Holley]

Originally Posted by rc_cola1323

how???

You've got to file an official patent.

IT GETS EXPENSIVE TO PATENT SOMETHING:

but the first thing to do is to have a researcher do a patent search...where somebody searches through all the previously issued patents to see if there is an invention that currently exists.

if there isn't then you can file for a patent which tend to take several years to issue.

Patenting this could get pricey, but it may be something your team is interested in.

I think it is a great little idea, and great little ideas should be taken care of.

[=Martin=Taylor=]

Back in '07 I saw Team 8 put a zip-tie around a chain on their roller-claw Now there's a simple method!

I'm curious about what happens when the blocks twist around. I mean, the zip-ties aren't gonna hold them perfectly flush like that. What happens when they twist and jam into the side of the chain?

We had these kinds of problems when we used delrin tensioners in our '06 drive train. The chain was always grinding against the sides of the slots we cut in the delrin. Wasted a lot of power that way.

Very creative though. I like the way you think

[Joe G.]

You just gave everyone here a "Why didn't I think of that?" moment.

Great Idea.

If you go along with Brandon's Idea to patent, and possibly sell it, may I suggest small Hose clamps as an alternative to zipties? It would make it larger and heavier, but also possible to adjust in two directions. It would also keep the tensioner in one piece, so that users cannot lose the second half of it. Finally, it would make it more robust. This would help its use in applications with larger chain/greater power use than FIRST.

[ATannahill]

do remember that if you patent it you have to give everyone due credit and a piece of the pie

[joshsmithers]

Wow. This made my day. My only question is: is the uhmw that you use tough enough and how thick is it? Does it wear down after a few matches? I'm guessing that it's easy enough to make plenty of extras out of a hunk of u channel. Did you replace the tensioner often(every match)?

[M. Mellott]

This really is a great idea!!

Not to get too off-topic, but while developing a patent for this idea can be very pricey and time-consuming, there is another option. You have to remember what a patent is for: to document that this is your idea and you came up with it before anyone else so that no one else can profit from it (except for you, of course).

First, create a white paper on your tensioner, or a detailed document describing the device and its development. Be as detailed as possible, and include as many options as your team can think of (BTW, I like the hose clamp idea). Include drawings, photgraphs, names, etc. Once you have that, file an application for a copyright on the document (I think it's about $40 for the application fee). Now, if anyone else takes your idea and goes to market with it, you have proof (with a critical government timestamp, no less) that you came up with the idea first. With that document, you could give that to any lawyer who would gladly sue that person/company that's using your idea for a piece of the profit. I know of several people who do this regularly with ideas they develope.

Sure, if you're going to take it to market yourself, a full-blown patent might be the way to go. But, if all you want to do is protect your future rights to your invention, a copyright is a whole lot cheaper. To top it off, if I remember correctly, while an expensive patent lasts only a few years (relatively speaking), a copyright lasts the lifetime of the filer plus 70 years.

But getting back on topic, I agree that this tensioner idea could be something that you and/or your team might want to protect.

[RMS11]

Another thing you might want to try is kevlar. It is a bit more expensive but should last longer and have less friction.