Chains for 6 wheel drive

[renglish]

We are building a prototype to test 6 wheel drive. Could someone tell us the best way to arrange the drive chains?

[R.C.]

Can you put up a picture of what your current drive configuration is?

-RC

[EricH]

Depends. Where is the gearbox?

[wilsonmw04]

here are are a few photos of our rookie year drive train. You might get a few ideas from this:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/27588

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/27587

[TJ Cawley]

does this method of chains work well?
i've been prototyping chain drives and never though of 6-wheel power but it seems like a good design. do you use 3 chains per side? you could extend the drive chain so that it wrapped around the first two wheels, like on a caterpillar. that way you'd only be using two chains.

[wilsonmw04]

two chains were used. 1 drove two wheels and was powered by one CIM. The other chain drove the front wheel getting power from the middle.

[EricH]

330's setup has typically been 2 chains off the gearbox, one to rear, one to middle, and 1 chain from middle to front. Gearboxes were aft, which helped the robot settle on that side for slightly more stable driving. (6WD drop center)

[buildmaster5000]

Originally Posted by EricH

330's setup has typically been 2 chains off the gearbox, one to rear, one to middle, and 1 chain from middle to front. Gearboxes were aft, which helped the robot settle on that side for slightly more stable driving. (6WD drop center)

We used a similar setup this year. Two chains from the gearbox (to middle and rear wheels) and one chain from the middle to the front. Again, gearboxes were aft of center, but tensioning was a nightmare (we were using #35 chain).

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by buildmaster5000

We used a similar setup this year. Two chains from the gearbox (to middle and rear wheels) and one chain from the middle to the front. Again, gearboxes were aft of center, but tensioning was a nightmare (we were using #35 chain).

Our set was way easy to tension. All we had to do was slide the motor shaft fore or aft to tension the back chain. The front chain was tensioned by sliding a small PVC pipe along the length of the chain and zip tying in place.

[Ether]

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

Our set was way easy to tension. All we had to do was slide the motor shaft fore or aft to tension the back chain. The front chain was tensioned by sliding a small PVC pipe along the length of the chain and zip tying in place.

Have you been following the discussion in this thread? Static (ie non-rotating) tensioners are not receiving a favorable assessment over there.

[Chris is me]

It's a lot easier to use one chain per connection than it is to use a single chain for multiple wheels. So 2 chains off the box and one chain from a wheel to another wheel.