Hi everyone,
My team and I are in a debate about this. We are thinking about a “plow” like design to herd balls into our ball conveyor system and we were planning on using two pieces interconnected so that they would be one piece. It would be deployed when necessary and would also be used as the tool to push down the bridge for us to get on. My question is, would that piece be considered as two appendages or one since its one entire piece?
One. Since the mechanism is one, it is one thing, even though it can be used for two functions. They wouldn’t complain if your shooter could also redistribute balls. They won’t complain if your “plow” can hold down the bridge.
Awesome, thank you very much!
Remember, Chief Delphi is not always right. The post above yours doesn’t cite any rule, and our team can’t find any that would define an appendage. We asked in Q&A about it, but until that gets answered, there is no answer.
My best guess, and what the opinion of CD has pretty much settled upon is that anything that moves as one piece is an appendage, but there is no official one as of yet.
If this has been clarified, I would appreciate it if someone would point me to the relevant rule.
Yea, I haven’t heard anything about this yet. Any updates?
Um, I wasn’t citing a rule, just citing common sense. There is no rule against appendages having multiple uses, so there’s no real issue. Unless that changes in the Q&A, or a Team Update. So far, no problems.
In fact, the Q&A does address the multiple use issue:
Q: Is there any limit to the kind or number of functions that can be performed by a single appendage as long as it only extends beyond a single edge of the frame perimeter?
A: No.
However, ruling this design legal is not just about its multiple uses. Personally, I find more potential in the phrase “two pieces interconnected so that they would be one piece”. As we’ve been repeatedly told, “There is no formal definition of appendage, however a colloquial definition is “a subordinate part attached to something; an auxiliary part; addition” (courtesy of disctionary.com). To elaborate, an appendage, when extended beyond the Frame Perimeter, is a contiguous assembly.”
I would suggest ensuring that your “two pieces” have very, very obvious contiguity.
Agreed. There’s a thread on that http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100696&page=3
right there.