My team is VERY limited in our resources, so I was wondering if anyone could help me with this.
I came up with the idea that we attach a gear to a motor (I know, groundbreaking concept), but it would only be HALF of a gear, because the other half would be used somewhere else. This halfgear would turn a fullgear which would move several other gears and chains and such.
Is it possible to attach this “halfgear” to the Keyang motors? I thought it was brilliant idea at first, because it allowed us to only use one gear instead of using two and not using most of the teeth, and with us being short on supplies…it would help us out.
But now that I’m thinking about it, I really have no idea how I would get that to work. Any help I could get with this would be appreciated. THANKS!
Frankly, it would only work if you only need to turn the motor half a revolution. Gears are meant to be constantly meshed, so expecting it to survive whipping around to re-engage… well it’s not going to happen.
This goes for sprockets and chains as well, which is what I suspect you’re actually talking about.
In either case, if missing a sprocket or two is what’s holding you up, post it as something you need in the CD marketplace and/or in this thread. Many teams have extra sprockets laying about and would probably be willing to give you a few.
I probably /am/ talking about sprockets, but I’m not totally in to using the right terms. There would be no whipping around to re-engage. This sprocket would only be used to get another gear moving. Once that’s moving, it’s done with its job for the match.
But there’s still the question as to how to attach it…
If you are planning on using a window motor, you might do some research and see if you can figure out what type vehicles use the motors in the KOP, then visit your local friendly car dealership and see if you can get a “regulator assembly” to use with the motor. It will have a sheetmetal partial gear, with a bracket that will mount the motor and let the whole thing attatch to a surface.
Why try it. We are a team who is very limited as well as many many teams are. If it is that tight take a day and have the kids do a very quick fundraiser, such as a bottle drive if your state does take part in that. We have 12 kids on our team and we can raise a couple hundred dollars in a few hours. Ask a team around you as well. Teams in our area have set up a system where we help each other if 1 is looking for something. Is a parent willing to be a sponsor by purchasing them for you?? You want to be successful in your first year and by that I don’t mean winning anything (although that would be great!!!) but successful by moving on the field and actually competing. Don’t put your team at risk by not finding the proper gears and such. I know how hard it is and it can be flustrating when you don’t have any money. Ask around and I am sure there will be a team in your area that is willing to help you out. Lots of larger teams have things just laying around and would be willing to give it to you for a thank you or a batch of cookies. Good luck and remember this is fun!!! If you have hair left at the end of the season then you have done well!!!
Okay, followup question to help solve your problem. Mounting depends on how much load will be on the sprocket/gear. If there’s a fairly light load on it and it’s large enough, I’d just bolt it directly to the plastic coupler for the keyang motor. If it’s not that big… Well you might be able to remove the gear from the keyang and attach your sprocket directly to the shaft of the keyang with an ugly but possibly functional combination of JB Weld, a roll pin, and a hose clamp. Mostly it depends on the particular details of the mechanism.
In most cases, you need the full hub (the part surrounding the hole in the middle) of the sprocket to mount it to a shaft. You can also make the hole bigger, or drill holes to bolt the sprocket to something.
In any case, you cannot depend upon friction or an adhesive to prevent the sprocket from spinning on the ‘shaft’ - you must use a roll pin, or set screw, or square/woodruff key, or some other method.
Considering that, you might just use the whole sprocket. As others have stated, if you really can’t afford a sprocket, ask here. Many teams have extras lying around, and will happily share with you.
As maltz1881 stated, success will be getting a robot that passes inspection and can move on the field. Everything after that is gravy.
It’s not about the robot - search on that phrase to understand what that means.
