The Remoter

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Guizmo
Wow, thanks guys!

@ddseeker: I also tried to find the patent for the Spal system with no success, but that valve actuador is a great insight.

I'm also thinking about a mechanism that could convert a reciprocating movement to a continuous one, so we could use the remoter in an oscillating way to drive a continuously turning output. One way could be engaging and disengaging automatically a free turning gear to change the direction in a small gear train, using only mechanics... well just a thought.

That one is easy, see engines
Reciprocating force turned into continuous with the crankshaft + conrod + piston assembly
In this case, just a rod + offset shaft is required.

hmmm multi output... how about you need say 10 pieces of some print, operate two printers with same set of steppers... Just saying

Thanks for reminding me this power transmission method is exists, this might help me with a weight issue on very large printer build. However, cables do flex, heavy gauge needs to be used for reliable long term use and further, backlash could be severe with this, but heavy gauge might solve that too.

I've seen the "backlash" in real life, it's more like life, X amount of torque applied will twist the cable Y amount without turning the end until Z amount of time - one of my cars used to accelerate so quickly that the speedometer lacked behind for many seconds No, i'm not kidding.
But i think some of the strands on the speedometer cable on that car probably was cut and that caused it - i have now a car which accelerates even quicker, yet it's speedometer doesn't lag as much (same make and same series model of car, only couple years apart, same speedometer cable, same transmission, almost exactly the same gauge clusters)


Good food for thought.

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PulsedMedia
hmmm multi output... how about you need say 10 pieces of some print, operate two printers with same set of steppers... Just saying

Yes, that is one of the first uses I devised for the mechanism. I have some images on page 1.

Regarding engines, they convert a sliding movement to a rotational one, while I'm talking about a reciprocating movement, so they are very different and their principle cannot be applied so directly.

The ide is having a reciprocating output (cw/ccw) at one side of the remoter with a mechanism that converts that movement in a continuous one (in an engine, all the pistons and rods do a continuous movement, always turning the crankshaft the same). With that mechanism at the end of the remoter, it could be used to transmit continuous power without all of the hassles (and patents) of the power window mechanisms and the need for continuous cable-belts. Only cheap bowden cables.

I hope mi explanation is clear

How about some sort of escapement, but with cams instead of cogs to make the rotary motion smooth (and hopefully linear) across the travel of the mechanism?
I'm not enitrely sure one could make that sort of mechanism completely smooth, but it doesn't seem unreasonable at first glance.
I've been toying around with a roughly triangular bass pick, and it's fairly easy to make it rotate in one direction using the thumb and index finger of one hand as "pallets" while pinching the center as an "axis" with the other hand.

(Sorry for the necrobump, but I feel this is an interesting subject worthy of more investigation)

/Andreas

Hello, first of all I do my apologies for my English..... (I don't speak it very well, I write it even worst), then
IMHO any kind of rotary flex shaft / speedometer cable / Dremel flexible Drive Shaft have no use in "slow" rotational movement.
Do these two tests:

• Put in rotation (with your hands/pliers) one end of any one of these cable and look how long does it takes to see the ohter end to start to rotate...
• Lock a pulley on one end of the cable, put some fishing line on this pulley, hook some load on the end of the fishing line which is not "locked" on the pulley.
  Now your pulley is a sort of fishing reel and the load is your fish....... now try to lift up the "fish" with your "fishing reel", by turning with the pliers the same end of before...
  You will notice that there will not be a real contemporaneity between the rotation of the two ends of the flexible shaft

This deficiency does not effect dremel (or similar tools) because they rotate at more than 1'000 rpm and could pass 10'000.rpm
I don't know the 3D printers of Yours but I doubt they Extrude so fast to need a so fast rotation of the extruder shaft, even if your extruder works in this way dApA screw extruder test

I find much more correct the "Synchromesh Drive Pulley" approach, but I cound't find (on the dealer website) a way to create a seamless closed loop "chain" with this "Synchromesh cable".
I think also that the old "ball-chain" (the same used in the old Darwin printer) could be a real good alternative but only if you find a way to create a seemless joint on this chain.

But until I coudn't find any way to do a REAL SEAMLESS JOINT in ball chain and in Synchromesh cable (suggestions needed) all this things will have to remain theories