What's This Thing Called?

Off topic, but this is a perfect example of why I come to CR4. Not only did I not know the name of this drive, I didn't even know it existed! I have absorbed a new bit of knowledge, and it didn't even hurt at all! Thanks!

Now...the only question that remains is how can I apply this newfound knowledge toward my quest for total world domination? Or at least to impress women?

And the beauty is why I (and most of us) like Guests _{(except a few of you of course)}

And that goes to both of you. no, not of the few, the other part of the universe

W. M. Berg manufactures geneva mechanisms and all sorts of other precision mechanical components. I first learned of geneva mechanisms while browsing their catalog a couple of decades ago (has it been that long?).

I kid you not, if I were a gozillionaire I'd buy their entire product line, hands down. The Ultimate Erector Set!

I would go for the world domination thing myself.

I've tried to impress girls before but it would seem that world domination would be likely far easier and simpler. (and probably cheaper too!)

Besides when you own the world who's going to say no to you then anyway?

Why not Minot?

Geneva mechanisms are used by some printing presses also to open and close grippers.

first comes the knowledge and then the understanding

Just tell her you have a big one..........er, motor that is.

Del, you forgot to login again.

Dang!

I knew this one, thought i could beat the CR4 gang to the answer...

good job guest!

Genevas are a cool device, not too many people get to see them in operation, but your ultimate erector set would not be complete without it.

JB

Thanks everyone. I knew what I was thinking of, but I couldn't remember Geneva drive. Now if I can just remember where I left my car keys.....

HEEHEE... but the transistors will have a "DOWN" side to them...

In connection to off topic

Wow, I just draw this Geneva Cam in AutoCAD to demonstrate to a beautiful woman the AutoCAD's polar array ability. She was so impressed that she kissed me hard on the cheeck after the array was made. I can't wait to show to her the animation of this cam, I am excited for her reaction.

So whats the big fuss over a Geneva drive system?

Every mechanical digit vehicle odometer and mechanical hour meter has them.

I knew what they were before I was ten!

tcmtech

Love your tag line, except the way I heard it was "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, train teachers."

Practical working experience taught me this. Hence the reason I am quoting myself.

My parents are professional teachers. I wont touch the teaching aspect with a ten foot pole! To many bad examples of how the teaching saying is far too true!

Both are very book smart but for common sense... I think I was adopted or carry a mutated gene in that area! There are no other rational explanations.

TCMTECH,

Odometer: Is it a worm gear driving the first digit and an internal Geneva drive with detents for the susequent digits?

Jon

Take one Apart and find out!

Its typically a series of worm and inline gears that get the right ratios set and then its basically the inline version of a the Geneva drive system with a 10:1 ratio from one digit to the next.

For better view look at a old KWH meter if you have one on your house. they are the same also. Many have every gear and digit open to full view from the sides.

But some KWh meters are just gear reduction pointers and not the inline digit type though. The latest generation are full electronic with apparently no moving parts.

TCM,

I remember those old kW meters.

And those little handheld buttonpush counters.

Jon

tcmtech,

From what I have seen in the link to wiki, I would have to interject that a closer representation to the Geneva drive concept as found in the mechanical kWh meter would not be the kWh dials, but a mechanical demand interval reset device.

The dials advance in an analog fashion; continuous motion. The demand reset clock motor also turns continuously, but the clock gearing only turns the reset device at the moment of interval end, and looks very much like the animated illustration in the Wiki description.

My 2¢US, CJM

Y'all,

Analog drive.

Geneva

Jon

Like any device there are countless variations of how they work. Some are continuous movement some are not.

I have a collection of old watt hour meters and there are about as many variations on the method of driving the readout as there are manufactures. Some move every dial in a slow continuous gear eduction fashion but some only click each consecutive drum with 0 - 9 numbered on them ahead by 1/10 of a revolution each time the one before it makes one revolution. Rolling mechanical digital readout basically the same as the vehicle odometer principal.