Well Windlass, Post #3

Testing

When we first tried the windlass, we found that the parallel component of the handle did not contribute positively to our structure. With the length at 6cm, we had hypothesized that the extra torque would make it easier to turn the crank. Instead, we found that the attached crank part began to slip around the Delrin rod and the rod itself showed considerably more strain. Therefore, we eliminated the parallel crank handle.

With this modification, our first iteration windlass worked all three times that we practiced with it. It fully met the dimensional criteria and the expectation that it would not “wobble, shake, or collapse.” However, despite the stability, the Delrin material’s property of low friction worked against us. Although our structure did not wobble or show signs of instability, it slid around the smooth surface of the table slightly when we attempted to use it.

We emailed Professor Banzaert, who told us that we could address the sliding issue if possible. We then decided to see what we could do about this small problem.  

We now came up with hooks that attached to the rectangular parts of the uprights by “H” shaped press-fit connectors. These “L” shaped hooks attached to the base of the uprights and ran perpendicular to the edge of the tables.

The hooks:

   

The "H" connectors:

    

The notches are 0.1875" wide.

With respect to the sketch positions above, two "H" connectors would rotate forward 90 degrees. They would then attach at the very top and very bottom of the leftmost edge of the L shaped hook. The open notches would then affix to the base of one upright

One can see the L hooks and H connectors at the base of the uprights. These components would be supported underneath by the edges of the two tables.

This modification prevented our windlass from moving while we raised the bottle. The windlass still proved to be extremely stable.