Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 42

Thread: Ball Lifter?

  1. #1
    Kungishi DrDark's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Central NJ, Armpit of the Nation
    Posts
    1,222
    Thanks
    5,180
    Thanks Received
    1,569

    Default Ball Lifter?

    Friends..the last 15 seconds of this video says it all.
    YouTube - Marble machine 1 in action

  2. The following 17 users say "Thanks" to DrDark


  3. #2
    veneratio million deus Eddie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Monroe, NY
    Posts
    4,154
    Thanks
    6,663
    Thanks Received
    11,627

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    A Piston!!! What a fantastic idea. This might be what we have been looking for

    I found this description on his web page.

    This marble pump is basically the heart of the marble machine. It elevates the marbles, and everything else is powered completely by descending marbles.
    This view shows the pump with the intake and exit attachment removed. Visible is the slider, with the hole in which the piston sits, plus a marble for reference. On the right is a 115 volt AC induction motor. The chain drive provides another bit of reduction. The white sprocket on the left is not directly coupled to the crankshaft, but has a form of slip clutch instead. This slip clutch prevents damage when the machine jams, and also, by being very jerky, can cause jams to become undone on their own. The block with the hole in it is the slider, while the hole is where the piston sits. The crankshaft is made from bent coat hanger wire, and goes through the piston in the slider. Various escapeents are cut out of the inside to give the crankshaft room to turn.

    Under normal operation, the marble pump is just this rumbling piece of machinery underneath the table on which all the action happens. Marbles magically disappear in a hole in the table, and are pumped up the central column to descend again.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Eddie; 11-14-2008 at 01:24 AM.
    Led Zepplin

  4. The following 11 users say "Thanks" to Eddie


  5. #3
    veneratio million deus Eddie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Monroe, NY
    Posts
    4,154
    Thanks
    6,663
    Thanks Received
    11,627

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    This link is really detailed. the slipper clutch for jammed balls is another smart idea.

    How the marble pump works
    Led Zepplin

  6. The following 12 users say "Thanks" to Eddie


  7. #4
    Gibisans - Japan West compirate's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Down in da Holler, WV
    Posts
    9,106
    Thanks
    8,726
    Thanks Received
    18,435

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    Thought this looked familiar

    Ball lifter ideas

    posts 21 and 24

    I bet it could be modified to lift several columns at a time, increasing it's capacity.

    人生は恐れなければ、とても素晴らしいものなんだよ。
    人生に必要なもの。それは勇気と想像力、そして少しのお金だ。

  8. The following 4 users say "Thanks" to compirate


  9. #5
    wearing a suit birdbrain's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    South Florida!
    Posts
    4,075
    Thanks
    2,545
    Thanks Received
    5,109

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    im thinking more along this line.the crank would just move the block that the piston rides in,rather than the piston itself, the piston would have a small wheel on the bottom and would ride up and down the ramp. this would make it quieter and by using a thicker block and ramp you can move multiple balls
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by birdbrain; 11-14-2008 at 03:40 AM.


  10. The following 8 users say "Thanks" to birdbrain


  11. #6
    wearing a suit birdbrain's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    South Florida!
    Posts
    4,075
    Thanks
    2,545
    Thanks Received
    5,109

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    build one with legos!!!
    YouTube - Lego#34 :: Marble Pump

    heres a design that will feed two machines seperatly:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuUc578eRoo


  12. The following 9 users say "Thanks" to birdbrain


  13. #7
    Eye Shooter chmer01's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Posts
    879
    Thanks
    1,569
    Thanks Received
    675

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    If someone here does build one of these please upload the plans with the dimentions.
    Eric C.
    CRアクアパラダイスGP CRラッセンワールドMJ

  14. The following 5 users say "Thanks" to chmer01


  15. #8
    wearing a suit birdbrain's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    South Florida!
    Posts
    4,075
    Thanks
    2,545
    Thanks Received
    5,109

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    OK! Here we go:
    the original ball lift idea is a great starting point,BUT, they had major problems with binding due to the piston twisting in the cylinder. here is my solution. there will be a lever that will push the balls up out of the tube,this lever will have an arm extending below the slide block and will engage a fixed pin approx. 1/4" before the end of it's travel, pushing the balls up and out of the tube. the balls will pass a spring that will keep them from falling back into the slider. i will be making one tomorrow out of plastic and will post the process.
    pic 1: slide in the load position.
    pic 2: slide about to engage the actuating pin
    pic 3: slide fully extended and lift fully raised
    pic 4: closeup of one-way spring
    Attached Images Attached Images


  16. The following 14 users say "Thanks" to birdbrain


  17. #9
    Mr. Vintage wrkey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Spring, Texas
    Posts
    903
    Thanks
    467
    Thanks Received
    2,421

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    Hey Birdbrain,

    Here's a thought for ya. Instead of a spring type device to prevent the balls from falling back... use a 'flap' instead. See the diagram below. A spring could become weak or break and you must overcome the force of the spring in order to shove the next ball up. A flap would have no other resistance than it's own weight which would be minimal.

    I'm not sure of feasibility of the design below but a combination of the two might "get'er done"!

    Good luck on the prototyping!
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by wrkey; 11-20-2008 at 10:57 AM. Reason: Forgot attachment duh!
    Rusty Key

  18. The following 11 users say "Thanks" to wrkey


  19. #10
    Tokie Owens reaperman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    New Orleans, LA
    Posts
    11
    Thanks
    12
    Thanks Received
    32

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    Yes, I'm dragging up an old thread, but it hardly seems fair to create yet another ball lifter thread for my very casual thoughts on the subject. I've been inspired by the 'Archimedes Screw' and 'marble pusher' ideas, but they always seem too complex.

    however it seems that when I thought this my head wasn't using them in the correct direction.



    YouTube - Wooden Marble Run Pump Lift
    could the pump really be as simple as a piston, a spring loaded wedge and some tubing?

    YouTube - Marble Run 2 Grandpa's original with a Pump
    and who really needs a 3 foot long Archimedes Screw when a couple inches is long enough?

  20. The following 8 users say "Thanks" to reaperman


  21. #11
    Goodwill Ambassador luckydog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    bradenton, florida
    Posts
    31,487
    Thanks
    13,448
    Thanks Received
    24,112

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    how about a vaucumn pump to suck the balls up a tube???
    幸運わんわん Luckydog or Yukiwanwan in Japanese

  22. #12
    Blind Shooter JBimmolate's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Nor Cal
    Posts
    95
    Thanks
    6
    Thanks Received
    288

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    Hey reaperman, I was thinking about that last design but had never seen it before. I was thinking of using a wood drill bit (cork screw style) for the screw portion and attaching it to a small electric motor. Now that I see what I was thinking in action I feel this may be possible for sure. When I have time I may mock up a test run to try it out. Thanks for the link!

    Miles
    Miles
    1975 Daiichi van guard & 1977 Heiwa

  23. #13
    I was thrown out of Top Gear Drunkenclam's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Guildford, Surrey
    Posts
    28,495
    Thanks
    13,435
    Thanks Received
    18,805

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    I too was thinking about some sort of cork screw, I'd knew I've seen just the thing before some where. It came to me today. Modern sash windows have a device called a spiral balance.
    See attached..
    http://balance.lupimedia.com/files/I...structions.PDF

    I was wondering if the centre part could be used as a lifting spiral.
    They do one 72" length versioin. Although how long the spiral part is I don't know.

  24. The following 2 users say "Thanks" to Drunkenclam


  25. #14
    Goodwill Ambassador luckydog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    bradenton, florida
    Posts
    31,487
    Thanks
    13,448
    Thanks Received
    24,112

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    my thoughts are a large long spring in a tube that spirals constantly and lift the balls as it turns.

    another thought is a spring on a cam to shoot the balls up a tube with a deflector at the top to the tray like a pinball machine shoots balls.
    幸運わんわん Luckydog or Yukiwanwan in Japanese

  26. #15
    Tokie Owens mscott03's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    19
    Thanks
    7
    Thanks Received
    44

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    Well, I've come to the point where I am ready to make a ball lifter/pump as well - I think it would be awesome to automate this whole thing. First I want to start by pulling from a 12V line on the Pachinko, and using a relay have it turn on/off the motor when the top ball hopper gets low. Secondly, I dont think the piston/pump idea will suffice - you will be paying out balls faster than a piston can move without malfunction..

    The idea I had is to have 2 halves of PVC tube outside of a drill bit style center rod. I think this will have less chance for a ball to jam and be able to pump balls up faster than the piston method. I am going to draw some plans up tonight and hopefully be able to reproduce the idea in real life!

  27. The following 6 users say "Thanks" to mscott03


  28. #16
    Fever Hunter TailTrauma's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Colorado Springs, CO
    Posts
    122
    Thanks
    205
    Thanks Received
    623

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    Quote Originally Posted by mscott03 View Post
    The idea I had is to have 2 halves of PVC tube outside of a drill bit style center rod. I think this will have less chance for a ball to jam and be able to pump balls up faster than the piston method. I am going to draw some plans up tonight and hopefully be able to reproduce the idea in real life!

    I had a similar idea, found some stock materials that might do the trick. (I'm of the cobble-existing-crap-together school of engineering.)

    Yard Butler 30" 1.75" diameter augur:
    Amazon.com: Yard Butler RD-2 30-Inch Roto Digger: Patio, Lawn & Garden
    I found one of these in my local Ace, seems sturdy enough to lift balls...

    Schedule 80 2" pvc. (Inner diameter 1.93")
    PVC and CPVC Pipes - Schedule 40 & 80

    I haven't tried it yet. The augur part of the bit isn't long enough to lift the whole way, and I've got no clue if the balls would be pushed the rest of the way up the pipe.

    Another idea is to gut a golf putting rig for the 110v solenoid, use it and a pulsed power source to 'shoot' the balls. Would be noisy as heck, but might be really fast and resistant to jams.

    Please post any experiments! I'll be interested to see what you come up with.

  29. The following 4 users say "Thanks" to TailTrauma


  30. #17
    Tokie Owens mscott03's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    19
    Thanks
    7
    Thanks Received
    44

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    YouTube - SPACEWARP 60000

    There is a perfect example of the lifter I was thinking of, auger style with different tracks/cylinders on the sides. They could all then be dumped into the top, and depending on how many sides you put on it, you could double, triple or even quadruple the amount of balls being feed to the top.

  31. The following 6 users say "Thanks" to mscott03


  32. #18
    Fever Hunter TailTrauma's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Colorado Springs, CO
    Posts
    122
    Thanks
    205
    Thanks Received
    623

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    Okay, that thing is cool. Thanks for showing! Now I even more want to see what you come up with.

  33. #19
    Fever Hunter WondersPachi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    248
    Thanks
    76
    Thanks Received
    414

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    Nice work people!

  34. #20
    Chicken Fried Steak takethecastle57's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Monterey , Ca
    Posts
    21,237
    Thanks
    26,027
    Thanks Received
    11,934

    Default Re: Ball Lifter?

    When things don't go right the 1st time , Step back ,Take a break and come back renewed. RGS

  35. The following 2 users say "Thanks" to takethecastle57


Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Ball Lifter!!
    By MrGneiss in forum eBay - General Auction listings
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 09-15-2010, 04:35 PM
  2. Ball Lifter
    By sakwilla in forum Ball Lifters/Ball Management
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 03-08-2009, 06:05 AM
  3. Ball lifter!!!
    By TNTahan in forum Ball Lifters/Ball Management
    Replies: 128
    Last Post: 03-04-2009, 07:54 AM
  4. So who needs a serious ball lifter?
    By compirate in forum eBay - General Auction listings
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 05-01-2008, 06:37 PM
  5. new here, ball lifter
    By ironworkerdalton in forum Ball Lifters/Ball Management
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 01-24-2008, 11:19 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •