16 replies to this topic

[Sailor99]

After a few false starts I have come up with the design in the pictures which, wait for it, seems to work!In most respects the prototype did really well in trials today. I should emphasis it really is just a rough and ready prototype that I knocked up in a spare 1/2 hour yesterday in order to test the concept.

http://revkites.com/...03_11_85149.jpg
http://revkites.com/...03_11_55326.jpg

Essentially this test piece is a couple of really cheap ball bearings attached to the dog stake by some jubilee clips. The sticky tape is just to cover a few sharp edges. A 6mm axle is put through the bearings and some lines tied to stop the whole mechanism spinning round on the dog stake.

In trials today the axle spun nicely when all 4 lines were pulled or released but would benefit from some greased bearings. When one line was altered it just gently slid over the axle. The lines didn't lock at all and showed no signs of getting warm from friction (I had my finger on them as Jonesey was test flying, well doing a sort of impression of flying interspersed with many crashes into the ground ). There is nowhere for the lines to 'jump off' to and get jammed up - the main problem with stock item blocks/pulleys. The dog stake did turn in the ground from the force of they kite flying, which was understandable as it was blowing about 20mph I would say today. To fix this mark II will have a couple of guy lines leading to tent pegs in the ground.

I have decided to call it the "Robin Heathson Sailor Stake"

The next step is to build a more robust design, probably with a ply base for the bearings attached to the dog stake incorporating two (and ultimately even four) independent axles, being one each for the brake and top lines, to improve line wear further.

Sharing the idea for others to take and improve upon.

[Sailor99]

Oh, and I forgot to say. The receipt in the second picture is for 27.38 litres of petrol costing £27.33 - the first petrol I have had for less than £1.00 a litre in a long time! Things are not all bad!

Actually, thinking about it, maybe I can set up a sweat shop of unemployed bankers to manufacture the Robin Heathson Sailor Stakes

[Baloo]

Robin Heathson, like it Jeremy.

[Choccy]

was it a good sandwich ?

[Baloo]

How do you know I had a sandwich for lunch? Yes it was good, cheese and beetroot if you must know.

[Sailor99]

Mark #2 is a significant improvement. Still a prototype but this version includes:
- 4 assemblies, one for each line, to all more independent movement of each line.
- plastic bearings to eliminate the need for lubrication
- aluminium (aka aluminum) axles to prevent corrosion.

The assembly is attached to a dog stake with a pair of additional 'guy lines' to brace it against the not inconsiderable strains imposed by the kite. In trials it worked perfectly giving a minimal level of resistance to each line, in fact less that I could sense. Unfortunately the operator (me!) was useless and could not fly the kite very well back-to-front.

[david ellison]

Congrats Mr Robinson, that looks well ingenious. Say goodbye to trapping your lines in the blocks.

I'd love to have a go sometime. Does it come in a darker wood?

[pudsli]

hi
seems like a lot of hard work just to fly a rev.
all i need is wind.
all the best steve.

[Martyjuggles]

Hmmm like the look of that Jeremy. Have had a couple of go's at dog staking in the last few days and starting to get a feel for it - could just manage a very wobbly inverted hover! I was going for the carabina just 'cos it's easy to clip on but there is a lot of friction and this seems to slow the response (or that could just be me!). The pulley i bought from B&Q just won't cut it because the lines jump off the wheel and get caught.

Really like the idea of 4 independently moving axles.

Think it's high time i got a shed,

Marty

[Sailor99]

seems like a lot of hard work just to fly a rev.

Ah yes. But with this tackle you can caress, nibble and even lick your kite in a playful and erotic way while you fly it.

[Sailor99]

Sorry I was thinking out loud again then, wasn't I.

[Aerochic]

Sorry I was thinking out loud again then, wasn't I.

Hehehehehehehe!

[Love2fly]

Ah yes. But with this tackle you can caress, nibble and even lick your kite in a playful and erotic way while you fly it.

Yes, and if you tell the kite what you want it to do, it listens ....

[deebs1596]

and if you get out of line the kite can put you back in line by way of a rod thwack

[pudsli]

hi.
whatever turns you on.
i just fly mine.
all the best steve.

[Sailor99]

Following on from another thread which I currently don't seem to be able to find (senior moment I guess). JB was saying that he has not seen a dog stake design which is super low friction, does not trap the lines down the side of pulleys and opens to allow you to insert the lines into the pulleys with out having to thread them all through. I believe the Robin Heathson dog stake mark III fits the bill on all these scores.

The pulleys are made from plastic bearing/housing complete assemblies from igus.co.uk. I also ordered some anodized aluminum shafts to go with them and all together they came to about $18/£12. The backing is a kitchen chopping board from Tesco - 75cents/£0.50. The postman uses the elastic bands to keep our letters together, so they were free The coffee is about 70% arabica and 30% robusta to give it a bit of body.



The shafts can be removed by pushing against the elastic and twisting within the outer bearing - note that the bearings are totally self-aligning, so as you push back and twist the shaft the bearing twists in its housing. The bearing is the white bit.



So, you get pretty much zero friction (and thus little wear) on the lines as the shafts rotate very freely, the lines can be slotted in just by pushing the shafts back against the elastic, there are no corrosion or greasing issues because of the use of plastic and anodized aluminum, there is nowhere for the lines to catch as with conventional pulleys and it doesn't cost very much.

I'll bring it out to the US JB and you are welcome to give it a go if you are at Huntington.

No problems with other people stealing the idea for their personal use.