Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 89.djvu/172

 Weightmobile Approaches Perpetual Motion

��A VEHICLE body mounted on springs has a constant vertical movement, the ampHtude of the motion being dependent on two things: first, the speed of the vehicle, and, second, the inequali- ties of the road. The weightmobile is a piece of mechanism designed to convert oscillations into a continuous rectilinear movement, and thus greatly assist in pro- pelling any moving body on wheels.

The manner in which this is brought about is shown in the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the power as applied to a boy's push-cart. Fig. i is a side view; Fig. 2 is a top view; Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the disks which is attached to the hub of the vehicle, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the disk, revealing its interior construction.

The little push-carts, as now made, comprise the front and rear wheels and body. It is not necessary to make any changes in these elements. The additions required arc to provide the hub of the rear wheel with one of the disks at each end of the hub. The disk in Figs. 3 and 4 consists of a central aper- ture which per- mits it to be

���Every bit of energy is used to propel the push-cart

��placed o\er the end of the hub, to which it is secured by bolts through holes. The perimeter of the disk has a wide rim into which are cut four tangentially-disposed cross- grooves, or slots, each of hich is provided with a netal roller.

Mounted on the frame

'n Figs. I and 2 is an

oscillating platform.

This is secured to the

frame by means of

two U-shaped springs,

enabling its rear end

to mo\e up and

down a limited

distance. A pair

of flat springs is

secured to the

���ABM tUMM -FIAT iPBINO

Fig. 2

Diagrams of construction details of the weightmobile

��lower side of the platform, and their rear ends project back to points directly above the arms of the respective disks on the rear hub. The arm of one disk projects to the front, while the arm of the other points to the rear. Links between the ends of the flat springs and

two disk-arms p r o \- i d e a means for im- parting the oscillating motion of the platform to the arms of the disks.

The tendency of bouncing up and down pro- duces an oscil- lating motion which is ap- plied to the disks in such a manner that the vehicle is fi r o (1 e 1 1 e d whether the platform moves up or down.

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