I was just thinking… what if a tracked uni were built? The track
could be in a triangle, with the pedals at the top of the triangle and
the two bottom points on the ground, or straight out front and back with
a chain drive to one of the belt sprockets. That would kind of take
away from the challenge, though… what if the track was straight up and
down? I guess that would be like having a really wide tire, but you
could go wider still than any tires available now. It could be used on
snow and sand and such.
<<…what if the track was straight up and down? I guess that would be like having a really wide tire, but you could go wider still than any tires available now. >>
Sort of like a one-wheeled tank, right? It would probably need to be vertical for the uni community to accept it. I think it could be constructed alot like a low giraffe or a 2 wheeler. The bottom rim (sprocketed?) can be considerably bigger than the upper, which could perhaps be direct drive and function as the chain sprocket/top wheel of a 2 wheeler, with the belt travelling the perimeter of both rims.
OR, to keep it a true uni, we only need to widen the frame considerably and add a thick 4"-6" (or wider) belt to the outside of an appropriate rim.
The second could work as a UW as well, for all those who’d prefer to tackle George Peck-level terrain sooner than later.
><<…what if the track was straight up and down? I guess that would be >like having a really wide tire, but you could go wider still than any >tires available now. >>
>
>Sort of like a one-wheeled tank, right? It >would probably need to be vertical for the uni community to accept it.
Well, if the seat post would swivel in both (and thus: all) directions
at the bottom, then I for one would accept it as a uni-ish contraption
even if the track’s longest dimension were horizontal. The swiveling
action could come from a “cross coupling” (English?) like you find in
the drive axles of cars; it swivels in all directions but is able to
convey torque. Transmitting power to the belt is complicated. The belt
would provide lots of traction but it would be difficult to turn
corners.
If the swiveling is only front-to-rear (solving the power transmission
issue), then if the track is horizontal it is a “cheating uni”, the
effect being that of two training wheels next to the uni cycle. It’d
have to be vertical, cf Anne.
Klaas Bil
“To trigger/fool/saturate/overload Echelon, the following has been
picked automagically from a database:”
“uzi, LHR, WWSV”
Anne was on “track” with “one-tracked-tank”. Think tank tread or half-track, a track or belt driven vehicle. Of course with a wide enough tread one axis of balance is taken care of for you. With two rollers and a wide tread, you’re standing on a platform and someone would have to push you to make you fall.
Not at all sure that it would be describable as a Uni, Sounds more like a
tracked pedal driven scooter without any means of steering.
Didn’t someone make roller skis, sort of tracked roller blades a while
ago, for use on grass pistes? They looked fun.
With the various multi wheel unis I have seen around (2, 3 stacked
vertically and probably other variations) should the definition of a uni
include “one wheel only in ground contact”?
Anyone got an alternative definition which might include these fun oddballs?
if the track was split into 2 tracks,side by side…then each pedal could turn a track independanly of the other,thats how you could get the steering part working
Actually we could get harper to build a differential setup so that the
pedals were in between the two tracks, and brakes would stop one track to
turn. This gets cooler as we go.
jagur wrote:
> if the track was split into 2 tracks,side by side…then each pedal > could turn a track independanly of the other,thats how you could get > the steering part working > > – > jagur > Posted via the Unicyclist Community - http://unicyclist.com/forums
NO! Independant cranks would defeat the purpose of a tracked uni. I’m assuming that the track would be used as an incredibly treaded Gazz. The independant cranks wouln not allow you to move easily. It would be like riding onefooted with both feet.
-David Kaplan
>NO! Independant cranks would defeat the purpose of a tracked uni. >I’m assuming that the track would be used as an incredibly treaded >Gazz. The independant cranks wouln not allow you to move easily. It >would be like riding onefooted with both feet.
Well put. John Foss has a picture of a “dicycle” somewhere on his
pages. Two wheels side by side, on one axle but independently turning,
each with its own crank. The caption states that it quickly turns into
a kangaroo but I think there’s more difficulty to it than just that
because of the independent motion.
Klaas Bil
“To trigger/fool/saturate/overload Echelon, the following has been picked automagically from a database:”
“11Emc Choe, TDM., Gripan”
I wouldn’t know where to begin getting the materials together and machined
to build a transmission setup for something like that. Here you are already
with a prototype of a planetary gear reduction setup, so in this imaginary
world of this imaginary tracked uni, I envisioned you building an imaginary
tracked vehicle transmission. I also can’t weld, so someone else would have
to do the frame for me. All I would end up “building” would be bolting the
components together. I’d hold the patent on the design, though, so I’d
collect all the Monopoly money.
We’re all friends here,
John
harper wrote:
> This is much like having a girlfriend or wife telling you what > your “needs” are. This project will be really cool when Zanetti builds > it. > > John Zanetti wrote: > > Actually we could get harper to build a differential setup so that the > > pedals were in between the two tracks, and brakes would stop one track > > to turn. This gets cooler as we go. > > – > harper > Posted via the Unicyclist Community - http://unicyclist.com/forums
> I wouldn’t know where to begin getting the materials > together and machined > to build a transmission setup for something like that.
To me a unicycle version of a tank, or tracked vehicle, would have a single
track. The question then is what’s the point of the track? If you make it
circular, it can just as well be a wheel. To keep it in some semblance of a
unicycle, you can’t run a whole bunch of track on the ground, and it doesn’t
really make sense to extend it up into the air.
I’m not saying don’t try things, but if the core idea is to have an unusual
unicycle, make sure it doesn’t stop being a unicycle somewhere along the
process…
> I wouldn’t know where to begin getting the materials > together and machined > to build a transmission setup for something like that.
To me a unicycle version of a tank, or tracked vehicle, would have a single
track. The question then is what’s the point of the track? If you make it
circular, it can just as well be a wheel. To keep it in some semblance of a
unicycle, you can’t run a whole bunch of track on the ground, and it doesn’t
really make sense to extend it up into the air.
I’m not saying don’t try things, but if the core idea is to have an unusual
unicycle, make sure it doesn’t stop being a unicycle somewhere along the
process…
> I wouldn’t know where to begin getting the materials > together and machined > to build a transmission setup for something like that.
To me a unicycle version of a tank, or tracked vehicle, would have a single
track. The question then is what’s the point of the track? If you make it
circular, it can just as well be a wheel. To keep it in some semblance of a
unicycle, you can’t run a whole bunch of track on the ground, and it doesn’t
really make sense to extend it up into the air.
I’m not saying don’t try things, but if the core idea is to have an unusual
unicycle, make sure it doesn’t stop being a unicycle somewhere along the
process…
> I wouldn’t know where to begin getting the materials > together and machined > to build a transmission setup for something like that.
To me a unicycle version of a tank, or tracked vehicle, would have a single
track. The question then is what’s the point of the track? If you make it
circular, it can just as well be a wheel. To keep it in some semblance of a
unicycle, you can’t run a whole bunch of track on the ground, and it doesn’t
really make sense to extend it up into the air.
I’m not saying don’t try things, but if the core idea is to have an unusual
unicycle, make sure it doesn’t stop being a unicycle somewhere along the
process…
> I was just thinking… what if a tracked uni were built? The track > could be in a triangle, with the pedals at the top of the triangle and > the two bottom points on the ground, or straight out front and back with > a chain drive to one of the belt sprockets. That would kind of take > away from the challenge, though… what if the track was straight up and > down? I guess that would be like having a really wide tire, but you > could go wider still than any tires available now. It could be used on > snow and sand and such. >
I thought that’s what a Gazz was for. The less air you put in it, the
more track-like it becomes.
Chris
–
It’s not at the gas station or the grocery store where you
spend your money, it’s behind the wheel and at the dinner table.
