Lego GBC Vertical Train Module

[sawyer klegr]

I built this lego GBC module for the 2021 great ball pit GBC contest. The rules for this contest was to build a GBC module that lifts the balls to at least 64 brick high. My inspiration for this module was the idea of trying to turn a normal GBC module sideways. It is meant to look like a mechanical GBC train module, but on it's side. Of course due to the challenges of making a train go straight up and down, I was not to make it look exactly like the original. I programed the module using python, would be very curios if you found the effect at the start of the video believable. More photos on flickr.

 

[npicard]

Brilliant! This looks great and seems to work well too.

As for the effect at the beginning of the video, I thought it was convincing. Nice video editing. :) As the cart reached its destination, I noticed a little wobble, but that just makes it look like the train track is a cantilever. There's no hint that it's vertical that I can see.

[sawyer klegr]

3 hours ago, npicard said:

Brilliant! This looks great and seems to work well too.

As for the effect at the beginning of the video, I thought it was convincing. Nice video editing. :) As the cart reached its destination, I noticed a little wobble, but that just makes it look like the train track is a cantilever. There's no hint that it's vertical that I can see.

Thank you! Glad it was at least a bit believable, was hard for me to tell as I already knew how it was built. It is quite reliable for the most part, although not great as far as battery life because it has to lift so much weight.

[doug72]

 Thats a brilliant concept turning it on its side.
Looks smooth running and reliable.

Looks very much like a real train Coaling tower.

I to have been building a vertical ball lift with 70L height and almost completed and yet to decide wether to enter the contest.

It uses a single L motor with PF control to raise & lower the ball platform without the need to reverse the L motor or using a reversing unit.

Fine tuning & busy making sure balls cannot escape !!!!

 

 

 

Edited November 9, 2021 by Doug72

[sawyer klegr]

9 hours ago, Doug72 said:

 Thats a brilliant concept turning it on its side.
Looks smooth running and reliable.

Looks very much like a real train Coaling tower.

I to have been building a vertical ball lift with 70L height and almost completed and yet to decide wether to enter the contest.

It uses a single L motor with PF control to raise & lower the ball platform without the need to reverse the L motor or using a reversing unit.

Fine tuning & busy making sure balls cannot escape !!!!

 

 

 

Thank you! Your ball lift sounds interesting, would be very curious to see how you made it without the need to reverse the motor. I can definitely relate to how hard it can be to stop balls from falling off of tall modules after building this one! You should enter it into the contest if you get it done in time, sounds like it would do quite well.

[doug72]

3 hours ago, sawyer klegr said:

Thank you! Your ball lift sounds interesting, would be very curious to see how you made it without the need to reverse the motor. I can definitely relate to how hard it can be to stop balls from falling off of tall modules after building this one! You should enter it into the contest if you get it done in time, sounds like it would do quite well.

Thanks hope to take photos tomorrow plus a make video.

Fine tuned today to stop balls hanging up after balls discharge at the top and in the return via a zig zag with ball retarders to slow the balls.

Still hunting for lost balls !!

Edited November 9, 2021 by Doug72

[doug72]

On 11/9/2021 at 5:41 PM, sawyer klegr said:

Thank you! Your ball lift sounds interesting, would be very curious to see how you made it without the need to reverse the motor. I can definitely relate to how hard it can be to stop balls from falling off of tall modules after building this one! You should enter it into the contest if you get it done in time, sounds like it would do quite well.

Vertical Ball Lift MK 3
Completed and tested ( see Images and Video)

Time to transfer 30 balls is about 36 seconds. 
On past GBC builds I have found reversers to be a problem to get them to work OK.

So I set out to eliminate the them or the need to reverse the motor drive.

IMG_8412 

The lift raises 30 balls per trip to a height of 72L and is driven by a constantly rotating  PF L motor, which rotates the 5L chain links forming a vertical loop between the upper and lower sprocket wheels.

IMG_8413

The chain was tensioned slightly by by using Lego legal spacers at the top sprocket. Thus alternatively raising & lower the ball carriage can be done without the need  to reverse the L motor or by using a trip to activate a gear reverser.

One 5L track link has has a beam connected to it by two 2L black pins with friction which are locked in place by short lengths of 1.5 mm black rod.
The end of this beam has 2L axle/Pin without friction, to which one end of a 5L beam is connected, the other end of the 5l beam is connected to the ball lift carriage.

IMG_8401

Thus as the lift raises the chain loop rotates around the top sprocket, the swing link rotates around the sprocket to the other side and lift descends.

As lift frame reaches lower level it releases 30 balls per trip from the in box, the swing link rotates about the bottom sprocket wheel and the lift frame then raises again.

IMG_8416

As lift frame reaches max height it hits a stop which raises the release bar to discharge the ball back to the in box via a zig zag ramp.

IMG_8414 

The descending balls return to the in box but could easily be sent on to the another GBC module if required.

Video:-.

 

Edited November 11, 2021 by Doug72

[sawyer klegr]

7 hours ago, Doug72 said:

Vertical Ball Lift MK 3
Completed and tested ( see Images and Video)

Time to transfer 30 balls is about 36 seconds. 
On past GBC builds I have found reversers to be a problem to get them to work OK.

So I set out to eliminate the them or the need to reverse the motor drive.

Looks great! the way you were able to design it without changing the motor direction is a great idea. It seems quite sturdy as well considering how tall it is.

[doug72]

  Thanks for your comments, it’s taken 2 weeks to build and test.

The Batteries last OK, If you need to run at 1 ball per second all need to do is slow the L motor to suit.

I tried using the old large Lego chain links but unable to keep the swing arm on the chain studs unless glued.

Think I will enter into the GBP contest.

Edited November 11, 2021 by Doug72

[sawyer klegr]

On 11/12/2021 at 8:25 AM, Doug72 said:

  Thanks for your comments, it’s taken 2 weeks to build and test.

The Batteries last OK, If you need to run at 1 ball per second all need to do is slow the L motor to suit.

I tried using the old large Lego chain links but unable to keep the swing arm on the chain studs unless glued.

Think I will enter into the GBP contest.

Great that you got it done in time for the contest! Maybe could place a weight on the other side of the conveyor to balance out the weight and save batteries even more, not sure if it would be worth it though.

[doug72]

Using the L motor with 40/1 reduction meant it was too fast & could not achieve the 1 ball contest rules.

Now change to an XL motor with 24 / 1 reduction to drive the chain, more power and  is smoother running with less shaking of the tower.

Can now adjust speed and set it move 30 Balls in about 60 seconds.

I will make a new video. I have joined discord on GBP but not yet found how to post my entry.

 

Edited November 12, 2021 by Doug72
change M to XL motor

[sawyer klegr]

22 hours ago, Doug72 said:

Using the L motor with 40/1 reduction meant it was too fast & could not achieve the 1 ball contest rules.

Now change to an XL motor with 24 / 1 reduction to drive the chain, more power and  is smoother running with less shaking of the tower.

Can now adjust speed and set it move 30 Balls in about 60 seconds.

I will make a new video. I have joined discord on GBP but not yet found how to post my entry.

 

That sounds like a good improvement. To enter it on Discord, I assume you have joined the GBP discord server? If you have, you should have access to at least the "input-bin" channel. Just ask/DM a moderator to verify that you are a human and then you can post a video of your module for the contest. If you have not already joined the server/channel the link is on https://www.greatballpit.com/ in the top right. There should be a discord logo there, if you click on it it will take you to the server.

[doug72]

Mark 3 Vertical Ball Lift Improved.

Power Function  XL motor used with 20:1 reduction.

Lift height 71L, timing adjusted by using s PF Train Controller.

From inbox to discharge point at 71L height is approx 60 secs per trip cycle.

Balls cascade back to the in box but could be altered to pass onto another GBC module in box.

White balls are  no longer used as tend to bounce or settle on the hole.

Think I I have found all the gaps that balls escape through !,

Video:-

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by Doug72

[doug72]

Mark 3 Vertical Ball Lift Further Improved.

Ball Carriage :- Slope too shallow to discharge all balls in time before lift starts to lower.

3L extension on ramp removed and slope increased.

IMG_8439

Input Box:-

3L extension to added to the 16 X 8 tile.
Slope slightly increased to make balls roll faster.

IMG_8440

Additional parts added to prevent balls escaping sideways as they roll out of the inbox.

Now able to carry 33 balls per trip and with XL motor speed at max and transfer balls between Input Box and Discharge in 33 seconds.

Had a spectacular crash when the swing arm came loose from the track, result rapid descent of ball carriage and balls all over my Lego Room !!!!! Can you spot the green ball ?

Fixed and after a 30 minute run time all OK carrying 36 balls per trip.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Doug72
Duplicate image removed & correct one added

[sawyer klegr]

10 hours ago, Doug72 said:

Mark 3 Vertical Ball Lift Further Improved.

Ball Carriage :- Slope too shallow to discharge all balls in time before lift starts to lower.

3L extension on ramp removed and slope increased.

 

Looks great! Reliability improvements are normally not too fun to build, but definitely helpful!

[doug72]

1 minute ago, sawyer klegr said:

Looks great! Reliability improvements are normally not too fun to build, but definitely helpful!

Thanks - I hope to make a new video tomorrow and will post it here.

[doug72]

Great Ball Pit 2021 Contest entry.

Fiilmed using a hand held camera

 

Edited November 16, 2021 by Doug72