Doug72

Looks good - hose into center track hole OK but how do you push a 2mm round hose into the retangular slots on the edge of the each track link.

I have tried the gear rack sliders driven by worm gears again and there is a lot less resistance when starting raising but a reverser will be required. The reverser would fit where the manual crank is. It takes 12 turns of the worm gears to raise to full height. Have to figure out how the correct timing can be achieved and for the reverser to change over via trips on one of the slider racks. Original scissors lift version with turntable and crank arm needs to be made more stronger to stop the flexing at the fixed pivot points. New test rig Raising under power & then lower in free fall not possible when using worm gears and would neeed some form of trip to disconnect the drive on the turntable version. Lowering is no problem, its the starting resistance when raising causing the problem. The lift platform would not rise high enough to allow another train to pass under the bridge. Now tested your idea but with shock absorbers a s shown in these images - gives just enough extra force to help start lift to rise but lift platoform approx 1/2 L too high when fully lowered. Input ball box to adjust to allow balls to enter OK. The shocks hang on friction pins and are guided into the socket by the 2L sloped bricks. Now able to lift 18 balls per trip.

Looking good, how will the balls from the dumper get back to the loader ? I see you have two trains but looks as if three will be required if passing module loop is used. Doug

Tried that using the new worm gears to move the sliders but the revesing issue was a problem as the motion stopped as the driving ring shifted and gets stuck inthe mid position. It worked OK on the swing loader but can't get it to work on this. I used the frictionless 3L sleeve not the ribbed version. The problem is the legs of the scissors beams are very flat when lift is at lower level and the mechanical advantage is very poor. Once T/T starts to move the sliders on a horizontal plane it needs a lot of force to push the moving pivot so that the scissor beams move upwards, once they are moving its OK and descending is OK as well. It works OK with light loads but would not meet the 30 ball / min criteria. Just seen the new PV Productions video for a GBC machine built from the 42082 Rough Terrain Crane, which has a vertical lift using 4L gear racks and a reversing unit which might be a possibile solution driving by the train. https://pv-productions.com/product/gbc-30-fun-park-42082-building-instructions/ The Ferris Wheel looks very interesting with its intermittent motion. Looks to be a good build - just completed my Xmas gift of 42082 RTC so probably will build this and not the lego B model.

Mechanical GBC Train scissors Lift - Problems. I have built a test rig to see if can improve the initial lifting action of the scissors lift. The rotating Z56 T/T drive is simple but it takes a lot of horizontal force to start raising the lift and I used two shock absorbers to help assist with this, pushing in same direction. Now tried placing the two shocks as shown in image to give a more oblique push, without much improvement. The horizontal force builds up until it overcomes the reluctance to lift then jumps to carry on rising smoothly. The worm gear driving the Z56 T/T has had to be strongly braced to stop it forcing the structure apart when the initial lift starts. The fixed pivot point also flexes. The lift also struggles to carry more than 12 balls per trip. Has anyone got ideas or suggestions to overcome this problem ?

Thanks: Doug72 is OK, that is the title of the instructions made by @Courbet. Have a good show and look forward to your feedback with some images or video of it in action. Which elevator will you be using ? Doug

Don't think there are instructions - Its based on the Akiyuki version with modifications. See page 20 of this thread for two images posted by @Berthil on Dec. 13th. 2018 showing the mods & construction. Note:- this mod can be used for both options - passing or waiting - depending how the input tracks are arranged with or without switches.

Now managed to pass the scissors lift drive axle below the track with plenty of room for a train to pass below the discharge chute. A 12T bevel gear meshes with the 24T timing gear & the angle drive at each end of the axle. 24/12 then 12/24 so everything stays in sync. The track panel sits on 4 plate high studded beams each end, if only 3 high axle rubs on track underside.

@Berthil @Great Ball Pit Thanks for your comments. I am quite happy with the actual mechanism for the Scissors Lift, with the constant rotating turntable driving it. The main problem was getting the clearances between the lift arms and the structure right to keep balls in place as the lift rises and on the entry & discharge ramps to stop balls jamming. The input box needs to allow balls to load onto the lift at a constant number whist preventing any other further balls from joining them until the next trip cycle. My idea keep kept getting balls jammed under the forks. The two 24T gears on the side that transfer the drive to the worm gear for the Z56 timing gear for train reverser could be changed to 16T / 12T / 16T to give more clearance, with 12T gear vertically offset by 1L between them achieve that, if enough room to do so. Also to keep the trip rotor rotation correct the 12:12 gear on the train reverser would require altering. to 12:12. The reason the train reverser and axle drive the lift is a bit high is because the 24T gear the train drives catches the studs on the baseplate if any lower. Even as built per Akiyuki design without base plate that gear rubs on the surface it sits on. The axle that drive the lift could be lowered by using pairs of 8T gears to allow axle to pass under the track, the train should then pass under OK. The 4L offeset between Scissors lift and Train should be easy to arrange & with a chute as per your pnuematic set up. Re speed getting it to run faster is the main problem - eliminating the 12:20 reduction on the train reverser helped speed it up a bit. Just tried changing the drive to the turntable to 12:12 and turntable does one full rotation in 20 secs - so 12 balls per trip is 36 per min. Lift seems OK with 12 balls per trip. So overall reduction from train driving the lift & reverser is 1:1. The drive to the train Z56 gear would also need changing to 12:12 to keep it in the timing in step. Time to tidy up my workspace which full of discarded parts & hunt for lost balls !!

GBC Train Mechanical Scissors Lift: (Completed) The concept of a mechanical solution tested & proven. Input gate for loading balls operated by the the lift as it descends. Tried to make a input gate that prevents other balls arriving at the in box from entering the lift until the next loading cycle but balls kept jamming so removed to allow video could be taken. A better input gate system required. For the video balls were loaded by hand into input box, then the train starts to the trip cycle., loading balls onto scissors the lift and transferring them to the train hopper. Train departs with loaded hopper. A 4 lobe reverser used just to reverse train while taking the video, to start the next trip cycle. Its been an interesting challenge but doubt if I would incorporate into a GBC train layout. I have been chasing balls all over the place during setting the timing for the loading gate and some still MIA !!! Apologies for the shaky video - holding camera in one had annd loading balls with the other.

Rough Terrain Crane completed with gearbox modified with individual control for hoist / luff / extend functions. The lifting hook is ugly and over size, so I replaced it with a Lego metal hook and used with a small spreader beam hanging on the hook for the lifting chains. No space to display in my Lego room so now resides in the conservatory along with a smaller crane ( OO gauge model )

Catch 22 Situation ! Slow = carry more balls or faster = carry less balls !!! Now that the reverser is in use the number of balls the lift can carry has reduced to 18 with a trip cycle of 45 secs. using two 12:20 reduction stages. Replaced the train reverser 12:20 reduction gears with12:12 gears. Trip time is now 30 secs and can carry up to max. 21 balls but lift is really struggling and starts with a jolt. So with 15 balls per trip would meet the GBC 30 balls/min requirement. This means a way of limiting number of balls loaded per trip will be needed using the same method I used on my Swing Loader GBC Train Module.

IGBC Scissors Lift - Progress. After a heck of a lot of testing , trial & error I have finally managed to improve the initial lifting, using there small shocks with soft springs. Tested with 21 ball load OK. Tried 1:1 gear ratio from the train reverser but there is not enough power / torque, so now using 12:20 reduction used to drive the scissors lift turntable which has now reverted to using the Z56 version. Timing:- Also I believe getting timing correct will be nigh on impossible. Contrary to my previous comment that it it turns out timing is very simple which is why the Z56 turntable is used on the same principle as the Rotary Dumper Mod. One rotation of the Z56 turntable requires the train to release when at the lower loading point. This means the train reverser trip rotor with a single lobe needs to rotate one revolution also. The Z56 T/T needs to be driven by a worm - this might be difficult to arrange to allow the worm drive to it, due not enough clearance under bottom the T/T gear ring to fit the worm gear. A 12:20 gear reduction is required to match the Scissors lift turntable. I.e. The gearing to scissors lift T/T & the Train Reverser must match as per the Rotary Dumper MOD. Z60 T/T was not used due the 1/2L offset required for the worm gear. and difficulty obtaining the correct gear ratios !!!! Update: New bespoke reverser built using Z56 T/T with worm gear vertically mounted. it was quite a tight fit to install the Z56 T/T gearing and had to adjust the 1st. stage 12/20 gears to get trip rotor turning in the correct direction. Tested and timing consistent & easy to adjust by sliding a 24T gear out of mesh to adjust trip point. Same system as the Rotary Dumper.

GBC Train Mechanical Scissors Lift: (WIP) Update:- Now tried with both Z56 & Z60 turntables. The Z60 turntable performis better but in order to carry balls have had to use reduction gearing to get enough torque to raise the lift from its lower loading position and also fit a booster shock absorber to assist with the initial lifting. Now tested with fully re-charged batteries and have managed to carry 21 balls per trip but lift cycle of 40 secs is slow and only just reaches the 30 ball per minute average !! N.B. ball carrying platform only for testing - needs improving. It takes quite a lot of force to start the lift and there is a pronounced double jerk as it starts to rise. Torsion appears to be the problem with various axle twisting slightly as the load comes on and then once lift is moving freely the torsion is released causing the jerk. The advantage of using a turntable with connecting rod is it constantly rotates in one direction & a reverser unit is not required. Also I believe getting timing correct will be nigh on impossible. I have another idea, still using the gear racks with housings but moved in a different manner but will require a reversing unit but should be easier to set the timing. Any ideas on how to improve the start of the lift would be welcome.

Flickr back on line - heres the image showing latest gear rack arrangments on my Elevator lift platform.