doug72

@Jim, many thanks for the link, look forward to your mini review before I decide to order & add to my Xmas list. doug

Can someone post the link to this for ordering ?

https://m.facebook.com/LEGOTechnic/

You could put it on the Lego Technic facebook page.

You are correct, my mistake, thought that beam was on the elevator platform itself.

Interesting idea, most real elevators and ship lifts use counterweight systems. Would certainly ease the strain on the motor & give a faster speed & look unique. Doug

Thanks for the photos - suggest only one counterweight is needed for upper level, mine works fine with just one. The redundent one could be them be used to limit the travel of the arm that lowers the chocks until trip arm releases the train. Suggest use a pin 3L in location shown in your amended image below to stop the counterweight arm and then experiment with different small wheels on the pin to set the chock height. Or maybe use the LEGO Technic Half Beam Cam (6575) which has diferent x holes on a fixed axle inserted at location shown and then try the cam in different positioins.

You could try to fit a stop on one of the counter weight arms to position the chocks. Can you post an image of that section of your build. On my build I only removed the redundent parts from the original Akiyuki design, really needs rebuilding to only essential parts, which probably will do when I replace the 3D printed gear worm gear case. I used to have problems like this with the original design. Regards Doug

Puzzling as why one gear combination works and the other does not. It seems some adjustment is required to get the chock into correct position to hold the train but then freely release it. Try limiting the lift of the chock (stopper) and shorten the counterweight arms until the chock still stays up until trip lever hits the trip pin. Suggest change the 2 x 1 beam with pin / axle holes to a plain pin with a 1L beam. see photos, which taken with module on its side. Yellow circle shows arrangement to limit the lift of the chock. Lever A prevents chock from rising too high, adjust setting at B by sliding the axle in or out. 1/2 L projection seems OK. Same as the lower exit chock except it uses a 1/2 pin with stud for the lever to touch. Hope this works out OK for you. Doug

When you say the train is stalling leaving the upper level, is the train motor still running ? I think the problem is you need more gear rack sections so that the 8T gears on the rear axle engage the rack to push the train off the elevator enough to engage with the gear rack on the bridge section. I had some problems with this as well. Photo shows how I arranged them. They have to be arranged with a half stud offset.

Have you done the train mod to that uses a 9L axle between the two wheel axles drives ? The M motor runs much freer than the original design which used a 5L axle with stop + 2L axle joiner + 4L axle with stop.

Many thanks for making the PDF instructions and the stipulation a Z56 Turntable MUST be used. Doug

Elevator speed I have been doing some comparisons of my elevator speed to yours. Taking into account the different heights raised and gears combinations used. Mine take 12 secs to raise by 5 x 4L racks using 20:12 step up gearing. With 16:16 gears would be 20 secs. To raise mine by 7 x 4L racks = 17 secs. with 20;12 gears. With16:16 gearing that would increase to 28 secs. So yours at 24 secs is good. Hopefully my maths is correct !! ========================================= Re Rubber bands. Carried out the mod to allow motor PF cable space & fitted recharged batteries but started to have bother with my trains sometimes not reversing. Check all PF cables were not fouling the trip bars and that the PF switch was moving freely but no joy. So used two reversers each end of a short section of plain track to find out why. The rubber bands seem to have lost tension slightly, as they are under slight tension even once the trigger arm is released. Intend in future to remove rubber bands from reversers when not in use to give them time to recover. Rotary dumper not affected as bands are slack until trip lever sets the trigger. Now fitted two rubber bands which helps increase the trigger arm force. Doug

@dunes built your second version of the worm gear casing using the 10197 beam w/2 axles 90 deg. It’s the best with a good rigid connection to the angle drive and the supporting frame for the 8T & worm gears., making for a compact sub unit. I will use this when I rebuild the elevator platform to remove some redundent parts. Doug

Mounting for angle drive at worm gearbox end now done and gives good support for the output axle ps, didn’t,t see your above post before posting this ! Thanks for the other possible solutions.

This is the smallest & closest I have managed to construct to the 3D printed worm gear box. Its 3 x 2 x 5 and well braced. Fits in between frame OK. Just need to determine how the angle drive will connect at that end - other end easy.

Difference probably because I still have the 3D printed worm gear box installed in the elevator, not built the @dunes version yet. I know its not Lego legal but it makes a huge difference.

Just tried it with my build and works faster. Takes 11 secs per lift and 8 secs per descent without ball basket. With ball basket & 28 balls, 12 secs up, 8 secs down. Make sure gears have little bit if free axial play on all the axles. Train has fully charge batteries. Re slight monentry noise as train exits at lower level: Now traced to the two free spinning 8T gears used to ensure train 8T gears fully engage with the elevator 24T drive gears.

@MajklSpajkl said: I modified the bottom a bit as well. I reverted to half thick beam for stopper because the full stud thick was getting stuck in te lifting gears axle. I have not fitted this in my version as train chocks (stopper) holds train OK throughout the lifting.

Well you beat me - I have still to try the @dunes solution. Yes agree about bracing the 8T gear, thats why I asked Efferman to design the 3D printed gear box that that supports worm & gear (8T & 24T). I have used it many times on my crane builds etc. and takes up minimal space compared to other solutions. Your build looks great and colourful, I,m using up my stock of grey beams !! Your photos are OK. Re Speed: I tried the 24:8 gears but elevator would rise a bit then stop but I had weak batteries in at the time. Going to test the 20:12 step up gears today - which will speed up worm rotation by 1.66r. My first idea was for using four worm drives directly engaging with each column gear rack , but meant using 32L axles and finding a away to keep worm on the rack as elevator moved. Also difficult to get a drive path to them so, quickly gave up that idea. Had no problems with the stopper hitting the 12T bevel gear but when my elevator reaches the lower position I get a momentary slight noise until train exists - still investigating this. Re this GBC Train System thread & discussion, It has proved very usefull by @Berthil to suggest making a seperate topic, as the train system was very hard to follow on the General Akiyuki GBC topic. Has provided very usefull interaction from everyone that has contributed so far. Doug

WOW , thats just what I need to replace the 3D printed worm case. I been trying for past 2 hours trying to come up with something & not suceeding. I'll build it soon, once proven will try and speed up the elevator a bit. The simplified system seems to be reliable without any hiccups so far. Many thanks for your input.

The 3D printed worm case is very usefull in tight places. Pity Lego doesn't make something similar. There are other lego worm gear cases but for studded use or too large and don't acept 8T gears only 24 or 40 T gears This mod is built within the existing Akiyuki framing and probably to be optomised to give more space. I only removed the redundant trips etc. An improved frame should be able to use a Lego legal worm drive, I will see if can figure something out. Re Chocks, Mine also used to stick or jump over them. New ones provide smooth passage as train runs over them in the other direction. New chocks work well with easy lowering to release the train.

Well spotted that I used a worm gear which locks the drive gearing once the train has left the elevator. It using an 8T gear meshing with the worm gear. and at the moment uses a 3D printed 3 x 3 x 3 worm gear case by Effereman, due to limited space constraints. I am trying to come up with an all Lego solution with worm gear box in a central position Re speed: Its a case of reliability - slow and steady or faster but higher load on motor and possible stalling. The axle with the 24T gear which the train drives also has 16T gear meshing with another 16T gear that drives the worm gear. Its possible to replace the two 16T gears with a 20T / 12T step up gear for faster travel speed by 1.66. Haven't tried this yet. I tried a 24/8 combination to get 1:3 step up but motor starts to strain. At the time I had run down batteries in the train, so might try again. Two simple chocks to hold train in place for raising & lowering. Two free running 8T gears also ensure that the train 8T gears stay engaged with 24T drive gear. Two trip levels operate the train chocks trip levers and no adjustments is required. The trip pin for the upper position can be place as desired. I have dispensed with the anti dive lever as elevator will always stay at the upper level until train returns from the rotary dumper. Mock up of drive system using 3D printed worm gear case. Note there is only one pair of 24T gears. 16T / 16T gears 20T / 12T gears Underside of elevator platform:

Elevator MOD by Doug72 Anyone who has built this module knows it can be very hard to tune it and get it to run for long periods without any problems, in particular as it is prone to rapid un-controlled descent if as It relies a series of trips, latches & chocks plus rubber bands which can fail. I set out to prevent the rapid dropping and make the module much more simpler and reliable. After a few false starts I have achieved this and eliminated the need for all the trips etc. It is now impossible for the elevator platform to rapidly descend and will stay in position at upper and lower positions once the train has left until it returns and activates the elevator again. The elevator can be made to any desired height in multiples of the 4L racks. Mine uses 5 x 4L racks per column, to match my Rotary Dumper. Akiyuki is 7 x 4L racks per column to match GBC ball regulations. No adjustments are needed to line up exit and entry of the train unit. Elevator speed can be altered by changing two gears. Currently 16T : 16T but can be 12T : 20T or 8T : 24T which will lower the speed but allow for greater lift capacity. Before Modification After modification Video How was this achieved ? More to be revealed later.

Good looking layout. Is that the old Lego large chain with 2 studs you are using for the red vertical ball lift ? How are the buckets attached to the chain & are you using the old chain cogs. I have plenty waiting for a use.