Just like life, one shaft after another (build log, video added)

Rob 80386

Rob 80386

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but this one has an overhead drive...

it's components are sitting on my table


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:)
 
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I was just wondering about this... are you building your own model paternoster lift?
 
Tori_T said:
I was just wondering about this... are you building your own model paternoster lift?
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yes I am (y)

in the second pic, all 10 cabins are assembled below that table, you may be able to see the shunt rings on some of them
:)
 
Looks good, curious to know whats the facination with paternoster lifts ?
 
Rob 80386 said:
yes I am (y)

in the second pic, all 10 cabins are assembled below that table, you may be able to see the shunt rings on some of them
:)
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Cool... Is it just an exercise in creativity, or will it make a really unusual living room display stand? :thinking:
 
Tori_T said:
Cool... Is it just an exercise in creativity, or will it make a really unusual living room display stand? :thinking:
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good question,

the result is threefold:

1. it's testing creativity and engineering skills

2. Something to do at the weekends/evenings

3. It will be a display stand, as a reminder and testament to the experience I had using one of these, which wasn't bad btw

:)
 
Carlos68 said:
Looks good, curious to know whats the facination with paternoster lifts ?
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To answer that, can I ask, have you seen or used one recently or in the past.

These things are amazing, H&S nightmare but amazing no less

anyone familiar with the concept will know that they are a endless loop of wooden cabins, with no doors and they stop for nobody.

as I walked up to the "up side" I could see the cabin rising up, it looked perfect coated in white with black trim, silver handles each side and two on the landing. As I stepped into the rising cabin, at first a little unsteady timing is critical for these things, I felt the floor kind of "pick me up" before continuing up through the building, until I reached the last floor, there was a sign on the centre post and on the back wall of the cabin, "Over Travel Through Loft and Pit Is Not Dangerous But Not Recommended.

Being me and what I intended to do anyway, I stayed in the cabin as it pulled away from the top floor to go round the loop and come down again, this is known as "going over the top", it went dark for a few seconds, it also got very shaky and I could hear the motor running as I passed in front of the big sprocket at the top. (I did photograph this)
the cabin reached it's apex and began it's decent, I didn't get flipped upside down, like most people are concerned about.
On the way down there were people on the landings, as I had gone to this building at its busiest time, people were hopping on and off, and I did so a few times in between doing full circuits of the lift, as the cabin approached the ground floor, a woman who was in the same cabin as me, hopped off, with a cheery "bye".
The cabin disappeared beneath the ground floor, "clang clang clang" the drive chain went, I could also hear the shunt rings on the bottom of the cabin sliding on the run-offs at the bottom of the shaft before making an ominous clunk as it slides back on to the vertical guide rail to begin it's ascent again.

The feeling I got from this experience is nothing short of magical, it's change my life and I've certainly never looked at lifts in the same way since.

Life is like a paternoster, going up and down all at the same time, sometimes you stand in the darkness not knowing which way you are heading, best thing to do "stand back, hold on and enjoy the sound of turning gears.
 
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Tori_T said:
Woo...

You've made me want to have a go in one now. :(
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There's not many left these days, but I know of three that are still full operational, one is being referbed at the moment.

:)
 
Rob 80386 said:
There's not many left these days, but I know of three that are still full operational, one is being referbed at the moment.

:)
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I wouldn't be confident that the lift owners allow just anyone to come in and play on study them though... :(
 
Tori_T said:
I wouldn't be confident that the lift owners allow just anyone to come in and play on study them though... :(
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A nicely worded email was all it took for me, I even got an article printed in the campus news letter (y)
 
Tori_T said:
Will they be doing a follow up article when your project's complete?
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No because this is slightly different to the UK Paternosters project
even though it's related to the lifts

The UK Paternosters project is all about documentation,

the model is the mechanics of it :)
 
I just did a quick Google on UK Paternosters Project but nothing came up.
Is it a personal project, or are there other enthusiasts/historians/preservationists involved?
 
Its a personal project, there is nothing about it on the net, apart from what's on my flickr page.

The objective is to visit each one and document it. however it has been put on hold due to personal circumstances, but I will pick it up again in due course and make the other two visits.
:)
 
Ahh thats how it works :LOL: was trying to visualise it but couldn't quite work out what was happening at the top and bottom.

Interesting project (y)
 
Since I've posted the hoistway and gear assembly (now painted)

this thread will now be the build log (I hate build logs btw, can never keep them up to date, :bonk:, will try with this one)


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Front and rear chains


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Chain with anchor bolt for cabin
 
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The 10 cabins eagerly awaiting their second coat of paint, look how they stand to attention on that MDF board :LOL:



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The overhead drive is begining to take shape, with a ford wiper motor installed at the rear of the tower :)

The centre tree had to be removed and rebuilt as I knocked it out of square during the installation of the overheads, on top of that I also broke the blocks that hold the aluminium guides in place for the centre tree.... Band Saw To The Rescue.... cut some new ones and all is good.



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My poor chain tool, was worn out already before starting this project, so was going to be replaced anyway, it's cream crackered now :LOL:
 
My replacement chain tool arrived today, :)

the chains will be completed today, also the cabins will be getting a final coat of paint after a light sanding with fine grit :)
 
All ten cabins now given their second coat of paint, they may need a third depending on how they dry, if so then I will have to bust out the sand paper for a second time (y)


will sort out the drive shafts and key the sprockets, finish the overheads then test it :)
 
oooohhhh dear, someone has been busy with the paint
:)

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They have their bottom skirts attached (apart from one when the glue didn't take), they can no longer stand up on there own, but they are ready for attaching to the chains

:)
 
The centre tree will have to come out again as it doesn't line up with the overheads, its now needs slight tweaking to get it spot on, as tolerences are very tight.

:)
 
Update....

will be ordering the drive shafts

the overheads had to be reinforced as the weight of the sprocket was causing it to bow, the centre tree is back in place.

:)
 
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Measuring up the overhead drive


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Overhead drive close up
 
Drive shafts are on their way along with 2x 17mm bearings for the free running sprockets at the bottom, had to change the design slightly to allow for chain tension adjustment :bonk:
 
I've now numbered all the cabins, printed and laid out all the plans (y)
 
Tori_T said:
Will you be putting little over-travel warning labels in the cars?
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yes I will be, there will also be warning signs on the centre post along with emergency stop buttons (y)
 
*nods* I was wondering what you might use for emergency buttons. All the items sold as such are a little on the large side...
 
My drive shafts arrived today, but I had other things to do and missed the delivery... Damn it...
They're be coming tomorrow instead :)
 
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