lifitng forks

**harry hills** · 18th May 2011, 18:50

hey i hope you don't mind me asking another question but how best to go about making windsreen wipermotor powered lifting forks, nothing fancy just moving them up and back down again.
thanks in advance, harry.

**mattsdragons** · 18th May 2011, 19:03

all i can think of it similar to drill motor style and some how attatch some threaded rod on the front and go down that route.

kaizer is a good example, ask ceri for some pics

**harry hills** · 18th May 2011, 19:04

i think thats over complicating things a bit, cant i just atach the forks straight to the motor some how?

**jonny** · 18th May 2011, 19:08

yes, what are the output shafts from the wiper motors like?

**ewan** · 18th May 2011, 19:11

You might find it easier using a window motor. No idea what kind of torque/lifting force you'd be able to get but many are a simple rack & pinion based rotating arc which you could attach an arm to, think some feathers have done this before

Here's an example motor http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jaguar-Daimler-XJ ... 500wt_1156

**jonny** · 18th May 2011, 19:16

or about a fiver from the scrappy

**psychostorm** · 19th May 2011, 15:18

Originally Posted by mattsdragons

all i can think of it similar to drill motor style and some how attatch some threaded rod on the front and go down that route.

kaizer is a good example, ask ceri for some pics

Jamie may hold that against you, Matt. He built Kaizer's lifter not me!

Though it's a good working mechanism - Kaizer's goes from a drill motor gear box through a welded screw jack designed to lift cars, Laser had a similar mechanism using a drill's existing chuck turning a threaded rod, both suprisingly effective if slower in the task of lifting.

The windscreen wiper or electric window gearboxes or even a seat actuator (SMIDSY used to use some!) would be suitable for use but both the WW motor & Electric window would mount the forks primiarily vertically as opposed to the horizontal plates of Smidsy, Laser & Kaizer n- If they're not strong enough metal wise they will bend!

http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...shirerobotics/
Jamie's photobucket is always good reading - you can see the build of Kaizer's lifter & Rex's robot challenge articles. Good luck!