----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 7:11
AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Single rotor
smooth as silk now
Didn't
Molt Taylor develop a clutch system that that used waffled disk and
steel shot to transfer torque without transmitting the pulses to the
prop? I think I remember him demonstrating it at Oshkosh back in 81,
but I've sleep several places since then.}:>). You might be able to
adapt something like that to drive the RD-1.
Bob Perkinson
Hendersonville, TN.
RV9 N658RP
Reserved
If nothing changes
Nothing
changes
Same as the problem in the BD-5. Solved with rubber doughnuts in the
driveline.
The soft solution.
Lynn E. Hanover
Bob and Lynn
Molt's driveline clutch system was based on the Dodge Corp clutch design
that was used for softly engaging the spin cycle on unknown thousands of
washing machines years ago ( I had one ). The housing halves had small
radial bumps inside near the outer diameter. When the spin cycle solenoid
tightened the belt to the clutch housing, the housing was spun up, thus
throwing the small steel shot to the outer diameter and wedging them around
the waffle plate which in turn drove the tub. Molt used this same
principle to solve his driveshaft breakage problems on the Aerocar and later
on his Imp and Mini-Imp. The amount of shot installed in the
clutch was tailored to drive the prop shaft at the same RPM as the
engine, but would effectively cut off excess torque excursions by
slippage as the engine accelerated through it's torsional resonance
points. Molt stated in forums years ago that he had encountered
instances of being unable to accelerate through engine torsional resonance
points and had fractured sizeable solid steel driveshafts in the process prior
to going to the clutch. I won't speculate whether this clutch approach
has any practical approach to the single rotor, which already has somewhat of
a weight problem.
Dean Van Winkle
RV-9A Fuselage/Finish/13B Engine