Kit Marvel
This kit combines a series of mechanisms to illustrate how different types of motion can be converted. By manually rotating the hand crank you activate the movement of a series of gears that provide movement to the circular elevator and to the stair lift. The marbles move upwards with these two mechanisms and then descend by the action of gravity along the different paths.
Components:
- Circular elevator
- Stair lift
- Switch
- S-Rail
- Spiral track
- Marbles
Working Principle:
The mechanical system is composed of different parts detailed below.
Circular elevator
The circular elevator is activated by rotating the main crank. The marble enters the elevator at the bottom and exits it at the top by the action of gravity. The interior design of the elevator guarantees a smooth travel of the marble as it is stuck between walls. It has four entry points and can carry two marbles at a time. As soon as one enters at the bottom another one exits at the top.
Interestingly, no matter which direction you rotate the handle the marbles always move in the same direction in the system.
Stair lift
The stair lift mechanism is actuated by alternating pistons on the bottom. As the main shaft rotates the different disks, which are eccentrically attached to the shaft, push the pistons up and down in an alternating way. The top of each stair is slightly inclined so that the marble slips in the direction of the next step by the action of gravity. As soon as the next step is lower than the current one, the marble moves into it.
Switch
The switch is placed in such a way that when a marble falls it automatically switches position so that the next marble will follow a different path.
The switch separates the two paths of the descending track. The switch behaves like a bridge. It is attached at the bottom by a pivoting axis. It’s centre of gravity changes from one side to the other as the marble passes through it.
S-rail
The S-rail is the descending path that smoothly guides the marble down the track to the funnel.
It has raised walls to counteract the direction of the marble as it goes around the curves to stop it from falling.
Spiral Track
The spiral track or funnel creates the illusion of having no walls but the fact is that the spiral itselft acts as both track and wall and enables the marble to go down the path at high speed without falling.
At the end it drops into the other path joining the tracks back together.
Instructions:
- Rotate the hand crank smoothly at constant speed
- Watch the marbles moving around the path