The basic idea is to use the potential energy stored in a load to drive a trolley across a floor space. The load is placed on a dish on the trolley. The dish is supported by four springs which are attached to a compression plate. A rack and pinion mechanism is attached to the compression plate. To drive the trolley, the plate presses down on the rack, which rotates the pinion. This in turn operates a slider-crank mechanism (SCM), which is connected to the wheel on the floor thus turning it.
An outline sketch of the trolley is given here >>
Go to Introduction
