Hydraulic Rams / Cylinders For Coal Chute

[regme]

Hi

 

Has anyone modelled working hydraulic rams / cylinders in HO scale?

 

I was looking at a chute for a coal loader, I've seen a working models but nothing that shows the workings.  What I would like to do is to be able to raise the chute up and down to allow the loco to pass through then lower for the wagon.

 

I guess if the control for let the coal out is higher then a servo could be used, then another servo to rotate the chute out of the way for the loco to pass.

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Giles]

I've made a couple in 7mm, though the principle holds for 4mm. This is a long one on a 7mm scale forklift truck mast. The piston is M2 threaded rod, and the cylinder (which rotates) is tube with an M2 modified nut soldered in the top. A gearmotor rotates the cylinder.

 

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Giles

[regme]

That's a different approach, what is the motor your using there?

[Giles]

That's a 6mm diameter 3.7v 120rpm gearmotor from EBay..... they're about £3-50.

 

This one is geared to the ram as you see, I've done others with the gearmotor directly connected to the end of the cylinder. 

[regme]

thanks

[regme]

When using the evergreen tubing (telscoping) will it rotate within it's self?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by regme
update

[regme]

From the net I have come across this as a possibility.

This chute rotates about two points, one to move the chute out of the way so the loco can pass and the other to open the clam chute.

I've seen a working models which just use a slide to control the flow of ore.

I have come across ways of creating a hydraulic cylinder but the scale is too small to make it practical I think.

I could use a servo to rotate the chute, however I'm not sure how to open the clam chute since that would need a servo connected to the entire chute. I thought about having a gear on the rotation point of the clam chute that would mesh against a gear with a motor to the side to open and close it.

Any ideas would be welcomed.

Cheers

[DGO]

If it were me I would be tempted to model the cylinder using brass nesting tube inserted into styrene tube to get a scale thickness, I'd make the pivot for the clam door go right thru and inside the chute I'd hide a connecting arm to a micro servo, that could be hidden somewhere, when the servo moves the axel the door opens and closes and as it moves it makes the ram go back and forwards, maybe use some thread coated in latex to represent the hydraulic pipes, a few drops of black acrylic paint added to the latex will give you a good rubber effect that can flex with the movement. I'm sure there are alternatives that use gears and motors but that's what I'd do, to raise and lower the chute you can use another servo or Giles' hydraulic ram (which I rather like) maybe add a couple of limit switches to stop the motor at each end of travel.

[regme]

Thanks, I've looked into nano servos, which are about 18.6x15.5x7.6mm, not sure about the how to attach the nano servo as this chute is about 2.4m wide (27.6mm in HO), so even the nano servo's are big compared to the chute and if it was attached to the clam door then the servo would also have to rotate out of the way.

 

However running the brass tube though a styrene sleeve may be the go.