Sector plate electrical connection

[Jeff Smith]

I am building a sector plate turntable which will need the electrical connections on top of the plate rather than underneath with wipers.

 

I'm wondering what others may have done, also whether anyone locks the plate when aligned or uses some indexing means of positive alignment?

Edited January 17, 2022 by Jeff Smith

[Michael Hodgson]

One way of locking a sector plate is to use an ordinary household bolt. 

It is possible to wire via the two parts so that the bolt provides an electrical feed from the relevant track.

[johnb]

I found that unless you use a very close fitting bolt it's all a bit too loose causing intermittent electrical contact  You'd have to use the more expensive brass ones. I made my own with some brass tube and 1mm brass rod. It locks the plate in place.

 

I only do this on one track, the other tracks use a common supply routed under the board and emerging near the pivot point. However the plate only moves about 1ft (300mm) either side of the centre line, so doesn't stress the wired connection. It wouldn't work is the plate rotated fully.

[Jeff Smith]

Further thinking on this.  The turntable will have three tracks, so six end connections.  I have some telescoping brass rod and tube, I will lay the track and then glue on the tubes with one end squeezed a little to make a snug connection......

 

Thanks for some ideas!  I'll post a picture when complete.

[Miss Prism]

7 minutes ago, Jeff Smith said:

I will lay the track and then glue on the tubes

 

Do the tubes first, and then the tracks.

 

[Jeff Smith]

Ok, but not sure why?

[Miss Prism]

How many output roads?

 

[Jeff Smith]

2 from a Peco 0-16.5 turnout being the 'hidden' end of a loop.

 

I will be feeding the stock rails only (dc) and using the switch rails as the frog polarity switch.

Edited January 19, 2022 by Jeff Smith

[Michael Hodgson]

11 hours ago, Jeff Smith said:

Ok, but not sure why?

to get best alignment more easily.

 

Fix the bolts, lay the track across the join whilst it is bolted then cut the rails.  That way you know alignment is bang on.,

[Jeff Smith]

Here's my solution - rail alignment set by eye (and feel), electrical feed by crocodile clips.  I toyed with the idea of lots of pairs of telescoping brass rod and tube but settled for this instead.  The centre line with loop point will be in position for much of the running. 

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by Jeff Smith

[dasatcopthorne]

On 17/01/2022 at 01:53, Jeff Smith said:

I am building a sector plate turntable which will need the electrical connections on top of the plate rather than underneath with wipers.

 

I'm wondering what others may have done, also whether anyone locks the plate when aligned or uses some indexing means of positive alignment?

 

Here's my solution.

 

Albeit, I use DCC but I'm sure you can adapt it.

My swinging 'table' of 3mm ply is fed from the pivot end. At the layout end it is held down with a length of Copper Clad. Two pieces cut with the same radius and the swing,  hold the moving tracks and the fixed tracks.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

 

I line up the track by eye and feel.

 

Dave.

 

[AndyID]

On 23/01/2022 at 17:17, Jeff Smith said:

Here's my solution - rail alignment set by eye (and feel), electrical feed by crocodile clips.  I toyed with the idea of lots of pairs of telescoping brass rod and tube but settled for this instead.  The centre line with loop point will be in position for much of the running. 

 

 

 

 

Hi Jeff,

 

Does the plate do a "180" ?

 

If not you could eliminate the croc clips and use a single-pole three position rotary switch instead.

 

Andy

[Jeff Smith]

Yes it does do a 180.  If I'd designed it differently I could have used contact strips and studs underneath.......

[AndyID]

7 hours ago, Jeff Smith said:

Yes it does do a 180.  If I'd designed it differently I could have used contact strips and studs underneath.......

 

Ah well! By any chance is the pinion/axle/fulcrum hollow or would it be possible to make it hollow? If so you might be able to route connections through it and then you wouldn't need any studs etc.  The only limitation is you would have to alternate the clockwise/anti-clockwise 180 rotations.

[Izzy]

Hi Jeff,

 

Don't know if this will help at all. This is my setup for my sector plate on my P4 plank. I use K&S metal rod and tube, 1/16" rod and matching tube, to produce sliding pin locking which as well as aligning the track vertically and horizontally connects for power. So only the track in use has power and prevents accidents like stock being driven off the end with wrong loco selection....   You will see I added pcb sleepers where neccesary as the rest is rivet & ply and plastic chairs & ply. To ensure matching alignment with all tracks you do need to set the inward layout track first, add the tube and pin, and then align each track to this separately.

 

 

 

I have also used/copied this same arrangement with a 2mm/2FS layout with fully rotating (and folding) sector plate/turntable, so it works irrespective of actual model scale. So the inward track is the master to which all are then keyed in turn. There are also two exits, so one was 'master', then the other keyed to the first sector plate track aligned with it and so forth. As it's 360degree rotation I have added hinged guards to prevent stock damage/ them rolling off, as the turntable is fully rotated.

 

 

 

 

 

Bob

 

Edited April 3, 2022 by Izzy