Mechanical control across baseboard joints

[Coombe Barton]

I'm using wire in tube/bicycle spoke (experiemtning with both) control froma ScaleFour Society lever frame and need to get the motion transferred across baseboard joints. Test rigs have been made and dismantled and made and siamantled with various forms of transfer mechanism, bicycle spoke against sprung cup, physical joint using screwed union (one bit from a connector block) but nothing I've so far comee up with has met my criteria of robustness coupled with assembly ease and repeatability of operation.

 

I'm trying this on test beds before I build baseboards because I know that retrofitting will be a pain and want to have a designed in solution that's going to tolerate being taken apart on a regular basis and still work without too much hassle.

 

So please, I'm looking for recommendations.

[Campaman]

I have a home made wire in tube assembly running across a baseboard join, I have used two thin flat plates of brass soldered to the ends of the wire that sit face to face with a hole drilled through them that I connect using a small screw and wingnut, you could also possibly just use some sort of clip through the hole to make it quicker to take apart.

 

Suppose its a bit like a wiring spade connector but with a screw through them.

[t-b-g]

This problem was solved in a very satisfactory way by the late Rev. Peter Denny on Buckingham. The point/signals are held in one position by a spring (or in some cases an elastic band!). The operating rod goes to the baseboard edge and is terminated in a brass rod of about 4mm diameter, which goes into a hole in the baseboard cross member and stops at the outside edge of the board. A matching hole and brass plunger is located in the adjoining board and connected to the lever. The lever is arranged to push the operating rod through the hole. At "rest" both brass rods are within the baseboard end timbers, so nothing sticks out when the boards are seperated.

 

I recall that the arrangements were explained more fully by Peter in his writings but couldn't say exactly where without looking through them all!

 

The attached photo shows the arrangement of the sprung portion, with the coil springs simply fixed with a drawing pin.

 

It works well and is quite simple to install.

[Coombe Barton]

t-b-g many thanks

 

I knew I'd seen it before somewhere and what you've said brings it all back. It now all falls into place.

 

Now where are alll those 15amp and 5 amp bakelite plugs with the round brass pins that I stashed away some centuries ago?

[t-b-g]

t-b-g many thanks

 

I knew I'd seen it before somewhere and what you've said brings it all back. It now all falls into place.

 

Now where are alll those 15amp and 5 amp bakelite plugs with the round brass pins that I stashed away some centuries ago?

 

You are most welcome! The great man solved many modelling problems before most of us were born!

 

Good luck with it and I hope to see a photo of your version on here before too long.

[Katier]

Another way could be similar to how they do it with aircraft. Two pivoted plates one on each board ( or wing and fusealage).