Self-Propelled – Page 2 – Grassroots Mechanic Movement

PIETECH Page 12, Happy New Year (Thank God 2020 is Over, Let’s Move Forward!!!)

As 2020 comes to a close, I look forward to what 2021 will bring. “Normal” life was suspended, the MSM news cannot seem to find anything to report that doesn’t have a carefully scripted narrative, alternative news sources have come under fire from big tech and the MSM, but those of us quietly building, designing and experimenting found the slow-down to be a productive time.

It has been a strange year but there has been a great deal of progress by “amateur” researchers and experimenters, so I thought it only right to recap some of the more important inertial & gyroscopic propulsion findings of 2020.

From esteemed engineering professionals to a host of virtually unknown tinkerers (me) and from all parts of the world, approaches to building a fully functional inertial drive system are quite varied but the experiments publicly presented have erased all doubt that this is a valid (although infant) technology which will soon be a budding mainstream industry.

Early in 2020, the early evidence presented and posted on video platforms such as YouTube and BitChute was still drawing a LOT of negative attention from some “learned” “experts” who unequivocally argued that all working units are fakes designed to defraud the unlearned public. Most of these demonstrations were genuine, and many of the online attackers were nothing more than “trolls” attempting to keep honest people from discovering anything meaningful. I am not going to speak for the many brilliant people who have designs of their own, I will only mention the work I have done over the last 12+ months.

In 2019, I had finally built a proof of principal gyroscopic design of my own design when I happened upon the work of Roy Thornson. I saw his design as a highly workable and developable device that should be replicated and improved. So I shelved (but kept intact) my initial work and switched to the Thornson design. I downloaded everything I could find, bought every available technical reference, and eventually even contacted someone who knew Roy personally. Within a month or two, I had a Thornson based replica that could self-propel across a workbench and I was “hooked”.

I decided that because I had built a working model that could easily “go missing”, the safest way to keep both it and me safe was to make every step public, free, and open source. So all the building steps were posted to a blog (this blog) and the machinery itself video recorded and publicly released. I hope that my work can help someone else with their journey.

The things I learned and overcame regarding inertial propulsion are all posted publicly, but here is a recap (I’m sure there are things I missed):

How to make steel spur gears, cheap enough to be disposable.

How to attach automotive flexplates to bearings for the main wheels.

How to make different types of swinging weights.

How important the inner stop is, it does not work without it!

How to make the outer stop a part of the planet gear.

How a slipping belt can cause it to stop thrusting (chains are better).

How different configurations of gears affect performance.

How different timing affects performance and is different for hybrid use.

How a dead blow weight design enhances performance.

How performance is affected by counter rotating wheels.

How to effectively use as a hybrid “helper” drive.

How to make better steel gears.

How to select the correct drive motor.

How to write a manual.

How to build a website.

How to ignore (and delete) negative comments.

How important it is to have friends who understand inertial propulsion (thanks Tokio).

How an eccentric gear design can enhance performance.

How important it is to listen to and commune with my God.

I also learned a whole lot about what does NOT work!!!

There are probably more items to add… Read the blog & watch the videos for details including some failed tests, early tests, designs that work, and designs that don’t.

I already have 2 design changes in mind for the first part of 2021, it should be exciting! I hope others get busy building too! I also hope everyone stays safe. Happy New Year!

PIETECH Page 11, PIE 4.6 Eccentric Drive Gearing

12/23/20 PIETECH Page 11, PIE 4.6 Eccentric Drive Gearing

I was going to be putting my effort into duplicating the dead blow weight so that I can test the first wheel with 2 weights, and I can build a second wheel to go with the first one. However, when I was doing the propulsion testing with the single wheel, I noticed that as by battery started running down propulsion was diminishing. This was found to be a “slow-down” of the motor during the critical “power-stroke” (those who have read my manual know what that means) causing propulsion loss. To compensate, I manually turned the knob on the speed controller during slow speed operation. Naturally, I did not meet the correct RPM every time, but I noticed that if I overshot the running RPM at exactly the right moment, the PIE 4.6 would lurch forward much stronger.

A friend of mine, who also has been working on his own inertial propulsion drive (YouTube Channel) and I were discussing this. It has been found that changing the time base in mid or quarter turns of the main wheel could enhance the propulsion effect dramatically.

My choices for this concept are to either electrically change the RPMs back and forth or use eccentric gearing to smoothly transition the RPMs thus changing the time base. In the end I may try them both or perhaps someone could find a better method.

For now, I have started this experiment with the eccentric gear setup. Eccentric gears are essentially a pair (or more) of identical gears or sprockets, with their axle’s not on center in the exact same amount. Since each will “wobble” exactly the same amount, they can be meshed together. When one it rotated at a steady RPM by an outside source (electric motor, etc.) the other one accelerates through half of its rotation and decelerates through the other half.

So, for my experiment I have 2 identical sprockets, each mounted on-center and each on a bearing. Then there are two more identical sprockets fastened parallel with the first ones, each mounted exactly the same amount off-center. The two off-center (or eccentric) sprockets are timed and connected together with roller chain.

Sprocket set 1 is driven by the electric motor. Sprocket set 2 is connected to the PIE 4.6 wheel. As the motor turns at a steady RPM, the PIE 4.6 is accelerating and decelerating constantly. This is timed to start the acceleration approximately halfway through the portion of the cycle when the weight is in contact with the center (inner stop) axle. Timing here is very important and even a few teeth off on the sprocket to wheel timing makes a huge difference. In fact, it has been observed that with the timing off too much, the unit would oscillate forward AND back with significant force.

*Eccentric Drive Ready For Testing* *(Timing Was Not Correct In Picture)*

*Eccentric Drive Testing* (Yellow Marks are for Timing Reference)

I know that this design will not be well suited to having multiple weights on the wheel, but I do have a goal in mind that I am not ready to introduce just yet. If this idea works out, it would be capable of enhancing the operation of any of the PIE versions.

Demo of Eccentric Gears Driving the PIE 4.6

The downside is; if I only have 1 weight per wheel the RPM is limited due to transverse (sideways) forces threatening to tear it apart.

First Propulsion Bench Test for PIE 4.6

I had intended to wait and do the first true propulsion test on the 4.6 on a proper set of bearings or wheels, but I found myself with a few minutes of free time so I went into my lab area to think about “next moves” & decided that I simply wanted to see it move on its own.

So, it was nothing fancy and the battery was not “riding” along with it. No numerical data was recorded either. I simply placed two short (about 12”) lengths of ½” (12mm) conduit under the PIE 4.6 which would allow it to move freely forward and backward.

The RPMs were slowly brought up from zero and as soon as the weight started to swing properly the PIE 4.6 moved forward only, and with a great deal of authority. I was VERY pleased, and I was truly amazed at the lack of backward movement which I am attributing to the dead blow design. I will be posting a video very soon (might be posted by the time this is being read) so please check my YouTube & BitChute channels. https://www.youtube.com/user/stclairtechrd and https://www.bitchute.com/channel/miGkQfBM24NZ/

I will be making a couple more of these amazing Dead Blow Weights with its attached Guide (DB-G) as soon as possible so that I can see if the 4.6 will still move properly with multiple planet gears using the DB-G. From there, multiple wheels would be on the agenda along with experimentation much like those performed with the 1.0 and 2.0 such as synchronous rotation vs. counter-synchronous rotation etcetera.

It has been mentioned that the slow progress and multiple videos posted with little success tend to be frustrating. This is the methodology employed by the scientific community and by professional Model Makers worldwide. Even though I know what I want to build, taking these slow and methodical steps allow me to eliminate component designs with inferior performance and focus on those designs with more promise. The more successful designs, to which I am adding the PIE 4.6, are the fruit of this painfully slow methodology. Regardless of anyone else’s personal beliefs (all are welcome to their own beliefs) I also acknowledge a divine inspiration fueling my own personal path of growth in this lifetime.

PIETECH Page 9 – PIE 4.5 With New Dead Blow Type Weight

The latest test of the PIE 4.5 is using a 1 kg dead blow type weight. The weight is a steel box with steel shot (BB’s) inside it. It appears to have a lot of promise, as there is virtually no “bounce” when the weight hits the inner stop, and it seems to be dampened where it would contact the outer stop if it had one (has not been installed).

There is a video of this first testing on YouTube and BitChute. The problem however remained that the centrifugal force and impact force did not push in the same direction, which was the reason for Thornson’s “Inner Planet Trap” which would hold the weight and release at the correct time.

The answer is to install a “guide” on the end of the weight which would keep the weight near the center axle and correct the problem of thrusting in two different directions. This is proving , so far, to be a much improved design. This can also be seen on YouTube and BitChute.

These improvements are now bringing the PIE version up to “PIE 4.6”.

Check out the videos on YouTube and BitChute & thanks for watching!

https://www.youtube.com/user/stclairtechrd

https://www.bitchute.com/channel/miGkQfBM24NZ/

PIETECH P.6 – Web Site Active, Manual is Ready, 3-planet System Testing, & Possible Changes to the Weights

The Web Site

The web site is officially up and running! I am definitely not a web page builder, but thanks to some awesome open source software (Open Element) and a very cost effective web hosting company (https://www.hostens.com) who also offer a suite of programs free with the service, www.stclairtech.tech is live.

Eventually this blog may migrate to the www.stclairtech.tech site.

The Manual

The PIE BUILDER’S MANUAL is complete as well and there are links to it from the stclairtech web site. I have listed it on eBay either as a downloadable PDF formatted e-book or as a paper manual. The paper manual also includes the downloadable version and they both come with links to exclusive manual “companion videos”.

The PIE 4.3

The PIE 4.3 has the new motor installed, and the RPMs are just where I expected them to be. The 24v motor is very strong and seems to do a great job of maintaining a stable speed under load. I thought I was ready to build the second wheel, but building the web site gave me some time to think. There are some modifications and variations I want to explore and experiment with as the building continues.

1^st I definitely want to try an odd number of planet gears. One gear works better than tow, so I need to see if that is going to continue to change results as the number of gears increases.

2^nd I want to add an electrical circuit to the drive motor that can instantly vary the speed it runs. Since I know that if it is allowed to slow when the weight is leaving the center and accelerating in velocity (power stroke) the thrust is dramatically reduced, it stands to reason that inverting this RPM drop into an RPM increase may lead to better results. This could be somewhat accomplished with matching offset drive sprockets, but I think that faster translations between speeds may be more effective….

3^rd I want to increase the efficiency of the weights… But how? The answer to this may have already been answered more than 85 years ago by Mr. Harry W. Bull of Syracuse, NY with a device he called the “Propulsor”. This led to an OMG moment…

OMG Moment:

The H.W. Bull “Propulsor”:

In January of 1935 Harry W. Bull of Syracuse NY was featured in a Popular Science article for his invention known as a “Reaction Motor” which came to be known as the “Propulsor”. This design uses 2 equal weights that are slammed into opposite ends of a tube, one weight hits a solid stop while the other hits a “spring” stop. This creates a differential in the efficiency of the “stopping” of the weights. The solid hit creates sound and heat as waste energies while the “spring” end transmits the directional force more efficiently. Like the difference between a steel and a “dead-blow” hammer.

An interesting chapter in the professional life of Harry Bull is available online at http://epizodsspace.airbase.ru/bibl/inostr-yazyki/iaa/1989/Winter_Harry_Bull_American_Rocket_Pioneer.pdf . On pages 308 & 309 of this volume of a much larger book, the propulsor is briefly discussed.

Of course, Mr. Bull’s work with the Propulsor was immediately rebuffed by the “scholars” of the time and was publicly denounced as a “fallacious” in 1947, just as all other attempts at a reactionless drive have been and still are today.

Harry W. Bull Pendulum Testing

Basic Principal of Propulsor

Back to PIE 4.3

What if the PIE’s weights were “dead-blow”? Since a dead-blow hammer effectively transmits more force in every blow than a plain hammer because it has almost no “bounce-back”, I think that a similar design could be used for the weights which would then transmit their power more effectively with less wasted energy. The reason it transmits power more efficiently is because it lengthens the TIME the contact blow happens! Time, the length of time that virtually any impulse drive uses to produce directional force is a critical feature in successful operation!

3-Planet System

Current Work

Currently the PIE 4.3 has the option of 2 or 3 planet gears. The 3-gear design just makes sense to me, but testing will tell the story there. There is a motor speed controller currently ordered and I am building more weights to experiment with.

I have just begun testing the 3-planet set-up and I will post more as I go, but there is a video of an initial test run available on YouTube and BitChute (links below).

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii1l8W9-8nQ

BitChute: https://www.bitchute.com/video/5pmnbyhLKRcJ/

Volume 2 Page 15, PIE 4.0, The High Speed PIE:

PIE 4.0

The latest incarnation of the PIE is kind of a step back to an earlier design as well as a step forward to push the limits of PIETECH possibilities.

I am using a single wheel (for now) with a much lighter weight, even lighter than the PIE 1.0 design. I am trying out a quiet gear set which uses a 14mm pitch timing belt as the teeth which is fastened to the same size (3.5″) steel pulley as used on the PIE 1.0 & 2.0, and although it is quieter I am not sure if the teeth are robust enough to use as a spur gear.

Initial testing of the PIE 4.0 is very encouraging, although there are some small issues arising from the increased speed which has currently been measured at just over 750 RPMs. The most serious issue has been the used motor I pulled off of the storage shelf. Although the 110 volt motor was marked as “Good” because it runs well without a load, it quickly overheats and shuts down when it is turning the PIE4.0. The other issue is the soft gear design which seems to work well most of the time, but has “slipped” out of time on several test runs. I may revert to the welded steel gears before I am done since I still do not feel that purchasing expensive spur gears in this size range, just to risk having them destroyed if the design fails elsewhere, is an acceptable risk. Eventually I am sure that it will become necessary in order to achieve high speeds for extended periods of time.

The lighter weights (2 oz. including the pivot bushing) are actually performing better than expected as thrust becomes readily apparent in the 100 to 200 RPM range, although a better study of this is required.

The PIE 4.0 has only been bench tested so far, but it easily moves my bench around when it is clamped to the surface of it. Since the PIE 2.0 was just barely able to move the bench, I am encouraged to keep pushing forward with this high speed unit.

Comments about Comments, and Thank You

I have received a number of comments on YouTube, Bit Chute and by other means regarding the inefficiency of this design, and how other designs are soooo much more efficient and can produce these vast amounts of thrust, how this will never work and I am wasting my time chasing this dream.

I have been pointed towards many fine inventor’s works and have had private message conversations with some about some of these.

Here is the deal:

1- I am going to pursue this to some sort of conclusion, it will either be successful or not.

2- There are those who want this stopped.

3- There are others who think there is a better way but have not built a prototype.

4- There are those who don’t give a crap but like to make fun of other’s efforts.

5- There is always “self doubt” when trudging through the swamp of the unknown.

6- Do not try to force your opinions on me and I will not try to force mine on you.

6- Tell me it can’t be done and watch me go, but do not get in the way.

I was going to post specifics of this here, but I will not. I respect everyone’s opinions even though I may not agree with them.

Please be respectful and comment any ideas you have, they will be respected in like manner.

One last thought today, “Thank You For Your Interest So Far… More To Come Soon!!!”

New Announcements, Global Collaboration, and “PIETECH Electric Propulsion”:

Announcement:

Announcing “PIETECH Electric Propulsion”:

It has been a couple of weeks since my last post, but I do not want anyone to think I am not actively pursuing this quest for universal electric propulsion. The Grassroots Mechanic Movement continues the “Open Source” mission to see this technology advance and freely share information. The Grassroots Mechanic Movement is also in a well controlled growth period which will be branching out creating a somewhat separate entity which will be the “industrial development” branch known as “PIETECH Electric Propulsion” which still needs a logo.

Everything here on The Grassroots Mechanic Movement blog remains free and Open Source always, but PIETECH Electric Propulsion is going to allow the PIE technology to expand into the industrial mainstream as this still-infant technology grows and matures.

Current Work:

Currently I am continuing the R&D work necessary to advance the technology of the PIEs 1 & 2, and I am working towards a higher-speed PIE system that should be capable of continuous run speeds of 800 to 2000 RPMs.

I am also collaborating with other researchers around the world who are working toward a similar goal of cheap, clean, electric propulsion for vehicles of different types. This dynamic research is advancing well and will be announced when those independent researchers choose to allow the release of information (their work, their choice).

I am currently working on an instruction manual for those wanting to build a PIE 1.0 and/or 2.0. This will include specs, dimensions, building techniques, photos, reference materials, and hopefully links to videos. Although this tech is open source, I do believe that there are those who are very serious about building and would benefit from detailed instructions. Any proceeds from manual sales will directly help finance PIETECH research. I am hoping to have this material available by the end of 2020.

Review:

Let’s review where we stand in the “public” development of this technology. I say “public” because it has come to light that these types of tech have been used in satellites since sometime in the early 1960s, but it was just recently declassified… Maybe because of Space-X?

1- We have proven the theories of inertial propulsion are viable, as have others such as Steve Hampton and Mike Gamble neither of whom have I had any contact with at this time.

2- We have also proven the PIE design to be inexpensively reproducible.

3- We have obtained measurable results when used as an electric hybrid power source in a motor vehicle.

4- We have proven that there is no need for a counter-rotating assembly in the low-speed PIE drives.

5- We have proven that rotational speed and timing have a dramatic effect on the amount of thrust (maybe more important than the amount of weight?).

6- We have seen, measured, and proven the effects of both “time” and “timing” within the operation of the PIE. Time somewhat analogous with RPMs and timing is a given physical position within a time frame.

Current Developmental Position:

Now that we have “done it” by proving the concept beyond any doubt. It is time to design a way to put it to use. This means designing a smaller yet more powerful system that delivers clean, stable, and (hopefully) quiet thrust for common use in vehicles.

It has been publicly stated by experts (and I quote one of them) that this type of technology “…will never blast us into space…”, but the same PhD who publicly stated that would not acknowledge the potential usefulness as an electric drive for terrestrial vehicles (wheeled or otherwise). But the advances made in my lab (and others), working on a shoestring budget, and in less than a years’ time, seem to indicate the possible fallacy of that statement.

I BELIEVE that if we work together and collaborate as a community of people, each with his or her own individual skill sets, we can achieve great things!

Some will be mathematicians, while others have great mechanical prowess, and yet others may simply enjoy working on individual components of a larger system. PhD’s and dropouts, mechanics and accountants, pilots and hermits, all working together in harmony toward a greater goal. Impossible? Maybe. Worth trying? Definitely!

When I can foresee components from different systems being used in an assembly together, I feel that I am looking at the future for PIETECH, Dean Drives, Cooke Drives, Gyro Build and others!

Coming Next: The High Speed PIETECH system and Continuing PIE 2.0 Testing…

Volume 2, Page 14, Re-Phasing the PIE 2.0 and Ground-Test #2 – SUCCESS!!!:

Re-phasing for Performance

Since the PIE 2.0 did not perform as well as expected on the “self-propulsion” portion of testing, it was removed from the pallet for rework on the work bench. The phasing of the upper and lower wheels is the primary area to be reworked as the possible answer to its poor performance.

The PIE 2.0 was not built for easy phase adjustments, so the rework included the removal of all planet gears and axles. The rework is a re-phase of the wheels from a 90-degree offset to a 0-degree offset.

It would be much better to change the phase offset in smaller increments (say 10, 20 or even 40) but since this is the way already built into the design, this is how it is being done.

Fast Forward a Couple of Days Later and “Ground Test #2”…

That has done it! The re-phasing has made significant improvements in the quest for “self-propulsion”! It will now work its way across the garage floor under its own power with nothing driving the wheels!

The upper planet gears and the lower ones now share the same axles, and the wheeled trolley has been made robust with a tubular steel frame and metal bearings as wheels.

I am posting 4 self-propulsion videos to YouTube and BitChute to get maximum viewer coverage and get the information out to everyone.

Regarding subject of re-phasing:

There is a chain sprocket on both wheels and that could be used to drive each wheel independently. A drive chain to each wheel, and the chain can be switched tooth by tooth or the drive sprocket(s) can be made adjustable. A split jackshaft with an adjustment mechanism could be utilized to perform phase adjustments “on the fly” without shutting the PIE down.

More to come soon…

Vol 2, Page 13, Ground Testing

Post vehicle, wheeled, ground-testing.

After a short pause caused by things in life that have required my undivided attention, I’m back & ready to get busy.

So, the on-road testing would be considered a success, and the “hybrid-assist” effect is undeniable. The “failures” encountered within that round of testing were due to the prototype building methods and materials. It is hard to justify the cost in time and materials for a more durable build when it is being taken apart and changed multiple times.

Total cost of materials for a single planet gear, without the weight, is around $8 US. The cost of a machined, straight toothed, drilled hole center, spur gear of the same size is around $200 to $300 US. In that light, the component failures are an acceptable offset to the cost differential. Now we move forward with further testing of the PIE 2.0 while still getting ready to build a next version.

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One thing I have purposely not mentioned are the efforts being put forth by other people around the world to either replicate a PIE 1.0 or 2.0, or to incorporate their own designs into a build of their own. Because of those awesome individuals helping to further this research (thank you again for the help) my next version may be a 4.0 or higher.

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Now I will cover the post-road-testing phase of PIE 2.0 testing.

Nothing was changed with the setup in any way between removing it from the truck and installing a set of hardware store straight caster wheels on it. The wheels were attached to 2 pieces of lumber (2X4s) and the lumber was attached to the bottom of the pallet with wood screws. Testing was done on a level concrete garage floor surface, and pieces of sheet steel were laid down under the wheels to allow them to roll as easily as possible.

Results were not as good as I had anticipated. Forward thrust was definitely present. When it was running, I could easily push it forward with one finger, but it would not move forward on its own.

This distressed me greatly, since there is an undeniable and measurable thrust present when used for “Hybrid-Propulsion”. I have pondered this in great detail, and I have several thoughts as to the reason.

1. The wheels roll too hard, and they are also flexing. This combination makes pulsed propulsion nearly impossible.

2. The drill motor is dying. It has worn to the point of reduced torque which means that there is an unwanted & uncontrolled speed variation. Every inertial propulsion design I have ever experimented with has been rendered inoperable at some point in testing because of this phenomenon.

3. Comparing the PIE 1.0 & 2.0 I believe there may be the same issue spoken about with other builder/experimenters regarding timing changes needed to allow a “hybrid-assist” device to be fully “self-propelled”. Since both PIEs work as a hybrid-assist, but the PIE 1.0 also demonstrates self-propulsion I believe this is a solid theory.

In order to prove this theory of the two different “modes” to myself, I started removing weights one at a time from the PIE 2.0 and observed the operational differences. There were some interesting things to be observed, and a lot of very loud noises being made. When I got down to one weight it began to self-propel. It does try to propel itself with 2 weights set 90 degrees from each other, but there is no denying the self-propulsion with only one weight. I truly believe that this may be, in part, the answer.

My next moves are as follows:

1. Re-phase the upper & lower wheels to bring the weights into sync between the top & bottom.

2. Replace the ailing power source to stabilize the RPMs (as these devices get more powerful a flywheel may become necessary to stabilize it).

3. Get a better set of wheels before the next test!

I will post the results as I go along.