The Retractor

[brino]

Very slick!

Brian

 

[Winegrower]

Bravo!

 

[Just for fun]

Very nice work, thanks for sharing!

 

[Parlo]

Great presentation and design, thanks for sharing.
Could you have two stops on the threaded bar for the trip lever to run between. This could re-set the tool when the carriage is returned to the start position.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Great presentation and design, thanks for sharing.
Could you have two stops on the threaded bar for the trip lever to run between. This could re-set the tool when the carriage is returned to the start position.

The cam rotates180° for full retraction, so a second stop on the threaded bar would not be able to engage the trip lever. A second lever on the trip lever hub might, but it would likely only achieve 90° return at best and then would snap back to full retract under spring tension.

Thanks, you guys are giving me some ideas.

 

[Janderso]

The cam rotates180° for full retraction, so a second stop on the threaded bar would not be able to engage the trip lever. A second lever on the trip lever hub might, but it would likely only achieve 90° return at best and then would snap back to full retract under spring tension.

Thanks, you guys are giving me some ideas.

Are you going to patent this thing?
Send the specs to China for production?
Will you still speak to us when you are a multi millionaire?
I hope so

 

[Parlo]

The cam rotates180° for full retraction, so a second stop on the threaded bar would not be able to engage the trip lever. A second lever on the trip lever hub might, but it would likely only achieve 90° return at best and then would snap back to full retract under spring tension.

Thanks, you guys are giving me some ideas.

I thought it could retract with a 90 degree movement of the cam, so the trip lever moves +/- 45 degrees. It may need a flat on the cam and a stop pin to restrict the rotation of the trip lever to 90 degrees.
Perhaps the cam and follower could be vertical, the trip lever can then ride up and down adjustable angled plate cams?

 

[MrWhoopee]

I thought it could retract with a 90 degree movement of the cam, so the trip lever moves +/- 45 degrees. It may need a flat on the cam and a stop pin to restrict the rotation of the trip lever to 90 degrees.
Perhaps the cam and follower could be vertical, the trip lever can then ride up and down adjustable angled plate cams?

Because the cam is a round piece of stock, the retract at 90° will be less than 1/8" without changing the cam. A vertical trip lever has some possiblities, would require a different approach to the trip stop, perhaps a ramp sort of thing.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Are you going to patent this thing?
Send the specs to China for production?
Will you still speak to us when you are a multi millionaire?
I hope so

Unfortunately, my designs are so stupidly simple that there is nothing patentable about them. I don't see a vast fortune in my future. I'm happy just to be able to hang out here with you guys.

Back to the matter at hand, I've formalized the stop system, moved the reset lever to the top and added a short trip lever on the bottom.



The stop pivots up, out of the way, when not needed.



Once I realized that the disengagement of the half-nut did not need to be closely synchronized with the retract, I found the retract worked much better. There is a more or less fixed relationship between the two stops, so adjustment can be done by moving the the main (lower) stop bar in the support bracket.

 

[MrWhoopee]

The retractor now has its own dovetail, no tool holder required. Turns out the height adjusting screw is perfectly postioned as a reset stop.