Reuleaux Triangle Motion Converter

thingiverse

For starters this is my first upload so I appreciate your feedback. It would be great if you could offer some constructive criticism (as long as it's helpful). As a high school student, I'm still trying to get familiar with 3D Modeling and am hoping to eventually land a job in modeling and drafting for prototyping projects. While browsing online for ideas to draft up and eventually print on the Makerbot, I stumbled upon several concepts before coming across the reuleaux triangle. Eventually, I decided to give it a try but never ended up uploading nor printing my version of the rack and pinion system. I was really intrigued by the reuleaux triangle's unique properties when I discovered that its width remains constant regardless of how parallel the lines are that encase it. After learning about this, I came across an animation that showed how it could be used as a cam to convert rotational movement into linear reciprocating motion on 507 Movements. It was listed as #91 on their website. http://507movements.com/mm_091.html As I began drawing the reuleaux triangle, I realized that I couldn't print it in place and had to break it down into individual components before printing each one separately. Additionally, I needed to modify the main frame so that it could be assembled after being printed. I'm expecting some minor adjustments will need to be made post-printing as my tolerances were not very forgiving. However, I believe that the top plate should fit together fairly snugly and remain semi-permanent. Pictures will be uploaded soon. P.S. If you're wondering about the file names, they're commonly referred to as Bull S!@# Grinders around here. UPDATE: It appears there's an issue with some of the ends not having surfaces on the main frame. Updates will follow shortly! I've uploaded a revised version of the file and replaced the damaged one. I made two key changes: first, I raised the center rail of the main frame to ensure more of the cam comes into contact with the reciprocator; secondly, I extended the side beams all the way down since the Makerbot software failed to load supports underneath them during printing. This is particularly relevant when printing at an enlarged size (+650%).