A little help from mechanical minded folks

[Tallbump]

I'm trying to make a "float" for a small local parade for my church's Vacation Bible School.
We've done it for several years
Typically I just made a 2d design out of plywood and mirror it and put one on each side of a garden wagon, like a gorilla wagon
This year I want to kick it up a notch
I want to add some motion to the cut outs
Our theme this year is rodeo
I want the cut out to be a bull or horse and I want it to be "bucking" as we pull it. Basically just rocking back and forth
Nothing crazy or overly complicated
I feel there has to be a way to use the rolling of the wheels and create some type of crank mechanism
But I'm just not quite sure how
Any suggestions?
I would probably also be able to do a very simple motorized something as well

 

[WRM]

I'd see if I could fit a "plug" inside the rim of one of the rear wheels and attach a pulley to it. Then mount another pulley/shaft to the cart box and use a crank & rod to get your up and down motion? Sandwich some "pillow blocks" to the expanded metal side, I'd think a half-inch shaft would fit through the expanded metal. Pulley on outside, circular plate with offset pin ("crank") to drive the "rod" to create motion on the inside.

Sounds like a fun project!

 

[CertifiedMike]

I'd see if I could fit a "plug" inside the rim of one of the rear wheels and attach a pulley to it. Then mount another pulley/shaft to the cart box and use a crank & rod to get your up and down motion? Sandwich some "pillow blocks" to the expanded metal side, I'd think a half-inch shaft would fit through the expanded metal. Pulley on outside, circular plate with offset pin ("crank") to drive the "rod" to create motion on the inside.

Sounds like a fun project!

I like the idea of the mechanical rod and wheel. I think it goes well with the theme.



I think this is a fun project too. Please update!!!


Maybe next year we can 12s power the cart too!

 

[CreepyQuarryCrawler]

If it had a solid axle I would say drill a hole in the shaft and mount up some sort of pulley, V belt or chain drive. But with the lifted axle like that, I am not sure how to do it without a tag axle or something.

Perhaps it makes more sense if this is the specific cart design you are using to make something self powered?

 

[9x19]

Just do a direct drive off the rear tires. You simply make an oblong wooden 'wheel' attached to the moving (pivoting) feature. That wheel will ride on top of the rear tire and effect an up and down movement of the pivoting part.

 

[WRM]

Just do a direct drive off the rear tires. You simply make an oblong wooden 'wheel' attached to the moving (pivoting) feature. That wheel will ride on top of the rear tire and effect an up and down movement of the pivoting part.

I like it - "Camshaft lobes"....

 

[Tallbump]

Just do a direct drive off the rear tires. You simply make an oblong wooden 'wheel' attached to the moving (pivoting) feature. That wheel will ride on top of the rear tire and effect an up and down movement of the pivoting part.

I Think I get it

 

[RLB454]

Check this out, grampas around the world have been making these whirlygigs forever:

 

[WutUp Clegg]

I'm trying to make a "float" for a small local parade for my church's Vacation Bible School.
We've done it for several years
Typically I just made a 2d design out of plywood and mirror it and put one on each side of a garden wagon, like a gorilla wagon
This year I want to kick it up a notch
I want to add some motion to the cut outs
Our theme this year is rodeo
I want the cut out to be a bull or horse and I want it to be "bucking" as we pull it. Basically just rocking back and forth
Nothing crazy or overly complicated
I feel there has to be a way to use the rolling of the wheels and create some type of crank mechanism
But I'm just not quite sure how
Any suggestions?
I would probably also be able to do a very simple motorized something as well

View attachment 275887

View attachment 275888

I'm trying to make a "float" for a small local parade for my church's Vacation Bible School.
We've done it for several years
Typically I just made a 2d design out of plywood and mirror it and put one on each side of a garden wagon, like a gorilla wagon
This year I want to kick it up a notch
I want to add some motion to the cut outs
Our theme this year is rodeo
I want the cut out to be a bull or horse and I want it to be "bucking" as we pull it. Basically just rocking back and forth
Nothing crazy or overly complicated
I feel there has to be a way to use the rolling of the wheels and create some type of crank mechanism
But I'm just not quite sure how
Any suggestions?
I would probably also be able to do a very simple motorized something as well

You could add a straight axle and bend a u-shape in the middle of the axle, but the tires are so small that your bull/horse will be bucking a lot. If those tires are 10 inches, then they will make a full rotation every 32 inches. Not to mention, on the up-stroke, the wagon will be harder to pull, while on the down-stroke, the wagon will want to roll really fast. If you use a doll, instead of an actual person, then it would work out pretty good.

If you did a doll, I would weld a rod/dowel out the side of one of the rear rims. I would mount it on the inside of the outer lip and attach rod to make the bull/horse go up and down. See the illustration below.

 

[Jamr]

I like WutUp's idea. You could hot glue or epoxy a dowel on and in the metal part of the wheel and attach it to the vertical rod which will then gu up and down with wheel rotation. Then attach it to a point on the bull to make it buck.

 

[Tallbump]

I like WutUp's idea. You could hot glue or epoxy a dowel on and in the metal part of the wheel and attach it to the vertical rod which will then gu up and down with wheel rotation. Then attach it to a point on the bull to make it buck.

I think I can do that

 

[WRM]

I doubt you'll be able to glue a dowel/pin/bolt to the rim. Welding would do it but brings other complications.

Consider a piece of ~3/4" plywood cut round to fit inside the rim, glue that to the rim, and attach your rod to the plate with a wood screw & washers? Probably get +/- 2" travel on that, but your pivot point will determine your total travel at the ends.