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Huge rolling wheel

1000/55 R400 V95
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Something to build outside a tyre manufacturer's plant, maybe:

A huge motorbike wheel that sits on two slightly concave rollers. The rollers run fast enough so that the wheel can turn fast enough for the gyro effect to keep it up. Actually, I think the rpm of the wheel won't be very much.

There is a diesel back up for the rolls, but if they decelerate too much, a set of forks come up to hold the centre bearing.

An odometer could clock up how many miles the tyre has travelled.

Edit: If the wheel leans to one side, the gyroscopic force acts to steer the wheel in that direction: that is how you can steer a bicycle with no hands. To allow for this, the concave driven rollers have the facilty to swivel around a center, vertical axis. The action of the wheel trying to roll in a new direction will pull the rollers round with it. Visually, the wheel not only rotates as usual, but now turns around like a spinning coin, very slowly.

Ling, Mar 18 2007

Giant Bicycle Tire http://www.unicycli...garage/bigwheel.htm
Build one! I will supervise remotely. [bungston, Mar 21 2007]

[link]






       .... With the point being? Art? Waste fossil fuels?
emjay, Mar 18 2007
  

       Oh, I didn't consider the delicious wasted fossil fuels carefully enough. Not only is it wasting fuel, but in two ways from two powertrains, and possibly a third way if the wheel is synthetic from oil.   

       Bun.
Smurfsahoy, Mar 18 2007
  

       You forgot the mechanism that propels the forks out of the ground once the RPM drops too low for gyro to hold it. Plus the electricity to monitor the RPM and Odometer, although the odometer could be mechanical.
emjay, Mar 18 2007
  

       Ah, but luckily, a mechanical odometer creates more resistance, which means extra juice for the wheel to spin, which means we still get to waste dead animals. Phew.
Smurfsahoy, Mar 18 2007
  

       Maybe those riding with the seraph would be mildly offended by the diesel backup.
the dog's breakfast, Mar 18 2007
  

       What does "1000/55 R400 V95" mean?
ldischler, Mar 18 2007
  

       Wheel size. In this case, wheely big. *ro cringes at self*
the dog's breakfast, Mar 18 2007
  

       rim size/profile/tread width then radial(R) then speed rating.
the dog's breakfast, Mar 18 2007
  

       //Actually, I think the rpm of the wheel won't be very much.//   

       I tried to find out how slow it could go without being in danger of falling over, but wasn't successful. I assume it relates to linear speed or square of radius, but other than that I don't know. If it could rotate very slowly it would have more visual effect.
Ling, Mar 18 2007
  

       ldischler:
1000mm width
55% of width = height of side wall
R400 = rim diameter 400 inches
V95 = Load rating & speed rating for 10 Mins. Or the other way 'round.
Ling, Mar 19 2007
  

       Ta [Ling] Ta [Ling] Ta [Ling]It was late. I had too much coffee. The roof was on fire(nah not really I is just a stupid stupid idiot)
the dog's breakfast, Mar 19 2007
  

       This as Baked as a means of transport. Way cooler than hokey advertising for a tire company.
DrCurry, Mar 19 2007
  

       It's, like, a 40 foot tall tire, dude. Whoaaaa...
half, Mar 19 2007
  

       //1000mm width R400 = rim diameter 400 inches//   

       Good to see the old "Mars Climate Orbiter" technology is still going strong over there, guys. Nice work.
MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 19 2007
  

       I thought it was standard everywhere to describe rim in inches and, I agree, it is pretty stupid with mm for width. But it makes an easier to remember number, in its defence.   

       There is one subtle difference: tyres usually fit Ok.
Ling, Mar 20 2007
  

       Yeah, where do you live, whereby your tires are measured all in mm?   

       mine are 285x75R16 which is 285mm width of tread, 75 meaning 75% of diameter is tyre, and R16, is a 16" rim. See, mm and inched mixed together. And this is for a japanese car...
Custardguts, Mar 21 2007
  

       //Yeah, where do you live, whereby your tires are measured all in mm?// Very good question. I shall look into it.
MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 21 2007
  

       ////Yeah, where do you live, whereby your tires are measured all in mm?// Very good question. I shall look into it.//
You mean you don't know where you live [MB]?
AbsintheWithoutLeave, Mar 21 2007
  

       I'm fairly sure this would fall over, just more slowly than a non-rotating wheel would.
spidermother, Mar 21 2007
  

       Why? A rolling hoop can stay up without any problem. The concave rollers will allow the wheel to turn slightly to allow for a slight fall to the side. The only limit I see is the minimum speed of stability, for which I have no mathematical answer.
Ling, Mar 21 2007
  

       //The only limit I see is the minimum speed of stability// How stable are we talking about? If it were more stable than a conventional building under difficult (earthquake, swamp?) conditions, then in areas where its useful to build, but where the conditions leave a lot to be desired, (like Venus maybe) you could build cities where huge rolling wheel skyscrapers grind around a circular track, staying up through the power of gyrostability.
zen_tom, Mar 21 2007
  

       //You mean you don't know where you live [MB]?// Some questions have hidden depths and cannot be taken lightly with a casual response.   

       (I, on the other hand, have hidden shallowths and can be taken just about anywhere.)
MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 21 2007
  

       Wind would blow it over. No amount of rpm will prevent that.
Texticle, Mar 21 2007
  

       Wind would not blow it over if it were turning quickly. It would be very hard to tip without stopping the turn. It would be a big gyroscope. It would be ultracool.   

       If the rollers were mounted on a swing so they could swing to and fro in the same plane as the wheel, that would be cool too. The wind could rock it back and forth, or people could push it. The wheel could even move up into the air as the rollers rocked far.   

       Art terrorists like in Fight Club would try to stop the rollers, to watch the giant tire swiftly roll away from the installation. A ramp might need to be installed opposite the art in case of this event.   

       I could see this being a really stellar kinetic art project for someone so inclined. I have linked a page describing how immense bicycle tires can be made.
bungston, Mar 21 2007
  

       I believe that if the part of the tyre that touches the ground cannot move, which it can't, then wind would blow it over. Gyroscopics throw some other vectors in there, but it's still going over.
Texticle, Mar 22 2007
  

       [Texti], the thing is on moving rollers. That is how it turns. It is like when you smog your car, if you have to smog your car where you live, if you have a car.
bungston, Mar 22 2007
  

       See edit.
Ling, Mar 22 2007
  
      
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