Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
Recalculations place it at 0.4999.

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


           

Funicular Roadway

You know... for skids
  (+6)
(+6)
  [vote for,
against]

Today, driving in driving rain, I found my tyres losing traction as I drove up a mountain.

A fifth wheel, central to the vehicle and toothed to engage a gear rack set into the road surface, would allow much better traction up such daunting slopes, safely.

When retracted it could double as a regenerative energy storage device, seeing as how it would be a large, heavy flywheel most of the time.

UnaBubba, Nov 01 2013

Please log in.
If you're not logged in, you can see what this page looks like, but you will not be able to add anything.
Short name, e.g., Bob's Coffee
Destination URL. E.g., https://www.coffee.com/
Description (displayed with the short name and URL.)






       A true furnicular uses two cars linked by a cable, which balance one another.   

       This is actually a rack-and-pinion system.   

       The wheel wouldn't need to be heavy per se; there just needs to be enough downforce from the mass of the vehicle to keep it engaged.   

       There would need to be a way of keeping the vehicle exactly central on the rack. On cog raiways, that's not a problem as the rack is simply centred between the rails.   

       Could be done on a 4x4 with a gearbox rear power takeoff port i.e. a Land Rover.
8th of 7, Nov 01 2013
  

       A narrow-gauge-to-cog railway once ran within a few dozen yards of my house (pre-existing appeal);   

       and I generally love things that involve maximizing traction while going up mountains and such;   

       and I love regenerative motors and flywheels and large heavy mechanical devices;   

       and it seems like the sort of thing that would make a unique and interesting noise...   

       So, bun.
Alterother, Nov 01 2013
  

       It could be lighter, [8th], but that would detract from the steampunk overkill factor I intended.
UnaBubba, Nov 01 2013
  

       [Ubie]!!
MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 01 2013
  

       There was a Panhard armored car that had four rubber- tired road wheels and four more cleated steel wheels that dropped down between them for enhanced traction. I've seen one somewhere. Bovington, maybe?
Alterother, Nov 01 2013
  


 

back: main index

business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle