"DoN. Nichols" wrote in message
...
On 2018-08-01, Leon Fisk wrote:
On Wed, 1 Aug 2018 08:47:03 -0400
"Jim Wilkins" wrote:

snip

I've never created anything patentable because I ultimately reduce
problems to very simple solutions, like using a sink spray as a
water-saving shower head.

Poking around, studying old patents is very enlightening and
humbling.
In the mechanical area there's not a lot someone hasn't already
come up
with.

[ ... ]

Look for a four-volume book set of _Ingenious Mechanisms_ to see
lots of ways to do things. :-)

Enjoy,
DoN.

The sort of problem I have difficulty with is for example how to
splice 4" x 8' steel channel for a 16' gantry hoist track without the
bolt holes weakening it or the heads or shanks interfering with the
trolley wheels. Welding would make it too long to store under cover.
Hand-fitting the bolt holes to minimize play is acceptable, tapered
shank bolts aren't.

I have a design and the materials for the intended use where it's
suspended from a roof beam at the center splice and tripods at both
ends. The version without center support is a paper exercise though I
might use a good solution.

C4 x 5.4 depth=4, width=1.584, web=0.184, area=1.59, Ixx=3.85,
Iyy=0.319
I get a safe(?) working stress of 12.5 ksi with a 500 Lb centered
load, or 1000 Lbs for the two 16' channels together.

-jsw