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Brief Overview
Detailed Description
Proposed Budget

Brief Overview

The sculpture “Crushed” is a fusion of mechanical principle and artistic statement. Artistically, the sculpture is a playful look at the motion of gears, translated into rotating cocktail umbrellas. The sculpture defines itself as a kinetic piece because the entire process of motion is easily discernible to the viewer and the artistic value is intrinsic to the motion. The viewer will be able to witness falling bearing balls generate power by falling through a turbine. As the turbine turns, the power is translated to Delrin gears to create a moving gear train. Attached to the gears are cocktail umbrellas, placed at different angles, heights and locations, which spin with the gears to create an interesting visual. In terms of mechanics, the sculpture is a multilayered structure with the ability to spin on a large bearing. The backboard and gear board of the sculpture will be thin aluminum sheeting which oers a pleasing contrast with the brightly colored planetary gear train and cocktail umbrellas.

Detailed Description

“Crushed” is composed of three main components with subcomponents existing in each layer. These three components are the backboard, the reservoir board, and the gears. While some measurements are given, these are all subject to changed depending on budget and design necessities.

The motion of “Crushed” begins with the viewer rotating the sculpture. The entire sculpture is mounted to a plywood board covered with aluminum sheeting. This board, approximately 12 inches by 18 inches is mounted against the wall. The viewer is able to rotate the piece because the reservoir board and gears are attached to the backboard with a large bearing with a 5 1/8 inch square flange. To prevent the bearing from rotating at inopportune times and to ensure the entire piece remains parallel to the wall, two clamps are placed on the midpoint of the top and bottom of the piece.

The rotation of the sculpture begins the kinetic process. The power structure is reminiscent of a water wheel. Recessed into the reservoir board are two large holding tanks for bearing balls separated by a turnstile. When the piece is turned upside down, bearing balls, 3/8 inch in diameter, are stacked in the upper reservoir. Due to gravity, the balls filter through a small opening leading to the turnstile. The turnstile is a metal axle with levers centered around it (picture a metal asterisk). The levers catch the bearing balls and create a torque force. The torque forces the axle to rotate, thus the potential energy of the bearing balls is converted into mechanical energy of a spinning axle. The hourglass part of the turnstile has a clear front so the viewer can watch the bearing balls power the device.

The axle of the turnstile is responsible for transmitting the bearing ball power to the gear train. The axle is of a sufficient length to span the ball bearing structure and the gear board. The rotational motion of the axle begins the movement of the gear train. All the gears are extremely low friction, Delerin gears. Relative to the gears, the axle is extremely small in diameter (only 0.5”). On the sides of the axle, there are two 3” gears. The 3” gears will spin at 1/6 of the speed of the axle.

From the 3” gears, the train splits into four branches, each consisting of 3 additional gears. The gears in each branch go from a diameter of 1” to 2” and finally 3”. Due to the range in size, the viewer will be able to witness various velocities of the gears. Relative to the axle, the one inch gear turns at ½ the velocity, the two inch gear turns at ¼ the velocity, and finally the three inch gear at 1/6 the velocity.

The piece de resistance of “Crushed” is the cocktail umbrella effect. With gears spinning at velocities ranging from fast to slow to fast to slow, the umbrellas augment this difference. These small, multicolored umbrellas are attached to the individual gears by pieces of cork, likely attached with epoxy. A pleasing pattern will be developed by placing the umbrellas at different heights and angles, yet to be determined by Team Estrogen.

In summary, “Crushed” is a gear train powered by harnessing the potential energy of bearing balls. All that is required of the viewer is that the sculpture is turned so the bearing balls fill the top reservoir. Bearing balls fall, gears turn, and umbrellas spin.

Current Budget, always subject to change