I'm working on a mechanism to move a drink in and out of a bar bot. I have a mini v linear actuator but I don't want to have the end of the mechanism sticking out of the bar bot all the time. I thought a scissor mechanism could work, but I'm not sure what to use for the joints. I'm thinking of using 20x10mm aluminum U channel for the bars. I could drill holes in the end of each bar and put a mini v bearing in it, but I don't know how to secure the bearing to the bar. There will also be a good bit of torque on the bearings since it has to support the weight of the drink at the end. Any suggestions for the joints? What about how to mount it to the mini v linear actuator cars? Here are a couple of pictures that might make it clearer. https://goo.gl/photos/1Vw6fxJQVXQSTMLc6 https://goo.gl/photos/iTEsemAoiEVpGoNA8 Any suggestions appreciated.
Unfortunately horizontal scissors don't work as well in real life as they do in the cartoons. But as there is no avoiding gravity, I suggest adding a transverse framing member between the front and back frame rails and putting a sliding rail on top of it and then using the scissor as merely a mechanism to propel the tray in and out. Note, this concept is not the least bit developed, it is merely a quick thought. It will still require a fair amount of dimensional coordination as well as some pivot connection design. As there won't be much force in the system, you may be able to get away with simple sleeve/pin pivot connections. And this concept is but one of many possibilities. It would probably be more efficient to merely rotate the linear actuator 90 degrees, add a slide rail to the top and just use it directly to move the tray in and out but the cool factor of the horizontal scissor cannot be denied. In the end, it's up to you to determine the feeling this machine is meant to convey. Sketchup file attached.
This seems like the perfect application for simple rotation. Have a semi-circle tray or arm that rotates out to accept a drink. Then have it rotate back in to put it away. This seems simpler and more robust than the scissor mechanism. -D
