Ideas for a design project

[moparfreak]

So, I'm in my Senior Design class towards my Mech. Engr. degree with one semester to go...

We're starting to brainstorm for our main project for our design class. I was wondering if you guys had any good ideas. I'd like it to be something tool/garage/automotive related. My best one right now is a cordless drill-powered landing gear on a trailer.

It has to be something which can conceivably be designed and constructed w/ relatively minimal cost in a 3 month time frame.

Any ideas?

Adam

 

[XR7G428]

Here is what I want.

First, I want some car skates that are self jacking. Some thing that slips around the tire front and back, then you use your cordless drill to roll the two sections together to lift the tire.

Second, I want a handle like a jack handle, attached to one of the skates. I want to use my cordless drill to drive this skate to move the car. If this one is on swivel casters, as well as the one on the opposite side, I should be able to steer the car, and move it back and forth with the drill motor.

As I read this, I see that I amy not be making this clear. Maybe I can draw it up on a cocktail napkin and scan it in.

Once I get the garage done, I plan on building this myself. If it worked well enough, I have the connections to get it made.

 

[AdamMopar]

It won't be long and I will be there myself. Adam

 

[kartracer55]

Hey where are you going to school? Im in HS... and I have been investigating Mechanical engineering.

As for items to design?

I dont know, Ill have to think about that one, but the cordless drill trailer gear is a good idea, but Id imagine it would have to be some rediculous gear ratio because of the drills lack of torque...


Jim

 

[moparfreak]

Hmm, so how about this idea?

A floor jack that spans the width of a vehicle and raises one end of the car at a time.

I envision a steel beam on lockable HD casters with either scissor or hydraulic bottle-type jacks at either end. The ends can be adjustable to accomodate vehicles of varying track. I'd like to have it be impact wrench or cordless drill driven.

Still needs to be developed but that might be my frontrunner.

 

[trovato]

You mean something like this?

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/...uctDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=7856&R=7856

 

[kartracer55]

You mean something like this?

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/...uctDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=7856&R=7856

Thats pretty cool actually, but I see storage as a problem... its huge. I also dont know much about that brand, but it is made in the USA
Jim

 

[Gregdoo]

Moparfreak, glad to see you're in WI, so you probably know about snowmobiles. I'd like a kit to be able to turn regular pallet racking into a kind of storage lift and rack for snowmobiles, so you could stack three machines on a rack in a garage with 10' ceilings.

Something along the lines of being able to have some sort of mechanical lift to get a snowmobile to the top of the rack, put in some sort of "floor" like 2 x 6's and then do the same for one in the middle position and the bottom one could rest on the floor.

The same concept could work for jet skis and ATVs.

The ability to easily stack these would save me a huge amount of floor space when the season is over.

I'd pay decent money for something that worked. I had been thinking of a manual boat trailer winch to operate the lifting, but the cordless drill concept would be even better.