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[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Original Post:
Posted on April 3, 2016 Big…
Big and heavy….
Big heavy and pure cast iron….
By the time it came to work on the chassis it had already been blasted and primed. That took a great deal of time off the schedule, so with the New Monarch still in process (milling bushings and axles), I decided to start on one of the most interesting and strange chassis around, the VanSickle. If you have ever seen the full set-up on the Van Sickle you know it is way, way, way out there! How about a double 2X6 on edge tracks system that has the trolley running on the inside? That means the farmer had to build a frame that would not let the pair of 2×6’s spread apart! Crazy…well we can go much more crazy than that! Lets have a section of the track be dip down twords the farmer and end….WITH the trolley!…..being held in a cast iron saddle!…..that you will have to have the horse pull back up!….so the trolley can roll away! Check it out on the Home Page slider pictures…3rd one in…dead center in red!
But it is remarkable in every way.
1. It holds the load at any altitude….in 1870s!
2. One of the first to use ratcheting that works…in 1870s!
3. Simple incorporated line trip in the CDP! in 1870s!
4. The more weight the more the legs compress on the rope itself….a design that Porter gets to 6 years later!
5. Myers takes the design of the CDP into the ground breaking New Departure years later!
Here is what I worked on.
It became clear upon inspection that there were three (3) clear through breaks along with a missing toosh on the master wheel and a piece of the receiver bell missing. All the cracks (splits) were in excellent areas, small and perfect for making invisible. The repair of the bell would be typical but high level weld up repairs. The missing tooth repair would take a master welder.
I bead blasted the primer off of all five weld areas and disassembled the frame parts all the way down. That required me to remove a double peened center bolt (original) and the chassis was finally completely apart since it was assembled. It would also mean that a new center shaft would have to milled out.
Pure cast! This is only the 3rd chassis that I have come across that is 100% pure cast iron. And THAT means special welding…and THAT means Torch Tolman! For those that have been reading my pages we know that welding cast is tough to begin with, with small areas, MUCH tougher. Weld a cast iron engine block? No problem. Big ugly welds that go over the top surfaces on either side of the welds to allow for additional strength. But none of that works in our trolley world. The weld has to be strong enough AND all be the original dimensions AND be finished off to disappear. It took a total of two hours plus. The results
Two pretty typical “tab” breaks on the frame ends. All repaired.
Tooth replacement! Proper and correctly timed to match up with the other side. This weld looks rough…believe me it came out so perfectly when I primed it I lost which tooth it was.
Here is the receiver bell brought back to perfect.
There was one area that required porous filling…it was on the bell housing….two places actually. Lokk at the top primed picture and you will see lots of “pin holes” that needed attention.
A little more on this picture. Notice that there is very little material left with proper sanding. One sees mostly metal on a good job..
Lets see what we end up with.
I am working on a custom wall bracket for this rig..will post when done and up.
Dan[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
– Responses:
Awesome trolley, definitely one of the most unique. So you piqued my interest, what were the other 2 trolley’s that were 100% pure cast?
Nate
Nate,
These are the two that I had to weld (I wouldn’t be able to tell without grinding the chassis…color of the sparks) so far. I may have done some that needed no welding and are actually cast.
The whole lower chassis and swivel works of the Frank Patten
The Olsen Chain Lock
Dan
Well folks, lets wrap this one up.
But there is one huge discovery that occurred when I went to display the VanSickle. Try and follow along, its complicated and I’ll do my best to simplify it.
First, since the trolley was completed I concentrated on making a display stand that would avoid suspending the trolley between two on edge 2×4 or 2×6 as that covers up the vast majority of the trolley.
I designed a rack that would handle the huge weight and would deal with the fact the the unique shape of the VanSickle makes dropping it in from the top impossible. Lets take a look.
It is crafted out of rail steel and has a dis-assemble capable nose. This allows the hanger system to be put on the wall and the trolley loaded from the front.
Here is the shot of the nose
And the nose pieces
The rack went up perfectly and the trolley slipped right in and the nose piece locked it all in there.
Then the time came to rig the trolley….in other words it came time to run the rope through the chassis and the CDP.
Folks, the truth is I never understood how the VanSickle actually was rigged. Every picture just seemed “off” to me. Every display I have seen, well, they seemed off too.
And then it hit me.
Big News! The VanSickle is a Single Reaver! That is right, it is such a primitive design that it does not use the pulley sheave in the CDP to perform any lifting, there isn’t ANY mechanical advantage.
Earlier trolleys of this same period all do. This does not….
Lets take a look at the original patent…follow the instructions. Your finger represents the loose hay in the sling.
Here is what we will do.
1. We will tie the rope off to the central chassis. That will load the weight where it belongs, OFF the cdp alone.
2. Now the CDP wheel will be used throughout the whole lift process, we have Double Reaving.
3. We will not alter a single original part.
4. We will actually stabilize the CDP throughout both the lift AND the drop. Originally it was not AT ALL.
5. The Iron rings that would constantly hit the CDP sheave now never enter the frame.
6. Remember the broken tooth? Look at the patent, all those metal pieces are feeding right through the wheel….and the compression arm….and the housing.
Ready?
We remove the lower bolt and nut from the main frame of the upper assembly, not the CDP.
We will use a clevis and standard bolt. Bead blast them, prime and paint.
That’s right! Just place it in the same place the prior bolt was removed.
Knot the rope
Double reaving! No CDP single point twisting. No CDP odd hits on the receiving bell.
And for the first time, the VanSickle CDP actually looks right! The rope release is pointing down and ready for any standard hay sling set. Just attach one end of the hay release to the cross bolt on the CDP drawing right below the letter “G” in the patent.
Now only one side will drop when the trip release is pulled. And most importantly, nothing metal is dragged through the gear works, compression arm or chassis!
I’m done and on to the next chassis…
Dan[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]