[Peripherals] Alternitive Power for Developing Countries

Thu May 8 04:04:06 EDT 2008

typo, I meant if the belt starts to 'slip' we might need to see how to
rectify that...

On Thu, May 8, 2008 at 12:37 PM, Arjun Sarwal <arjun at laptop.org> wrote:
> This looks good Javier.
>
>  One thing I would be concerned about would be the tension on the belt
>  going over the large and small wheels, because this setup would be
>  causing some sort of reduction. If the belt/string starts to sleep we
>  might need to increase the area of contact or make it thicker etc.
>
>  regards
>  Arjun
>
>
>
>  On Tue, May 6, 2008 at 6:19 AM, info at olpc-peru.info <info at olpc-peru.info> wrote:
>  >
>  >  Hello Caryl,
>  >
>  >
>  >  This is the sewing machine that you talk about.  The feet goes in the
>  > "green" lines that I have draw.  This machines exist in Peru.  They cost
>  > around US$100 new.  They are out of the reach of the poor people.  Low
>  > probabilities to find used ones (they are so good for the task that they are
>  > kept during generations... my mother gave me her old one... all the metal
>  > parts work as new, but the wood parts are destroyed due to lack of care by
>  > more than 20 years (that the machines was stored in a garage).  My ex wife
>  > got in love to the machine and she has kept it, fix it and use it for many
>  > things (well... she got the car and the house too! :-D )
>  >
>  >  My idea is that we can develop the "pedaling" or "treadling" machine with
>  > "spinning wheel" technology.  In the spinning wheels typically the foot
>  > (just one is good enough) goes over the "red line" that I have draw.  It is
>  > a simpler mechanism.   It is efficient and it has been used by human beens
>  > from very old times.  At the end some paintings that reflects how they were
>  > used normally by old people and children (just to comment that you don't
>  > need to spend huge energy for moving these spinning wheels, the spinning
>  > wheel of the girl is a "mini" spinning wheel.. in both cases they need to
>  > sit down and move one foot.. not the whole leg... every kid can do it... no
>  > damage involved... I speak from first hand experience because I have managed
>  > a group of ladies that spin natural yarns using spinning wheels... I
>  > imported models from India and USA and then I have found the ones that exist
>  > in Peru... from all that experience I order to some artisans to manufacture
>  > them, they build them with amazing results.  Lucky we are that I have some
>  > spinning wheels in the garage yet, so we can do pilots and testing.  Other
>  > advantage is that they are manufactured here in Peru, with wood.
>  >
>  >  More on next message.
>  >
>  >  Javier Rodriguez
>  >  Lima, Peru
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  >  Caryl Bigenho wrote:
>  >  Hello Javier Rodriguez and, all the other folks on the peripherals list,
>  >
>  >  After seeing the creative things Arjun Sarwal is doing with cow-power in
>  > India, I started thinking of other possibilities. I remembered my
>  > grandmother's old treadle sewing machine and how excited she was to have it
>  > electrified.  Later, I saw many being used 35 years ago in regions in the
>  > Yucatan where there was no electricity.
>  >
>  >  Here is a link to a picture of what they look like.  It is the one on the
>  > left.
>  >
>  >
>  > http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Trade%2DLiterature/Sewing%2DMachines/
>  >
>  >  Many of these machines still exist.  i see them at estate auctions every
>  > summer in Montana.  There must be thousands throughout the world.  I have
>  > twice tried bidding on just the treadle mechanism of one on ebay. I lost out
>  > on the bidding for both, but have hopes of finding one in Montana this
>  > summer.
>  >
>  >  When I get one, I intend to try to set it up as a combination desk/power
>  > source to run an XO.  If it works and doesn't cost too much to set up, it
>  > might be something that could be replicated all over the world where these
>  > old machines still exist...some probably still being used without
>  > electricity.
>  >
>  >  Javier, have you seen any of these machines in rural Peru?  Are they still
>  > being used to sew?  Would there be a need to try to design it to continue to
>  > be used as a sewing machine but to generate power at the same time?
>  >
>  >  It might also be possible to manufacture a similar mechanism, at a modest
>  > cost.  But, the idea of recycling the old ones has a lot of appeal. I was
>  > also wondering if an old automobile generator could be adapted to work with
>  > it.  Perhaps it would require too much torque to work.
>  >
>  >  It may be just a crazy idea, but if cow-power works, maybe this will too.
>  > If and when I do this project, I will probably need some advice from you
>  > folks.  Any suggestions for starters?
>  >
>  >  Caryl
>  >
>  >  BTW, Could AJ's Cow-power generator be adapted to run on Llama power?  How
>  > about donkey power?  Goat power?
>  >  ________________________________
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>
>  --
>
>
> Arjun Sarwal
>  http://dev.laptop.org/~arjs
>

-- 
Arjun Sarwal
http://dev.laptop.org/~arjs