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Here you can see that the spinning wheels can be manufactured very
basically with different tools and forms. But the idea keeps the same:
move the foot, this move the pedal that moves the big wheel. The cord
(belt) will transfer the movement to the "rotor" (or smaller wheel, or
pulley or to another set of "big wheel + small wheel") that will move
the "alternator" and it will generate electricity.<br>
<br>
<img src="cid:part1.04080504.02010206@olpc-peru.info" alt=""> <img
src="cid:part2.07070407.05090505@olpc-peru.info" alt=""><br>
<br>
<br>
Caryl Bigenho wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:BLU108-W40798E83494CA5CAB3D780CCD70@phx.gbl"
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</style>Hello Javier Rodriguez and, all the other folks on the
peripherals list,<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Here is a link to a picture of what they look like. It is the one on
the left.<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Trade%2DLiterature/Sewing%2DMachines/">http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Trade%2DLiterature/Sewing%2DMachines/</a><br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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?<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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?<br>
<br>
Caryl<br>
<br>
BTW, Could AJ's Cow-power generator be adapted to run on Llama power?
How about donkey power? Goat power?<br>
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