Differentials

[Joe E Brown]

I just know i'm going to stir up a hornets nest, but what's all the
hooblah about differentials anyway. If i was going to build a side
wheeler I would use two seperate motors so I could reverse one while
ahead on the other for sharp turning. Lord knows a rudder on a side
wheeler doesn't work very well.

On a stern wheeler if I want to run a belt drive on a model that
would otherwise have a pitman arm, I would just raise my inboard
drive enough to build in a water catch so what water would come in
would just drain back out. All the boats I've seen that are belt
driven (chain driven prototypes) have the pulleys (sprokets) located
on the outside of the vessel anyway so water couldn't get in.

A sternwheeler that is driven by a differential has it located in the
center of a split wheel. Most were a single axle, but some had the
capability to reverse half of the wheel whild going forward on the
other. By the way, with a single axle split wheel, half of the wheel
would be off axis with the other to lessen vibration. In other words
if the look at the wheel from the back you'll notice that the buckets
of one wheel is spaced halfway 'tween the buckets of the other wheel.
Did I clearify this enough. Anyway, I'm sure this will keep
discussion topics going for a while.

I made a good wallpaper of the American Queen if anyone's interested
send me an email. I took the photo close to Agusta, Kentucky on her
maiden voyage up the Ohio River.

[freedem]

The southern bell ( a model by lindberg ) has an option to be
motorised . the vbelt inside ( rubber band) turns a offset crank
on each end that moves a pitman arm to turn the sternwheel.
when two engines are hooked to a single sternwheel they are
off set so they avoid the problem of the engine being cought on
top or bottom dead center.
in sternwheelers with split wheels ( i've read them called
twin wheels is that right?) I am under the impression that they
have another cylinder timber so the shaft only has to be 14th as
strong as a single beam whide shaft?
thankyou for your comments.
jeffery