This post is just a demonstration for the layout and basic dimensions of a stair climbing wheel. Stair climbing wheels are commonly used in market carts and appliance trucks. There are two types of them: manual drive and motor drive. The later is used mainly in robots, space landers, and some toy cars.
Stair climbing wheels are (in most cases) only efficient in stair climbing because they are not supposed to turn right or left while climbing stairs. Using stair climbing wheels in carts or trucks (the truck will have two units of wheel cluster) that move on flat grounds is difficult when you try to turn right or left (specially when the spacing between wheel centers are large) because the system will have 4 fixed-direction parallel wheels (imagine a car with four wheels that all of them are aligned and parallel, it will never turn).
Stair climbers should be designed for a given stair step because they will not work properly for any height.
Stair climbing wheels are (in most cases) only efficient in stair climbing because they are not supposed to turn right or left while climbing stairs. Using stair climbing wheels in carts or trucks (the truck will have two units of wheel cluster) that move on flat grounds is difficult when you try to turn right or left (specially when the spacing between wheel centers are large) because the system will have 4 fixed-direction parallel wheels (imagine a car with four wheels that all of them are aligned and parallel, it will never turn).
Stair climbers should be designed for a given stair step because they will not work properly for any height.
You can steer right-left when the wheels are assembled as a fifth-wheel unit and fixed or released to/from the vehicle/trolley. Thanks for emphasizing the importance of stair size (rise & span).
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe most important dimension of the stair is riser height. In the U. S. stairs must be between 4 and 9½ inches high, with average being in the range of 7 - 7¾ inches high. Therefore, with two of the wheels on the ground, the axis of the third wheel should be at least 9½ inches high. Wheels should be large to minimize gaps between and the possibility of stair corner or overhang reaching between to contact and drag on the armature.
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