Sand and similar granular substances have provided a medium for visual and artistic expression for centuries. Indeed, granular substances fulfill both structural and aesthetic ends of many human endeavors. Modern availability of low cost molding/3-Dimensional (3-D) printing and electronic motor control have enabled motorized “sand art” offerings which utilize the near fluid-like properties of sand and similar granular substances in real-time manipulation for ongoing and dynamic patterning of the granular medium.
An automated manipulation device for a granular material draws a rendering element through a layer of the granular material for forming a cyclic offset pattern a tabletop or floor mounted enclosure. A concealed electromechanical apparatus drives a magnetic follower element through the granular material in a path driven by a pivot on an eccentric rotation of a spur gear circumferentially driven around a circular enclosure. The electromechanical apparatus lies beneath a surface on which the magnetic follower is driven through the granular layer for displacing the granular substance on the path. Continual operation drives rotation of the spur gear and related mechanism lending a dynamic appearance to the constantly changing layer of granular material as the magnetic follower takes a repeating but offset series of elliptical and eccentric movements. Varied eccentric orbits are therefore defined by pivot positions in the spur gear, and multiple positions of the magnetic guide element allow selection of different paths.
Configurations herein are based, in part, on the observation of the popular appeal of sand and granular substances as a rendering medium for novelty and functional uses. As with the novelty and recreational uses, some conventional approaches to granular mediums rely on manual manipulation by an artist or operator. Other conventional uses employ digital and/or pixelated access using a grid or discrete addressing scheme. Accordingly, configurations here substantially overcome the shortcoming of conventional approaches using an electromechanical device for continued rendering of a granular or fluidic path through a planar arrangement of the granular rendering substance, sized and powered suitably for a domestic tabletop or floor deployment. In contrast to digital mediums, the pattern emerges from a continuous path driven by analog mechanisms for smooth patterns with a slight cyclic offset for forming a visible series of waves or ridges.
In operation, the rendering device forms a rotary pattern in a granular medium using a rotating arm having a distal end and a proximate end, where the distal end defines an outer radius and the proximate end defines an inner radius of a circular planar medium with a thin sand layer. A motor attaches to the rotating arm for rotation about a center axis, and a spur gear rotationally attaches to the proximate end. An elongated rendering member pivotally attaches between the distal end and a radial location on the spur gear, where the elongated rendering member has a varying length based on a rotation of the spur gear. A magnetic guide element is disposed on the elongated rendering member beneath the planar sand platform, and is in communication with a metal rendering element for traversing a path through a rendering medium by magnetically following the guide element underneath.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.
In the example configurations described below, a rotationally driven rendering device for displacing a granular substance in a cyclic rotary path includes a circular enclosure having a series of perimeter teeth around a circumference of the enclosure, a motor, and a rotating arm rotationally driven by the motor. In appearance, the rendering device is a circular, tabletop assembly with a layer of sand through which a drawing element passes, driven by a magnetic element beneath the sand platform. A motor operates on 110/120 VAC household power for driving a spur gear rotationally attached to a proximate end of the rotating arm at a center of the spur gear, such that the spur gear is adapted to engage the perimeter teeth as the motor drives the rotating arm at a modest (2 or 3 rpm) speed. A pivot linkage on the rotating arm is pivotally engaged with an elongated rendering member at a radial point on the spur gear, where the radial point is offset from the center of the spur gear for traveling an elliptic or eccentric pattern. The elongated rendering member includes a slidable engagement with a track pivotally coupled to a distal end of the rotating arm. A granular substance is arranged for manipulation by a guide element attached to the elongated rendering member for fixing a visual rendering of a path defined by the guide element as the guide element travels beneath a planar support surface having a layer of the granular substance, such as sand, gravel, or crushed walnuts, layered on top.
Mechanical operation is encapsulated in the enclosure beneath the support surface, where the guide element is typically a magnet and the granular substance has a magnetic follower such as a steel ball responsive to the magnet for traveling the path on top of the support surface.
The spur gear has one or more radial points disposed at varying radii from the center, such that each radial point is adapted to receive a pin defining the pivot linkage. The radial points appear as a spiral on the spur gear and each successive radial point defines a slightly larger radius for driving the elongated rendering member. The elongated rendering member has a linear shape extending parallel to the track and has a plurality of receptacles in an array, in which each receptacle is adapted to receive a guide element. The track and slide of the elongated rendering member form a telescoping arrangement as the track pivots at the distal end of the rotating arm while the elongated rendering member pivots on the spur gear. Any number of guide elements, or magnets may be placed in each of the available receptacles in the elongated rendering member for rendering multiple paths in the granular layer.
In the enclosure, the motor is disposed in the center of the circular enclosure and the granular layer resides in a circular tray in a plane just above a plane of rotation of the spur gear. Access to the mechanism and guide elements is by removal of the top granular layer where the number of guide elements and the linkages may be adjusted.
The spur gear, enclosure and related apparatus parts as depicted in the FIGS. below may be extruded or printed by a 3 dimensional printer, extrusion molded, or other suitable fabrication approach.
The description below demonstrates various features of the device in operation.
The rotating arm 112 drives gear driven rotation of the spur gear 120, as an elongated rendering member 130, pivotally attached to the spur gear and a distal end of the rotating arm, disposes an array of receptacles 132 in a sliding engagement as the elongated rendering member extends and retracts. One or more of the receptacles each have a magnet defining a guide element. A steel ball or other rendering element follows the magnet when a cover and layer of sand are placed on the enclosure.
A motor 108 secured in the enclosure 102 attaches to the rotating arm 112 for rotation about a center axis 109, to which the spur gear 120 rotationally attaches to the proximate end 114. The elongated rendering member 130 pivotally attaches between the distal end 116 and a radial location 118 on the spur gear, such that the elongated member has a varying length based on a rotation of the spur gear 120 and the distance from this radial location 118 as the spur gear 120 rotates relative to the distal end 116. A track 136 and a slide 134 further define the elongated rendering member 130, as the track 136 is adapted to slidably receive the slide 134 for varying the length based on the rotation of the spur gear 120.
The elongated rendering element 130 has a guide element 150 disposed on the elongated rendering member, typically a magnet, such that the guide element 150 is in communication with a rendering element 152 through the cover 106 for traversing a path through a rendering medium, typically sand. An array of receptacles 132 resides on the slide 134, each of which can contain a guide element 150.
It should be noted that the elongated rendering member 130 has first and second opposed ends 156, 154, such that a pivotal attachment between the first opposed end 156 and the distal end 116 of the rotating arm 112 traverses the outer radius just inside the circumference of the enclosure 102 from rotation of the rotating arm. At the other end, a pivotal attachment secures the second opposed end 154 and the radial location 118 on the spur gear 120, as an axis of the spur gear traverses the inner radius from rotation of the rotating arm 112. The inner radius and outer radius, discussed further below, therefore form concentric circles with the enclosure 102 as the motor axis 109 defines the center through the rotating arm 112. It therefore follows that an effective length 113 of the elongated rendering member 112 varies based on an angle of rotation of the spur gear around an axis 121 defined by the rotational attachment to the rotating arm.
It should be further noted that the movement of the guide element 150 drives the rendering element 152 through the layer of sand immediately above the mechanism for forming the rotary image, varying at each iteration of the rotating arm 112 as the spur gear achieves a fractional rotation at each full pass around the enclosure teeth 104.
While the system and methods defined herein have been particularly shown and described with references to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.
This patent application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent App. No. 63/297,797, filed Jan. 10, 2022, entitled “AUTOMATED ROTARY IMAGE GENERATION,” incorporated herein by reference in entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63297797 | Jan 2022 | US |