Turbo (I went to Prison in 1979 and Coat-hangers) Eric Lehman Tommy Morgan Chris Agee Matt Edmunds

Introduction  Our end result is the release of a guillotine that chops a piece of fruit (or a hamster) in half  We used $24.85 in parts.  Some parts were purchased in the store, but most were found lying around and later modified

Turbo (I Went to Prison in 1979 and Coat-hangers) Tommy Matt Chris Eric Turbo (I Went to Prison in 1979 and Coat- hangers)

Power Charger Racing  Our first step is to release a giant brass pin.  The pin releases a dowel that is attached to two heavy duty springs. This dowel is placed inside a length of PVC pipe, creating a mighty launcher capable of great velocities.  The launcher shoots a marble (Pretty Pretty Princess) to the next step… the Gorilla  Look at the truck on top!!!

Power Charger Racing Brass Pin Truck Spring

Gorilla  Gorilla consists of a swing arm attached to a frictionless rollerblade bearing.  Attached to one end is a paddle  The other end has a hook attached.  When Pretty Pretty Princess hits the paddle, the arm swings forward  The hook hits a stick attached to a paddle which activates the next step

Gorilla Paddle Bearing Hook Stick and Paddle Wait #1

The Waits (Spelling Intentional)  The paddle is balanced on the end of the table with a Wait on top. The slightest nudge sends the first Wait falling to the floor.  The Wait falls off the edge of the table.  This Wait pulls Wait #2, which is attached to a sliding device (the Folgers), off the table  The second Wait is attached to a string which activates our next step.  Two Waits are necessary because we need a long length of string to be pulled to successfully activate our next step

The Alpine, Summit, and Señor Valdez  The falling weights pull a string through a series of eye hooks. This string is attached to the spool (Señor Valdez).  The force of the weights dropping pulls the string which cause Señor Valdez to spin and crawl up the tracks (The Alpine).  When Señor Valdez reaches the Summit, our next step is activated.

The Alpine, Summit, and Señor Valdez Señor Valdez The Alpine Summit

Der Shützen, Whipped Topping, and the American Dream  Señor Valdez knocks a ball bearing off of a dowel rod into a receiver (Whipped Topping)  Whipped Topping has a hole in the bottom that channels the bearing into Der Shützen  Der Shützen is a series of PVC piping cut in half. The ball rolls through a series of tracks, changing direction and altitude.  The ball finally rolls off the end of Der Shützen, which activates our final step

Der Shützen, Whipped Topping, and the American Dream Whipped Topping Der Shützen

Victor and Bruce  The ball falls onto the mouse trap (Victor).  The mousetrap as attached to a string. This string is tied to a nail. The nail is inserted into two eyehooks with a washer betwixt them  The washer is tied to a 4 lb guillotine blade (BRUCE!!!!).  Victor pulls the nail which releases Bruce’s mighty blade.  The weight of the blade chops a fruit (or the aforementioned hamster) in twain.  CHOPPY CHOPPITY CHOP

Victor Der Shützen Victor

Brucitty Brucey Bruce Hooray!!!

WHY?????  Let’s say you have one fruit (or a hamster) and you have a friend.  You wouldn’t leave you friend out would you?  Place your fruit (or hamster) into our device, and you now have two halves to share.  Hooray!!!

Energy Conversions  Power Charger Racing  Elastic Energy: Kinetic Energy  Gorilla  Kinetic Energy: Kinetic Energy  Waits  Kinetic Energy: Gravitational Potential Energy

Energy Conversion  Alpine/Summit  Gravitational Potential Energy: Kinetic Energy  Der Shützen  Kinetic Energy: Gravitational Potential Energy  Victor  Gravitational Potential Energy: Kinetic Energy

Energy Conversions  Bruce  Gravitational Potential Energy: Two Hamster Halves  Hooray!!!

Conclusions  We spent a total of 24 hours over 4 days to complete Turbo.  Good times were had by all  Problems we encountered:  Pulling the spool on the Alpine a correct length  Mounting Der Shützen  Developing the Gorilla  Success?  Yes!

Background  One time a homeless man walked up to me at Taco Bell, asked me for some change, and said “I went to prison in 1979 and coathangers”  That’s the story…  No really, it is  That actually happened  Hooray!

Prison, 1979, etc…