Hello, ive got a problem im trying to solve and it involves trying to rotate a diaphragm pump that is mounted on a rotating platform. I estimate the pump and platform together weigh about 50-80 lbs.
The way it works is when the operators have to fill up our system they connect to the pump when it is in the normal position with the pump sitting in the normal position. When they need to clean or cip the pump they have to rotate the platform 180 deg and it is inverted and they lock it down with a locking pin on a lanyard.
The reason i was assigned this was someone got their hands into a pinch point and really messed up their hand. My idea is to attach a shaft and make part of the shaft the pivot point and use a 9" 1/2"-3/4" shaft and have that stick out to the operator side and put a key and key-way into it to attach to the pump platform and the other end of the shaft bored out with a key-way and key to a 14" diameter handwheel which would keep both hands out of the process.
After going back there and moving the pump by hand i found that the pivot point is about 2" to high with the majority of the weight at the bottom as when you get to say the 90 deg point it gets hard to spin the station and im thinking that the 14" hand wheel i wont have enough torque or Rim pull force to easily do it by hand. I am not a mechanical engineer so if there are some more experienced people out there that could lead me in the right direction.
One of the other thoughts i had was to put some type of ratcheting reducer that with a crank or ratchet type system the operator could take a crank or socket and ratchet type wrench and just turn it until it is in the 180 deg inverted position.
Im uploading some solid works images i copied and some actual pics to give everyone a idea what im looking at. also another thought was to drill the the 2" rectangular hollow bracket or frame and raise the COG to the correct center so it spins easier. Please if anyone is bored could you take a look and tell me if im being a idiot. LOL
Here are images of what im working with. "http://s377.photobucket.com/user/doc...bed/slideshow/"
Reduce the turning effort by adding a counterbalance to the mechanism.
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