h a l f b a k e r yNot so much a thought experiment as a single neuron misfire.
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This would be the traditional playground swing with two or more swings hanging from a single straight bar. The clever bit is that there would be a control at the side to adjust the rigidity of the bar (it could, for example be a steel cable with adjustable tension instead of a bar).
Making this
support more flexible would increase the swings' tendency to swing in synchronisation with each other and increase the amount of energy a gently swinging swing will sap from one swinging with a greater amplitude. This would be useful when you have one child who can't swing on their own but needs to be pushed. This swing would allow you to put them on a swing next to a child who can swing really well, turn up the "coupled oscillation" dial and let the the swing of the child who can't swing on their own be driven by that of the other child.
Odd sympathy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odd_sympathy
Interesting story about coupled oscillation [hippo, Jul 23 2007]
Bifilar Pendulum
http://brunelleschi...arie/ependolo2.html
for those who wish to know more about pendulum actions [xenzag, Jul 24 2007]
Swong
Swong
Uses clockwork to drive slaved swings. [phoenix, Jul 26 2007]
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Annotation:
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Very half-baked. + for you. |
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This odd sympathy swing (really a sort of antipathy, since the pendulums always wind up opposite) could be accomplished by mounting the bar holding the swings to a pair of horizontal heavy steel truck suspension springs used elsewhere in the playground to support horses and other rides. |
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There is no need for a dial or control, which I fear would be jammed with sand or otherwise broken. A determined swinger could overpower the springs and swing as she sees fit. A passive swinger will swing according to impetus from the bar. |
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The only thing about these spring-mounted swings is that they would need to be higher off the ground than a usual swing. This is not an issue for the kids who need to be pushed, since often they must be helped up to high swings anyway. However, hard and heavy swingers could lower the bar so that a swingers feet are closer to the ground on the downswing than they thought., and they might whack into the ground. |
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Now I am thinking about hard and heavy swingers. Again. |
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I hear there are specialist websites for that sort of thing, [bungston]. |
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Anything that perpetuates the myth of being able to go over the bar whilst raising the probabilty of catching your fingers in something is fine by me. |
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Where I live, I'm sure the local spides
would find a way of using this to launch
empty Buckfast bottles at passing cars. (+) |
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I think this is a brilliant idea, [hippo]. [++] |
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This method could be used to construct a bandpass filter by making
the two swings of slightly different lengths and then fine-tuning the
coupling between them, like tuning tank circuits in old analogue
radios. |
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I have no idea why anyone might want to do this. |
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If each swing was attached to its own axle, and the two were almost butted up against each other, you could use a rough clutch mechanism - two discs at the ends of the axles which are pressed together when coupling is desired. |
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To harvest the torque and transfer it, the swings would have to have rigid bars rather than chains or ropes to hold the occupants. |
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