A gravity fed blade launcher can be equipped to a standard bicycle. First the madman removes the front brake assembly, including caliper, cable and lever.
Then where the brake lever was he installs the blade launcher trigger, not unlike the brake lever, but this one features a leading edge blade.
Then inside the frame he mounts the blade box, a box that contains many sharpened blades layered so that they can be gravity fed each after each.
Then he installs the firing mechanism. This mechanism simply consists of a slide that moves back and forth powered by the blade launcher trigger. One movement of the slide allows one blade to enter, and the previous to be ejected.
Once ejected the blade moves through a narrow passage guided by rollers, until it reaches the space just between he frame and the top of the spinning tire, each installed by the madman. Once the blade contacts the top of the spinning tire it is imparted with energy launching the blade in the direction of steering, as a final roller imparts a subtle trajectory.
Then the blade sails through the air until the cutting edge reaches its target, embedding itself inside the chitinous carapace of the symbiants only the madman can see, as the shopping mall empties in panic.-- rcarty, Jun 01 2013 No Limit http://www.youtube....watch?v=9NAi6feAMOs [not_morrison_rm, Jun 02 2013] Then a secondary smaller wheel, perhaps the rollers themselves, of much reduced diameter powered by the front wheel will provide the needed RPM, although I was thinking it would be more of the striking force of the relatively massive wheel, than just the speed.-- rcarty, Jun 01 2013 Why not rig the sprockets themselves to come loose and fly out in all directions like the cute little shuriken that they resemble?-- Alterother, Jun 01 2013 or ejectable sharpened spokes, wound up to some ridiculous level of tension.
Can't help wondering about the rcarty home life to generate two blade ideas on the same day.-- not_morrison_rm, Jun 01 2013 I live on the third floor of a house with a friend. Tell me of the accumulations at your encampment.-- rcarty, Jun 01 2013 Do you not feel this mechanism may lead to a greater frequency of punctures?-- mitxela, Jun 01 2013 //may lead to a greater frequency of punctures?
I think that is the idea, if we add "wounds".
I live in a smallish room, with a pc. It comes with an off-switch, which is sadly lacking with animals and people.-- not_morrison_rm, Jun 01 2013 Nice. Regarding MBs objections, the blade is force propelled.-- rcarty, Jun 01 2013 Two madmen, with their own respective bicycle blade launchers, could potentially joust.-- mitxela, Jun 01 2013 Yes, that would be ideal. But to address MB's purposeful but erroneous emphasis on only the rpm or wheel speed, technically if the knife launcher were to utilize all of the power available, it would be equivalent to all of the stopping power of the bicycle, or all of the forward moving energy of the travelling bicycle including momentum and simultaneous pedalling. That's if one firing sequence, or one shot, resulted in reduction of speed. Then the blade would be moving with an energy equivalent to the amount removed from the moving bicycle. This idea of "stopping power launchers" would aim to scavenge as much energy from brake stopping power to fire a projectile.-- rcarty, Jun 01 2013 This thing is completely unsafe.
By disabling the front brake you lose the vast majority of your stopping power. Let me know when you have a version that replaces the rear brake.-- MechE, Jun 01 2013 Ok how about crossbow bike. On this bike you are stradeling a crossbow or trebuchet. Activating the rear break turns a winch that draws back the bow. An arrow located in the crosstube is released from a standing or riding position.
This brake winch is simply designed by connecting a pully to the wheel hub, that once engaged by braking action pulls the bowcord taut, priming the bow. The system would look like a disk brake but would be braking directly onto the hub.-- rcarty, Jun 01 2013 I propose a powered ramp going down (or possibly up?), giving the ones using braking an extra boost. Probably the engine out of a Dodge Viper would be about right.-- not_morrison_rm, Jun 02 2013 I can see the harm in that. Good idea.-- rcarty, Jun 02 2013 Keep mad men busy with something other then bombs.-- popbottle, Jun 02 2013 The problem here is that one must move to fire blades. The bike needs a flywheel powered by a separate derailleur, spun up to speed and then used for blade firing.
If there were a way to dump the flywheel energy into the bike wheels that would be nice too as one could lay rubber. I think that idea has been around a long time.
Rcarty you could road test this concept using popsicles dropped longways over the handlebars onto the moving front wheel.
Maybe this concept is more suitable for a motorcycle. Roadwarrior style! You could have a beautiful sidekick whom you will foresightedly require to wear a helmet. You could make the knives out of hunks of rebar. You could sharpen them yourselves as you rode the lonely roads, dragging them along the road beside you until your glove began to smoke. Yes, yes. Except in this version the dog lives.-- bungston, Jun 02 2013 Like the original Roadwarrior film - No Limit, bikes, crashes, a beautiful girl, ukuleles ..... But no dog, from memory.-- not_morrison_rm, Jun 02 2013 random, halfbakery