Donald
F. Wilkes: Rolamite
The first (or second, after Bellocq's
wave-pump) new mechanical principle discovered in the 20th century
"Frictionless
Machines from Rollers & Bands"
by Harry Walton
As basic as the lever or pulley,
the simple concept called "Rolamite" promises a revolution in mechanical
design.
Popular Science (March 1966)
What's a Rolamite? It looks like
a simple gadget made with two rollers and a steel band, but it's much more.
As basic as the wheel, the lever, or the hinge, it is the only elementary
machine discovered this century. Its use will be widespread --- in everything
from switches, thermostats, and valves to pumps and clutches, and as almost
frictionless bearings.
The Rolamite concept is the invention
of Donald F. Wilkes, a Sandia Corp. engineer who was studying a suspensions
system made with a bent elastic band fastened to opposing surfaces in an
S shape. He found that the center of the loop could be moved horizontally
with amazingly little resistance (To try it, clamp one end of a steel tape
to a table and another section to a ruler held horizontally above it).
But the band can provide no positive
mechanical action. In a flash of genius, Wilkes inserted two rollers, large
enough to overlap and so key themselves in, and the Rolamite principle
was born. The rollers may move in a fixed frame or one of the horizontal
frame members may move on the rollers, travel being limited by the length
of the band.
clipped from: www.rexresearch.com