Making the tiny changes needed to refine the Vectr working model is a challenge… especially when working out of my home with ordinary tools.
The latest improvement made has been to the gear segments on the base plate. There was a recurring issue with the segments tilting as they slid horizontally across their channels, resulting in sticking. I have further simplified the design by replacing the original half inch square gear slides with two bolts. The original spring that biased the locking pin to keep it in place will be replaced by a strong elastic band which will be smaller and more reliable. The advantage of the new design is that it eliminates three small parts and results in tighter movement. I anticipate that this will bring production costs down even more.
One gear segment in channel of transparent plastic base plate, affixed by double bolts. The actual prototype will be steel.
VECTr - Variably Expanding Chain Transmission 