A Mechanical Automata Box

Have you ever wanted a simple, easy to assemble creation that can offset your boredom? If so, this project is for you! This project is a custom automata box that converts rotational motion into linear motion by making the follower rods reciprocate on a linear axis depending on the cam shapes and sizes. It is easy to manipulate to your desires as the basic motion of converting rotational motion into linear motion will always stay the same. The version chosen in this build is a flower automata where, as the handle is turned, each flower will go up and down at different speeds and lengths. The first attached file is the fusion 360 interactive model of this project, where you can understand the design and how the parts attach to each other through the animation tab. The second attached file is the .f3z file in case you would like to make your own customized version.

The automata box requires twenty-one total pieces to function from the axle to the handle and cams.

The materials list is as follows for this 6 in. X 4 in. X 4 in. (only box dimensions) custom version:

1. 1/4-inch wide wooden rod cut into different pieces ( 1 X 7.75 in. piece, 1 X 1.375 in. piece, 3 X 3.75 in. pieces)
2. 1/4-inch wooden sheet that is at least 12 in. X 16 in. (Medium-Density Fiberboard recommended)
3. Painter's Tape
4. Wood Glue
5. Sandpaper (220-grit and 400-grit)
6. Optional: Acrylic Paint (A small set is sufficient)
7. Optional: 2x pieces of cardboard (6 in. X 2 in.), 2x pieces of cardboard (4 in. X 2 in.)
8. Optional: One piece of brown paper (6 in. X 4 in.)

Download the attached file and upload to a laser printer to cut out the shapes shown in the file. All the shapes are shown on a single 12 in. X 16 in. sheet. Lines to cut are represented as red lines while lines to engrave are represented as black lines. The wood thickness should be set to 1/4 in. to match the 1/4 in. wooden rods.

Assemble the pieces by following the 3D models in the attached images. Pay attention to the orientation of each piece according to the 3D models. It is recommended that the top flat piece is not glued on initially to allow for easy adjustments later on. Use painter's tape to support structures that are being glued together. Use the interactive automata fusion 360 file attached below or in the introduction to assist you in the process if needed.

Steps

1. Attach the base plate, back plate, and the two side plates to each other with wood glue, letting it dry for at least 15-30 minutes.
2. Attach the 7.75 in. wooden rod piece as the axle that goes through the two holes on the side plates. DO NOT GLUE THE AXLE AT ALL. Put a washer on the opposite side for reference but do not glue it yet as you have to attach the cams.
3. Glue the pear-shaped handle onto the opposite end of the axle (opposite from the washer in the previous step). Also attach the 1.375 in. wooden rod piece as the turning point on the handle.
4. Put the top plate on the entire build. DO NOT GLUE IT YET, as you should only tape it to the other pieces for now. Use the top plate as a guide to line up the different cams on the axle and glue these cams on. (Order of the cams does not matter but the cams MUST be aligned with the holes or else the build will not work well. The way the snail cam is put on will determine the way the handle can be turned.)
5. Glue the washer opposite of the pear handle in the axle mentioned in Step 2. Then, glue the washers on the top of the top plate, making sure to align them with the holes so that the follower rods can smoothly reciprocate up and down.
6. Put 3 of the 3.75 in. wooden rod pieces in the hole, making sure they are aligned with the cams on the axles. Do not glue these at all as they are free moving parts. Once the followers and cams are properly aligned, glue the top plate from steps 4-5 to the top of the build, making sure the washers are facing up and not the cams.
7. Attach the flowers to the top of the follower rods mentioned in step 6 with glue. Use tape to hold up the structure as necessary. Let this dry for at least 30 minutes.

You can leave the box as is now but if you want to, paint the flowers and the followers to your desires to portray actual colorful flowers with stems. To fully get the garden flower automata, add a garden enclosure by cutting out cardboard and painting it brown to create a "fence" around the top of the automata. Adding a rectangular brown paper cut to the dimensions of the fence to create soil can further mimic a garden. Cut out holes on the brown paper to let the followers still reciprocate up and down.

The Garden Automata has been built! SLOWLY turn the handle on the right side either clockwise or counterclockwise to figure out which way the box can spin. If a follower is stopped by the snail cam with the drop, understand that it can only be spun the opposite way so that the follower does not jam up and damage itself. In my automata box, the snail cam (red cam) was put in a way so that I can only spin my handle in a clockwise direction because if I try to spin it the other way, the long drop will block my follower from traveling. Your automata box should function similarly to the one in the video, where the rotational motion is converted to linear motion. Feel free to customize the box to your liking!

If the automata does not work smoothly, it may be because:

1. The cams and followers are misaligned.
2. The followers are getting stuck on the cams.
3. Glue has been in contact with the axles, causing them to jam.

To fix these problems:

1. Align the cams and followers more accurately by using a ruler or a flat object to perfectly guide them.
2. Use sand paper to smooth out the cams so that the followers do not get stuck on the cams. If this does not work, cut out three extra washers to attach to the end of the follower rods that are in contact with the cams. Make sure to sand these down to create a smooth, rounded edge. You can also sand down the followers as a last resort if they are still stuck. Be careful as to not make the followers too skinny or else it will not follow a linear motion.
3. Remove any extra, unnecessary debris on the axles so that nothing interferes with it.