Rube Goldberg!

On this Page...

• Rube G. Description
• Rube G. Steps
• Rube G. Related Pictures
• Rube G. Log

The Rube Goldberg competition is where different groups compete for design, etc. on a machine. The competition is named after Rube Goldberg, who drew cartoons making a simple task, such as opening a door, into a long and complicated machine.

This year's task (2004) is to make a machine that "Selects, marks, and casts a ballot." It has to have more than 20 steps.
FOR more information regarding the contest itself, please visit their site at http://www.ceas.uwm.edu/rube/.

Recently, in a newspaper's comic section, a similar cartoon was made, see picture below...

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1. Voter pulls spring knob to select chosen candidate.
2. Dowel attached to knob hits marble and sends it down the ramp/chute.
3. Marble hits paddle(s) A, B, and/or C, pulling attached string(s).
4. String(s) cause mousetrap(s) to go off.
5. Mousetrap(s) pull strings, tipping over respective cups of marbles.
6. Marbles fall into tube/tower (4A).
7. Falling marbles trip level (4B), pulling string.
8. String pulls dowel out of loop, releasing guillotine.
9. Guillotine cuts fishing line, allowing weight to drop.
   a.)Weight (4C) falls, stopped by the marbles in tube/tower (4A), and pulls marker to proper height.
   b.) Falling weight also pulls string, releasing a pin that allows weight (5B) to fall.
10. Falling weight turns pulley/shaft (6A).
11. Pulley turns gears (6B), dispensing ballot.
12. Dispensing ballot trips marble, which rolls down ramp.
13. Rolling marble triggers mousetrap (G)
14. Mousetrap pulls string, releasing pin (G2) which is holding contraption q in place.
15. Contraption q turns, releasing marble.
16. Marble knocks over dominoes.
17. Falling dominoes trigger rattrap, releasing support block (F2). Boot (F3) swings forward, kicking battering ram (J).
18. Battering ram hits marker
    a.) marking ballot
    b.) pulling string
19. String triggers mousetrap (F5) which pulls a string that releases door (K).
20. Marbles in tube/tower fall into funnel (D).
21. Falling marbles land in basket, pulling string that releasing pin (D).
22. Ballot is deposited into ballot box.

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Rube Goldberg Project Log.

January-ish--
Our project is under construction... frames built, plans mostly made.

February 9th--
Meeting, project now has some additions to the marble size detector, and work was done on the marble chute/tower and trapdoor. A plunger and hinge were added to the trapdoor.

February 16th--
Meeting, project now has marble catching basket, minor fixes to the marble triggers, more dowels and glue on the whole marble size detector. Also, the marble tower had some work done, and a magnet idea for the plunger has been tried out.

February 23th--
Meeting, marble size detector worked on, 3 mousetraps glued in place, strings partially attached. Other minor work on this part. The marble tower/chute has been worked on as well, with some success.

February 28th--
Saturday Practice, marble size detector worked on (again), 3 mousetraps reglued, put on a board, still troublesome. Tube placed for the marbles to be stored in, to later roll from and into the marble tower thing. Points updated, and other misc. work.

March 6th--
We suspended the marble chute on fishing line. We also removed the marble size detector, and began replacing it with a tower funnel idea. We also added the rat trap, "submarine" (home-made mouse trap type thing), and the (uncle) guillotine. Also, other misc work was done.

March 8th--
We mostly worked on the CD case tower thing, getting the cases cut with a hole for marbles to fall through, and put the removable funnels on them.

March 13th--
We finished most of the work on the cd case tower. We also worked on the magnet and solenoid wiring, and have it mostly working. The aptly named "submarine 2" was made to drop a marble from the trigger for large marble. Tinkertoys used all over for triggers. Trigger #3 (mousetrap) placed on base, and an extension and marble shields were added. Other misc. work done as well.

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