Minifigure Escalator
A motorized escalator mechanism at a LEGO minifigure scale. A prototype that doesn’t work fully as intended due to LEGO pieces weighing too little.
Datasheet:
Completion date: 25/10/2023
Power: electric (Power Functions)
Remote control: none
Propulsion: 1 x PF M motor geared 9:1
Motors: 1 x PF M motor
A partially working concept for a motorized escalator at a LEGO minifigure scale. While LEGO makes escalator pieces at this scale, they are essentially just chains, meaning that the steps are fixed and they don’t fold flat on top or bottom of the escalator. I wanted to try building a full S-shaped escalator with correct geometry, where the steps fold flat at the ends and raise in the middle.
I have used a chain of beams connected by axles, with additional connectors forming base for the steps. Each step was a 2×6 plate, inverted to get correct geometry below. The idea was that each step was free to rotate on the chain and two cheese slopes below it, by coming in contact with guiding beams, would raise it when needed and let it drop flat when the beams did no longer come in contact with them. This mostly worked, but the issue was that the steps were only raised a little, not to a fully horizontal orientation, because their very low weight did not generate enough friction between the cheese slopes and the guiding beams. If there was a way to make each step significantly heavier, the concept would very likely work, but I was unable to come up with solution that would work at such a limited scale.
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