Running head: FORCE INVESTIGATION 1

Test Procedure: Force Investigation

Group 2

Babcock, Chaisson, Clark, Fitzell, Urrea, Xue

Severna Park High School

3 February 2018
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Table of Contents

Force Analysis 3
Authors 3
Group Members 3
Testing Date 3
Testing Location 3
Purpose 3
Initial Conditions 3
Materials 3
Pass or Fail Criteria 4
Pass. 4
Fail. 4
Procedures 4
Safety Considerations 4
Data 5
Data Collection Graph 5
Data 5
Results 5
Discussion of Results 5
Expert Feedback 6
Recommendations 6

Appendix A 7
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Force Analysis

Authors

Virginia Babcock and Josie Urrea, Group 2

Group Members

Alex Chaisson, Garrison Clark, Mary Fitzell, Feiyu Xue

Testing Date

12/11/18-12/13/18

Testing Location

Room 321, Severna Park High School, 60 Robinson Rd., Severna Park, MD, 21146

Purpose

To measure the amount of force required to fully stop rotating rollator wheel, spinning at

2,800 rpm, within 1 second.

Initial Conditions

Completed braking system prototype, installed correctly (see Appendix A, Diagrams

A.-D.), clean flat surface for testing, power drill has been fully charged, pulley system fully

configured and attached, platform created and secured to the raised rollator wheel.

Materials

● Data table (see Appendix A, Table A.)

● Testing caliper brake model

○ Caliper brake (Girl’s Schwinn 20’’ Purple Bike)

○ Tongue and groove pliers

○ 9/16” Allen wrench

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○ Metal file

○ LiftMaster 41A5047 Door bracket

○ Boltmaster Perforated Angle 1¼” x 1¼” x 6”

○ 1¾” Bolt

○ 2” Bolt

● Rotation device

○ BOSCH 18 volt impact driver Power drill

○ Socket drill bit attachment

○ 13 mm Socket wrench attachment

● Rollator (ProBasics Bantex Transport Rollator)

● Clean flat surface (in this test, linoleum was used)

● Digital caliper

● Imperial measuring tape

● Scissors

● Wooden Plank Attachment (See Appendix A, Diagram C.)

○ (1) 1x2 wooden plank (5” long)

○ 2’ of nylon rope 3/16”

○ (1) EISCO Labs pulley with diameter of 55mm

○ Drill Punch

○ (5) zip ties

● (3) 2x6 wood planks (18” long)

● Vernier Software & Technology Force Sensor

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● Vernier LabPro LoggerPro

● Computer equipped with LoggerPro software

● Pulley System

○ (2) 40 mm diameter Welch Scientific Triple Sheave Hooked Pulleys

○ (1) Welch Scientific Nylon Pulley Cord

○ 4’ nylon rope 3/16”

○ Masses

■ (1) 500 g mass

■ (4) 1 kg masses

■ (1) 5 kg mass

Pass or Fail Criteria

Pass.

Device brakes will fully end rotation of the rollator wheel within 1 second or less when

282 N or less of force is applied to the caliper brakes.

Fail.

Device brakes will not fully end rotation of the rollator wheel within 1 second when 282

N of force or less is applied to the caliper brakes.

Procedures

1. Place the rollator wheel that is parallel to the wheel with the brake onto the platform that

raises the wheel with the caliper brake in front (See Appendix A, Image A. and Image B.)

2. Configure pulley system (see Appendix A, Diagram B. and Instructions B.).

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3. Attach wooden plank (see Appendix A, Instructions D. and Diagram D.) to rollator

handle Point A (see Appendix A, Image C.) Refer to Instructions C for threading pulley.

4. Attach rotation device (see Appendix A, Instructions E.) to rollator wheel.

5. Tie the nylon cord to the rollator handle (Point H, on Diagram D., see Appendix A.) and

secure tightly with a double knot.

6. Attach LabPro to computer and force sensor to LabPro as per manufacturer's instructions.

Run LoggerPro program on computer.

7. Zero force sensor attached to pulley system at Point B (see Appendix A, Diagram B.).

8. From a height level to that of the fixed handle (see Appendix A, Point A. of Image C.),

thread the nylon rope through the handles of the plastic bag such that it will be secure

when dropped. While holding the bag at handle height (Point B., Image C.) , gently place

weight corresponding to test interval inside bag.

9. Turn power drill on and set speed to no load at 2,800 rpm.

10. Hold weight parallel to Point A (see Appendix A, Image C.). Have one person start the

LoggerPro measurements, after waiting a few seconds, drop weighted bag. Once wheel

has come to a complete stop (as indicated when the LoggerPro software stops graphing),

record time and force sensor readings, both listed in the LoggerPro program, in

respective columns in Table A. (See Appendix A Test Data). The mechanical advantage

of the pulley system is 5, which translates to the measured force being five times smaller

than the actual applied force. Calculate the actual force by multiplying the force reading

by 5, and record in respective column in table.

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11. Repeat steps 8-11 with the different weight amounts as outlined in Table A (see

Appendix A). Repeat trials as needed.

12. Once all trials have been completed and quantitative data recorded, analyze whether each

trial passed/failed the outlined pass/fail criteria. Record results in Table A (see Appendix

A.).

Safety Considerations

● Pinching one’s hand in the caliper brakes is a potential safety hazard. Be sure to keep

hands clear of the brakes.

● Ensure that when the wheel is raised during testing, the device remains in place and

stable to prevent possible falls.

● Reckless force application and wheel rotation could cause injury. Ensure that designated

amounts of force are correctly applied to be certain all parts remain on the device testing

model.

● When turning the rollator wheels, be aware of scraping, scratches, cuts and burns that

could occur if touching the moving wheel during testing while it is in motion. Keep hands

and other body parts away from the moving parts when possible.

● Using careful protection measures when using tools (i.e. eyewear) to prevent possible

injury to eyes.

● Follow proper safety instructions when utilizing power tools such as the power drill and

the drill punch. Be sure to keep all body parts safely away from moving components and

blades. Follow manufacturer’s instructions when operating machinery.

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● Be aware that falling weights can be injurious. Use caution when dropping the weights

during the test and handling otherwise.

Data

The test will produce quantitative data, and is measuring the amount of force required to

completely stop the rotation of the rollator wheel within 1 second.

Data Collection Graph

Refer to Appendix A, Table A.

Data

Refer to Appendix A Test Data, Graph A. and Table A.

Results

Pass. The device ​brakes fully ended rotation of the rollator wheel within ​1​ second or less when

282 N​ or less of force applied to the caliper brake with each trial.

Discussion of Results

The data showed that the device is able to pass the stated pass criteria with a large margin of

error. The data obtained from the test was very consistent and all intervals tested were far under

the average amount of force necessary, indicating that the brakes are able to engage with less

force than originally thought. It is accurate and repeatable because the variables were minimized,

with the only independent variable being the mass applied. The lower limit of the force was

unable to be tested because of material malfunction (the plastic bag used for holding the weight

broke). Other methods of weight attachment were attempted but as safety was a priority, further

attempts were not made. The environment of the test also did not encompass the possible

environments that the rollator could be exposed to, which could differently affect the braking
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ability of the system. The data implies that the braking system is able to stop the rotating tires in

less than a second with varying degrees of force under 282 N because the device performed

successfully.

Expert Feedback

● Use a separate sensor, an accelerometer, to determine when rotation has stopped.

● Use a force sensor with a higher capacity for force measurement so that the pulley system

is not needed and mechanical advantage need not be calculated and factored in.

● A variable speed drill could be used to test for more speed conditions.

Recommendations

Based on the test results, in future iterations, more trials of the test would be performed to

produce a more accurate spectrum of results. To obtain more accurate results in the future, a

force sensor that can detect a greater range of forces rather than being limited by a 50 N cap and

requiring a system with a greater mechanical advantage in order to read the force would be used.

In the future, the device would be tested until the minimum value of force is found, unfortunately

that was not able to be found at the time of testing because some materials failed and prevented

further testing. A bag of stronger, yet lightweight material could be used such that the device

could be tested for more intervals. Using a variable speed drill in the future could allow for more

speed conditions to be tested and to produce a broader overview of how the brakes adjust with

different speeds.
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Appendix A

Image A.
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Image B.
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Image C.
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Image D.

Diagram A.
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Diagram B.

Diagram C.
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Diagram D.

Instructions A.

1. Insert 1-¾” inch bolt through liftmaster bolt bracket onto the leg of the rollator to bend

around the leg at Point D (Diagram A.).

2. Connect the liftmaster bolt bracket to the 1-¼” x 1-¼” x 6” boltmaster perforated angle

with a 2” bolt at Point E (Diagram A.).

3. Connect the second boltmaster perforated angle 1-7/16” below the head of the 2” bolt at

Point F (Diagram A.).

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4. Insert caliper brake through bottom holes of both boltmaster perforated angles at Point G

(Diagram A.).

5. Adjust brake pads to squeeze along the inner lining of the wheel.

(Note: File down caliper brake pads to ⅜” using metal file.)

Instructions B.

1. Using the connecting hooks, hang the two Welch Scientific pulleys in tandem vertically

(Diagram B.).

2. Have one participant hold the top hook of the first pulley.

3. Using Welch Scientific Pulley Cord, thread it through the pulleys (Diagram B.) as shown,

leaving at least an inch of slack coming from either side of the cord such that it can be

attached.

4. Using the 2 extra feet of nylon rope before the first pulley, tie point A of the pulley

system (the end of the nylon rope) to point B of the rollator handle. Secure with a double

knot.

Instructions C.

1. Take second nylon length and tie one end to point B on the rollator handle (Image C.). Be

sure to double knot it and have the knot facing upwards.

2. Attach wood plank/pulley system (Instructions D.) to rollator handle as shown (Diagram

D.).

3. Run the free end of the nylon rope through the single pulley and over the rollator handle.

4. Measure distance from the handle Point A, (Image C.) to flat surface. Record in Table A.
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Instructions D.

1. Using the drill punch, cut an 18x10x18mm divot into the center of the 1x2x5’’ wooden

plank (Diagram C.)

2. Using the two zip ties, secure the wooden plank onto Point A of the rollator handle

(Image C.). One zip tie should be placed on either side of the divot (Diagram D.).

3. Place the EISCO Labs pulley with diameter of 55mm into the divot (Diagram D.) and

string the nylon rope through the pulley until the string hangs over the rollator handle at

Point A (Image C.).

Instructions E.

1. Attach socket drill bit as directed by manufacturer’s instructions.

2. Attach socket wrench attachment to drill bit as per manufacturer’s instructions.

3. Afix socket to center bolt of rollator wheel (Point C. on Image D.). Do not turn on power

until all safety considerations are followed and the timer is prepared.

Appendix A Test Data

Table A.

kg Time to completely Force Sensor Reading True Applied Criteria Test

stop (seconds): (Force Tension) (N): Force (N): (Pass/Fail):

5 0.10 4.760 23.80 pass

5 0.14 4.420 22.10 pass

4 0.18 4.343 21.72 pass

3 0.12 3.778 18.89 pass

2.5 0.12 3.741 18.71 pass

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Note: In column 4, to calculate the true applied force, multiply the Force Sensor Reading

(column 3) by the mechanical advantage, 5, due to the pulley system. In order to determine

whether the device passed or failed the test, refer to Pass/Fail Criteria. If the calculated force

applied (after multiplying by 5 to find the true force) is at or under 282 N, and the time to

completely stop is equal to or less than 1 second, the device has passed. If one or both of these

criteria are not met, the trial failed.

Graph A.