Virtual Capstan

[Ron Nossaman]

>It also makes the decision that the leverage doesn't change. By 
>translating the uplift at the magnets to their actual force applied at the 
>capstan, we simplify things considerably.

But the leverage of the loading has changed, by the addition of the mass 
and repulsion of the magnets at different points than were loaded prior to 
the magnets being added. I just, as you said, translated the loading to the 
original points for clarity and simplicity.


>Two things I see the magnets doing here: reducing friction at the capstan, 
>and reducing the load at the capstan.

That is what Isaac was getting at, I think, but I don't really know how 
significant the friction reduction is compared to the leverage changes.


>Ron, are you saying that the installation and operation of these magnets 
>affects inertia simply by the addition of their mass to the rotating parts?

Of course, just like adding mass to any other rotating part in an action 
adds inertia.


>Or do they affect inertia in other ways?

There are other ways?


>We got maybe a hundred monkeys on this thing, and that's what you're 
>working on.

Not me. I've confronted pretty much all the monkeys I'm currently prepared 
to hunt with the outlining of the basic "why" concepts of the leverage. The 
bulk of the rest will consist of building an action or two and trying them 
out on real world pianists to see if they fly. I'll pass that back to the 
inventor for R&D.


>Thanks to you and Ric for carrying this thing so far.

It ain't even out of the gate yet.