8-Ball Drawbridge Lift: a K'nex Ball Machine Lift

Here are the instructions for 1 of the 3 lifts that I designed for my ball machine Ribdul. I designed the 8-Ball Drawbridge Lift as an expansion for Sandroknexmaster's Separating Arm Lift, but you can use this lift by itself. Also, the 8-Ball Drawbridge Lift's drive gearbox contains www139's reversible transmission, in my custom frame. The 8-Ball Drawbridge Lift is my most complicated lift, so be sure to follow the instructions carefully. In addition, the version I present here is slightly better than the one on Ribdul; this version features a set of moving gates that prevent balls from entering the lift when they shouldn't.

Click here to se the video, which I am unfortunately unable to post on Instructables.

You will start by building the lift's 8 entrance tracks (and some supporting frame).

The gates prevent balls from entering the lift when they shouldn't.

In this step, you will build the mechanism that loads balls into the arm.

Now it's time to build more of the lift's frame.

This gearbox transfers the force of the arm pressing on a lever to the gates and loader mechanism.

You must do more things to the entrance gearbox before you can mount it. In this step, you will do those things.

It's finally time to mount the entrance gearbox (and build some supporting frame).

If you want to use a gray motor to power the lift, follow this step to build the gray motor's mount.

If you want to use a green motor to power the lift, follow this step to build the green motor's mount.

In this step, you will start building the gearbox that drives the lift.

In this step, you will finish building the gearbox that drives the lift.

Now you will build more of the lift's frame.

The dismounter mechanism knocks balls off of the arm and onto the exit tracks.

In this step, you will thread the chain through the lift.

It's finally time to build the lift's arm.

All the lift needs now is exit tracks. In this step, you will build the exit tracks.

I designed this lift as an expansion for Sandroknexmaster's Separating Arm Lift, but you can use the 8-Ball Drawbridge Lift by itself. For example, you could run 8 different paths through this lift to give all of them a bit more height. And if you decide to use this lift along with the Separating Arm Lift, you don't have to connect them exactly like I did on Ribdul. For example, you could put the 2 lifts on opposite sides of your ball machine and connect them with long tracks.