Analogue Through Rose Tints

On Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:08:31 +0100, Bill Wright
wrote:


OK, let's have a little bit of fun.

I shagged x, who has been shagged by y, where y is a famous person.

Nothing quite like that, but in the late 1950s/early 1960s we had a
new ice cream man who had been my mother's boyfriend in the 1940s.
Then in the 1970s I met someone who, coincidentally, worked for the
company where my mother had worked, also in the 1940s; it turned out
that he visited the office once whilst on military leave, and took my
mother out on a date.
Then I worked with a woman who said that when she was at university
(1960s I think) she shagged a fellow student in a car who later
became an MP; sadly she wouldn't say who it was.

"Peter Duncanson" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 08 Apr 2012 12:24:08 +0100, Steve Thackery
wrote:

Max Demian wrote:

More annoying (to me) were the toy cars with 'friction drive'. Actually
powered by the kinetic energy of a flywheel.

Yes! Isn't that weird? How on earth that term came into use I can't
imagine.

Strange isn't it?

"Friction" might just be a reference to the friction between the wheels
and the ground when the mechanism is powered up by moving the carby
hand.

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how-does_51999...ars-work_.html

I've never seen a 'friction' car with a spring.

That article looks like a feeble attempt to justify the misnaming.

*All* powered wheeled vehicles rely in friction between the tyres and the
ground to go along. For that matter walking requires friction to avoid
slipping, screws use friction to stay tight, and so do knots.

Friction is so ubiquitous in the drive of vehicles that it's hardly worth
mentioning; it's the *source* of motion that's significant, whether electric
motor, internal combustion, steam, or, in this case, a flywheel (or spring
in the ones in the article).

--
Max Demian

"Peter Johnson" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:08:31 +0100, Bill Wright
wrote:

OK, let's have a little bit of fun.

I shagged x, who has been shagged by y, where y is a famous person.

Nothing quite like that, but in the late 1950s/early 1960s we had a
new ice cream man who had been my mother's boyfriend in the 1940s.
Then in the 1970s I met someone who, coincidentally, worked for the
company where my mother had worked, also in the 1940s; it turned out
that he visited the office once whilst on military leave, and took my
mother out on a date.

I thought you were going to say that you indirectly shagged your mother.

--
Max Demian

Peter Duncanson wrote:

The drive spring of a friction-driven toy car is wound when the back
wheels of the car are pushed backwards against a high-friction
surface. Carpet, or even a wood floor, can work very well as a
friction source, spinning the wheels backward and winding the
spring. Glass or a wet surface work less well, failing to provide
enough friction to move the wheels. In essence, the wheels and axle
of a spring-driven friction toy car are being used in the same way
as a winder for an old mechanical clock.

That article completely misconstrues the situation. The type of car
they're talking about - where you pull it backwards a few inches to
wind the spring, and then let it go - are far more recent than the
"friction cars" of my youth, which used a gear train and flywheel to
store the energy.

In fact, these newer types with the spring aren't normally called
"friction cars" as far as I know.

It goes without saying that EVERY vehicle with wheel drive relies on
friction between the wheels and the surface. It's simply nonsense to
imply that this is something peculiar to friction cars.

I think the person who wrote the article doesn't know what they are
talking about. They are describing a type of toy that is far more
recent that the traditional toys with "friction engines".

--
SteveT

"Steve Thackery" wrote in message
...
Peter Duncanson wrote:

The drive spring of a friction-driven toy car is wound when the back
wheels of the car are pushed backwards against a high-friction
surface. Carpet, or even a wood floor, can work very well as a
friction source, spinning the wheels backward and winding the
spring. Glass or a wet surface work less well, failing to provide
enough friction to move the wheels. In essence, the wheels and axle
of a spring-driven friction toy car are being used in the same way
as a winder for an old mechanical clock.

That article completely misconstrues the situation. The type of car
they're talking about - where you pull it backwards a few inches to wind
the spring, and then let it go - are far more recent than the "friction
cars" of my youth, which used a gear train and flywheel to store the
energy.

In fact, these newer types with the spring aren't normally called
"friction cars" as far as I know.

It goes without saying that EVERY vehicle with wheel drive relies on
friction between the wheels and the surface. It's simply nonsense to
imply that this is something peculiar to friction cars.

I think the person who wrote the article doesn't know what they are
talking about. They are describing a type of toy that is far more recent
that the traditional toys with "friction engines".

I've never seen a toy car as described in the article. I would have thought
that it would go forward rather less that it was pulled back - which doesn't
sound much fun, unless the mechanism is a lot more complicated than implied,
i.e. with different gearing for the backward pull that when it is going
forward.

--
Max Demian

Max Demian wrote:

I've never seen a toy car as described in the article. I would have
thought that it would go forward rather less that it was pulled back -
which doesn't sound much fun, unless the mechanism is a lot more
complicated than implied, i.e. with different gearing for the backward
pull that when it is going forward.

Dead right. The mechanism is ingenious. Pulling it backwards switches
the ratio in the gearbox so you can fully wind the spring over just a
few inches.

When it starts to run forwards, the ratio switches back and you get a
few feet of running distance.

Even better, in the forward direction it has a free wheel, such that
even when the spring has run down the car continues for ages.

I've got one he on my vinyl floors, if I pull the car back six
inches it whizzes off and travels the full length of my living room.

You really must buy one (or some). :-)

--
SteveT

If you told me that all digital broadcasts were to be switched off in 12 months and replaced with analogue, I would be extremely upset.

Though that probably has more to do with EPGs and the ease of timeshifting, recording remotely, pausing live TV etc. than picture quality (although I mostly watch HD, which is a factor too).

Charlie