Motor and limit switches.

[John Schiavone Jr]

An easy question for all of you out there.

For next Halloween, my wife wanted to hang a ghost from the porch. She
would like it hooked to a motor and some limit switches. The ghost would
come down to the trick-or-treater hit a limit switch and then reverse
itself. What is th esimpliest/easiest way to do this. I don't have much
experience with this. Thanks.

John

 

[Terry Pinnell]

An easy question for all of you out there.

For next Halloween, my wife wanted to hang a ghost from the porch. She
would like it hooked to a motor and some limit switches. The ghost would
come down to the trick-or-treater hit a limit switch and then reverse
itself. What is th esimpliest/easiest way to do this. I don't have much
experience with this. Thanks.

John

Here's a circuit, with full notes.
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Images/AutoMotorExtremes.gif

It was originally used in my Window Opener many years ago, but has
various applications. You haven't said, but I assume you want the
ghost to operate once (down and up) at the flick of a switch, rather
than constantly. But in either case it should be relatively easy to
adapt from the circuit shown. Note that at its simplest it uses just a
SPDT relay (of appropriate voltage and current rating), two normally
closed microswitches, and an operating switch. For longer lengths of
lightweight wiring you might prefer to add a transistor trigger
circuit, as shown. (In my case that went from a bedside switch to the
heavy motor unit near the window.) Or, in some cases, you might want
to trigger the effect electronically (e.g. by sound, light, a door
opening, etc.)

P.S "For next Halloween, my wife wanted..."
^^^^^^
Why the past tense? Was that just one request too many? <g>