| Crank Whimsy is a complex of mechanical units in Roger Parks Middle school in Anchorage Alaska. The space for this piece was a kind of a triangle, where a couple of corridors intersected. In this space I installed three floor sculptures with crank flywheels. Shafting ran to a reduction gear which lead to the wall where some figure would be activated.
Part of the requirements of the commission was for as much of the mechanics be visible as possible. The intention here was to offset the electronic age the students are confronted with every day and show how things work through simple mechanics.
There were a few independent pieces as well, including a hallway piece. The materials were painted wood and the mechanics were primarily chain and sprocket. All the action was either by means of a fast return actuator or a scotch yoke. It took over a year to make this complex.
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There are three of these sculptures in a row. When the fly wheel is turned, the shafts turn the thing on top which is just decorative and a shaft leads to the wall where one figure is activated.
The sculptures are made of welded aluminum and wood. There is a seat in front of each one.
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This sculpture activates the school of fish being chased by the big bitem. All the small fish move up and down.
On the bitem all the aluminum fins move back and forth, the tail moves up and down and the jaws open and close.
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This view gives you a better idea of how the floor sculptures are clustered together. The right sculpture activates the "bug" on the wall that you can see in this picture. |
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| The bitem has aluminum fins, top and bottom that move back and forth. the jaws open and close by means of a scotch yoke. The tail wags up and down. |
All the fish are connected and moved by means of sprockets and chain. The eye is the pivot point for the fish. |
This view of the cricket shows the gear box, sprockets and chain that make the legs of the cricket move. Part of the requirements of the commission was for as much of the mechanics be visible as possible. |
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| The cricket is moved by the floor sculpture. The legs go up and down, the wings move back and forth and the antennae move in and out. |
The but is moved by the right floor sculpture. The eyes, roll, the tongue moves in and out and all six legs move up and down. |
At the entry to the school, near the office is a 4' x 8' piece with several moving features, each with its own crank. |
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| The figure in the center is the back and forth bitem which operates on and double scotch yoke mechanism. Turning the crank in the center makes one set legs move forward and the jaws open and the reverse on the other side. |
There are 36 moose that rock up and down when the crank is turned. They are all connected by chain and sprocket.
I saw this something like hand operated marquee lighting, twinkling and flashing.
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There are three things here. Turning the crank in the center makes the bird wings move up and down and the head moves back and forth.
The figure in the center is a worm that has segments of alternating fast return activators and scotch yoke mechanisms.
The figures below that are piston figures. The heads pop up and down as the scotch yoke mechanism at the bottom moves them. All these are also activated by chain and sprockets.
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