How to move a small 6"x4"x3" box shaped light-weight carriage on a
tubular track? This track will be overhead or side wall mounted. The
tubular track dia may be 3/4" to 1" and length 20 metres max. Power
should be A/C but safety issues are paramount. The speed will be
4'/sec. max to 4"/sec. min. Any ready-made solution, (but with little
tweaking needed), is welcome.

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Clarification of Question by kamal_61-ga on 27 Aug 2005 05:28 PDT

The tubular track may also run 90 deg bent.

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Clarification of Question by kamal_61-ga on 27 Aug 2005 19:19 PDT

Dear Khoel-ga
The idea is the box not the track. Imagine this track on a shed, U
shaped, rigid, suspended overhead total length 20 metres. Tubular or
other, shape doesn't matter really.

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Clarification of Question by kamal_61-ga on 30 Aug 2005 09:51 PDT

i tried the same earlier, just a 10ft chain driven Box on a track. But
the chain is slackening & bulky. I'm looking for something slimmer.
Thanks anyway

Can you send a link to give a picture for what the tubular track looks like? Thanks

If the track isn't the concern, it seems simple to just purchase a
small electric garage door opener.  It would then be remotely operated
and moves at a somewhat slow but adjustable speed, depending on the
motor size of the garage door opening.  The motor just moves a chain
to open the garage door, to modify for your use, run the chain through
the tubular track.  Then purchase a clamp that matches the shape of
your tubing and will slide along the outside of the tubing.  Place the
mount on the tubing, hang the box from the bottom of the mount, this
mounting has many possibilities, and connect the part of the chaing
running through the tubular track to the clamp as well. From the
description given, this is about the best I can do.  I've listed one
of many links for garage door openers below.  The problem of how to
mount the box is largely dependent on the clamp that slides along the
track, which is dependent on the design of the track itself.  However,
all in all, this is not very expensive and friggin' remote operated!
Hope this helps!

Grr. Here is the link for a group of chain drive garage door openers,
they could possibly be found cheaper elsewhere, but this offers good
descriptions.

http://www.liftmaster.com/cw/product_family/0,4027,uid-iWiLbmFgaHBoZA==_1089-id-1,00.html

P.s. for the bent track, you would have to cut a small piece out of
the trach in the bend and mount a small gear or wheel for the chain to
ride on, but it should still work fine with a little engineering
tweaking.

What do you think of my idea? I'm interested to know how it will work for you.
Thanks!