Brandson Roy Thornson – Grassroots Mechanic Movement

Quantified Backlash Drive Coupler

8/11/2024

Quantified Backlash Drive:

We have been testing the Quantified Backlash Drive (QBD) coupler for over a month now. Running the PIE 6.0 with 2 motors and the QBD keeping the synchronization within the working spec has resulted in a PIE that has minimal vibration, near constant thrust, reduced noise, low power usage, and excellent performance.

Actual thrust has not been measured, since this has been about the QBD design. The PIE 6.0 uses the rotating assemblies from the PIE 4 machine so thrust was never expected to exceed that of the PIE 4.

Thinking about the video presentation with Roy Thornson presenting his last design which was intended to go in an airplane to assist propulsion and even be the primary propulsive force eventually, we can see exactly why it never made it “off the ground”. In the video and in the very few photos available we can see there are 4 rotating wheels connected by roller chain, or timing belt, to a central motor drive hub.

Along with several other things that Roy never got figured out (to the best of our knowledge), Roy was unaware of the negative effect of reducing speed in the range of 90 degrees before the mass reaches “apex”. We reach this supposition because he did not use any kind of Speed Differential Control (SDC) system, so the rotating speed (RPM) input was constant. However, if there was a load introduced to the motor as it entered the 90-degree range it would be reasonable to think that the motor’s RPM might have dipped slightly. Even dropping a few rpm (example 150 down to 145) during that phase would be enough to cancel most of the propulsion!

IF Roy had timed the wheels all the same and used only 1 mass (weight) per wheel, it would work. He could have even spread it out amongst the wheels a bit to allow each to come to apex within a 20 to 30 degree range and still had some propulsion, but the only way to get that design to work is with a separate motor for each wheel, or pair of wheels, to attain a maximum of 4 pulses per revolution, AND, keep them synchronized (timed) with a QBD.

This said, it would now be possible to build a replica of his engine that, with the proper modifications, would actually work! — Any Takers? —

PIE 5.0 Becoming a Reality & 1st Picture

So the first successful test of the PIE 5.0 concept is in the books! Although it is only a bench test with one “wheel”, built on the PIE 4’s frame, and sitting on roll pipes, there is no doubt that there is strong forward thrust with reversion at a level of “little to none”.

Adding more weight will definitely increase thrust as seen in experiments completed. An increase of RPM may also increase thrust, but that has not been experimentally confirmed.

So, what is the big deal with the PIE 5.0? No sun gear! No planetary gears! No impact zones! No stops to get broken!

What does this serve to accomplish? Less noise! Less potentially damaging pounding! Longer thrust pulse duration! No need for a pivot point to swing the weight! Virtually no reversion!

The one thing I struggle with is the need to make this work public while also wanting to build a business around it. Conventional thought says that it needs to remain secret, while every fiber of my being screams “make it public”. With guidance from above, I have built this, & with that same guidance will come the reveal.

Below is a photo of the first tested prototype. Much continues to change so more details will be added as work progresses.

Trammel Testing, APEC, PIE Mini

It has been MONTHS since I updated here… A lot has happened in my life and in the shop! For those interested, I have switched gears in my professional life. Since the change is quite dramatic, I have been under some stress “getting in the groove”, but it is a needed change and I’m getting it all figured out.

The PIE X aka Trammel Engine is coming along. Inside it (still not ready to reveal too many details) are some components which were made too weak, but they have been rebuilt and replaced with much more robust pieces! I have experienced some intermittent thrust and have kept moving forward with this as much as possible. I also recently received a much-improved motor and speed controller which is now installed.

A Look at the New Motor

First Run Test

It has become quite evident that as I contact potential business partners and investors, I need a small and lightweight demonstration model which can be taken along to those meetings. With that in mind, I introduce the “PIE Mini”. The PIE Mini is a nearly complete, single weight, working, demo model which is really small and light with plastic gears and a hollow tube instead of a large “wheel”. It’s power source is a super cheap cordless screwdriver from Harbor Freight. Although it is intended to be a portable demonstration device.

I believe it will also be a design which could become the first model of a sellable working model for science minded people everywhere to experiment with.

There are a couple of videos of the PIE Mini on BitChute .

First Test on Wheels

I have also now run a live demo of the Mini at the APEC conference on Feb. 27, 2022. During this presentation I showed that the unit actually needs mass to operate and that is really it’s only environmental prerequisite. I should be posting that presentation on my BitChute and YouTube channels very soon. Until then, here is a link to it on the American Antigravity YouTube channel.

Part 1

Part 2

I want to thank Ross Small for joining the video conference with a presentation of his own. He is building a “linear thrust” machine in the hopes that it will be a helpful learning aid for everyone to better understand the mechanism of inertial propulsion. Some of those very principals are integral to the Trammel Engine, and have also got me thinking about other, future, design builds.

Ross Small’s Presentation Part 1

Ross Small’s Presentation Part 2

PIE 4.8 – The APEC 5/1/2021 Conference and the “Inertial Doppler Effect”

The PIE 4.8 CCW wheel is pretty well set. I have attempted to get some force tests done with a force meter, the output readings were very unstable at best. I was however able to get some slightly better readings with an accelerometer.

The photos are screenshots from an accelerometer app on an android phone. The waveform or trace is below the “0” when pulling forward. It is obvious that there is a more stable pull during each pulse forward, and disorganized spikes in the reversion direction. Keep in mind that it will show a small reverse pull between forward pulses just because the chassis slows slightly between propulsive pulses.

On Saturday 5/1/2021 I had the honor of being asked (at the very last minute) to speak about the PIE systems on the APEC conference Zoom meeting. My part was near the end but just before open discussion at 4:51:28 and even though I did not have anything prepared it was still a lot of fun. APEC is Advanced Propulsion Engineering Conference and it is hosted by Tim Ventura of American Antigravity (https://www.americanantigravity.com). The full video of that conference is here:

During the conference we talked about the PIE systems, discussed theory, and talked about the near-future testing. We also discussed a phenomena that has been showing up in PIE experiments since the first on-road tests of the PIE 1.0. The phenomenon is that of increasing thrust when the entire unit is in motion. The faster the test vehicle moved the more forward thrust was experienced with each pulse. This has also been experienced and proven in the lab, so it has moved from a possibility into a fully testable repeating phenomenon. For lack of any better analogous terminology I started calling this the “Inertial Doppler Effect”. As a friend and colleague was maintaining that he thought the PIEs are still some form of “stick-slip” drive which depend on friction to operate (fully disproven in the lab) and it occurred to me that maybe he is wrong and right at the same time.

This is my current understanding of this phenomenon. I know that my “loose definition” of Doppler is not 100% correct when comparing a mechanical system to an EM wave form. This is a copy and paste of my reply to the idea of the PIE being a stick-slip drive:

My analogy of inertial Doppler is a “still forming” theorem, bit it currently a spacial/mass/inertial interaction which is proving itself in reality. Here are some cold, hard, facts… Doppler effect exists because the “center of mass” of the energy wave is moving and the energy is emanating from that “center of mass” making the wave have more “force” in the forward moving direction (Overly Simplified). Sooooo… The PIE (or I venture to say “any”) inertial drive will exhibit the Doppler effect, and if that is so (it is IMO) then all inertial drives ABSOLUTELY MUST have more mass in the overall structure than the masses being displaced (moved, oscillated, etc. also) in order to have directed thrust (linear motion). If the mass of the structure were less there would only be massive vibration (oscillation) – example: if a 2 moving mass (weights) structure weighed 5kg and the masses weighed 2.5kg each there would be a net linear propulsion of little more than zero even if the propulsive force was 2X higher than reversion force, but if the structure weighed 10kg there would be more mass “in motion” than there is “reverting”… So, ideally the mass of the structure should be 1 to 2X of the reversion force!

If I didn’t ramble too incoherently, and you are following my train of thought above, this means that ANY inertial drive which succumbs to this theory is a “stick-slip” drive but it is the inertia of the structure’s mass that it’s “sticking” to (pushing against). It also explains the Doppler effect because if it is “pushing” against inertia itself, that inertia is stronger as the structure moves!

I may have sprained a brain cell or two trying to put this theorem into words!!!

Till next time….

PIE 4.7 – Now with Two Weights and Actuators, PIETECH P. 15

A second weight has now been put together for the PIE 4.7. It is .02kg heavier than the first weight, but that can be corrected (if necessary) by drilling shallow holes in the weight until corrected. The weight of each is 2kg +/-.

Two SDC actuators are installed. They are each 8 inches long and are attached to the main wheel’s outer ring gear with ¼” beam clamps from the local hardware store.

Additionally, the SDC potentiometer “pot” is installed next to the main speed control pot on the motor speed controller, a mini toggle switch was added to turn on or off the SDC function, and finally a main-power toggle switch was added between the battery and speed controller.

Bench testing is showing a most definite power output increase across the board when the SDC is on compared to tests without it. It seems that because of the improvements made, the PIE 4.7 (with its one wheel and two weights) is comparable to the PIE 2.1 which is twice its size. Proper testing will be done in the next week or so, then we will know for sure.

Fastened to the Bench & Back to Simple Chain Drive

A video is posted to both the YouTube and BitChute channels giving a quick tour of the PIE 4.7 and then a demo with it firmly attached to the bench.

Disassembled/Reassembled PIE 4.7 – Dual Actuator First Bench Test

Revisiting and Updating the PIE 2.0 into a PIE 2.1, PIETECH P. 14

Because the PIE 2.0 was shelved without any disassembly and was kept in-tact from its last tests and demos, I decided it would be interesting to install the 24-volt electric motor and speed controller on it. It was really great to see the PIE 2.0 spring to life with a renewed vigor thanks to the powerful motor. But this was not the reason for upgrading the version number…

Since the motor and speed controller was working so well (on 12v) it seemed natural to add the speed differential control (SDC) to it as well. I started with one actuator, so the PIE would get a speed boost for one half of the rotation which uses two weight pulses per revolution. This would tell me immediately several things. It would indicate if the SDC would be effective on another PIE (repeatability test) and if it would still work with an opposing weight approaching and entering the “neutral/reset” position.

Both results were 100% conclusive that the result was a definite increase in power output!

Next was to add a second actuator so the boost would be working with each half of the rotation. A second actuator of identical length (8 inches long) was installed 180 degrees away from the first actuator. Power output seemed very high but because I don’t have a force meter, I simply was not certain. The simple answer was to add a toggle switch in line with the SDC circuit to simply turn the SDC on or off while running the PIE.

Results of the dual actuator test was amazing! The base speed could be run from 0 to over 100 RPMs, and the action was the same as it was when running on the drill motor. At different speeds ranging from approximately 30 to 100 RPMs, the differential circuit was activated and deactivated at many different base speeds with very powerful results. Judging only by the amount the PIE was moving the bench I would estimate an approximate 50-75% power increase with the SDC active! THIS is the reason I am calling for the version increase from 2.0 to 2.1 on the older PIE.

As a side-note, the PIE 2.1 runs “smoother” with the SDC, and will probably last longer too!

It is now time to “ramp up” the experimental PIE 4.7 with a second weight, and maybe increasing the mass of the weight(s) to around 2kg. In order to do this mass increase, each weight will be using slightly more than 16 linear inches of 3/8”X2” steel along with the BBs, bushing, bolts and weight mounted guide.

New Dead Blow Weight In Process – Empty Cavity To Be Partially Filled With Steel Shot

As the PIE becomes more “refined”, the total monetary cost of each build increases along with the increase in output power, but when overall quality increases the cost will invariably increase as well.

Videos of the PIE 2.0 changing into a version 2.1 are available on my YouTube channel now, and will also be on BitChute very soon.

PIETECH Page 12, Happy New Year (Thank God 2020 is Over, Let’s Move Forward!!!)

As 2020 comes to a close, I look forward to what 2021 will bring. “Normal” life was suspended, the MSM news cannot seem to find anything to report that doesn’t have a carefully scripted narrative, alternative news sources have come under fire from big tech and the MSM, but those of us quietly building, designing and experimenting found the slow-down to be a productive time.

It has been a strange year but there has been a great deal of progress by “amateur” researchers and experimenters, so I thought it only right to recap some of the more important inertial & gyroscopic propulsion findings of 2020.

From esteemed engineering professionals to a host of virtually unknown tinkerers (me) and from all parts of the world, approaches to building a fully functional inertial drive system are quite varied but the experiments publicly presented have erased all doubt that this is a valid (although infant) technology which will soon be a budding mainstream industry.

Early in 2020, the early evidence presented and posted on video platforms such as YouTube and BitChute was still drawing a LOT of negative attention from some “learned” “experts” who unequivocally argued that all working units are fakes designed to defraud the unlearned public. Most of these demonstrations were genuine, and many of the online attackers were nothing more than “trolls” attempting to keep honest people from discovering anything meaningful. I am not going to speak for the many brilliant people who have designs of their own, I will only mention the work I have done over the last 12+ months.

In 2019, I had finally built a proof of principal gyroscopic design of my own design when I happened upon the work of Roy Thornson. I saw his design as a highly workable and developable device that should be replicated and improved. So I shelved (but kept intact) my initial work and switched to the Thornson design. I downloaded everything I could find, bought every available technical reference, and eventually even contacted someone who knew Roy personally. Within a month or two, I had a Thornson based replica that could self-propel across a workbench and I was “hooked”.

I decided that because I had built a working model that could easily “go missing”, the safest way to keep both it and me safe was to make every step public, free, and open source. So all the building steps were posted to a blog (this blog) and the machinery itself video recorded and publicly released. I hope that my work can help someone else with their journey.

The things I learned and overcame regarding inertial propulsion are all posted publicly, but here is a recap (I’m sure there are things I missed):

How to make steel spur gears, cheap enough to be disposable.

How to attach automotive flexplates to bearings for the main wheels.

How to make different types of swinging weights.

How important the inner stop is, it does not work without it!

How to make the outer stop a part of the planet gear.

How a slipping belt can cause it to stop thrusting (chains are better).

How different configurations of gears affect performance.

How different timing affects performance and is different for hybrid use.

How a dead blow weight design enhances performance.

How performance is affected by counter rotating wheels.

How to effectively use as a hybrid “helper” drive.

How to make better steel gears.

How to select the correct drive motor.

How to write a manual.

How to build a website.

How to ignore (and delete) negative comments.

How important it is to have friends who understand inertial propulsion (thanks Tokio).

How an eccentric gear design can enhance performance.

How important it is to listen to and commune with my God.

I also learned a whole lot about what does NOT work!!!

There are probably more items to add… Read the blog & watch the videos for details including some failed tests, early tests, designs that work, and designs that don’t.

I already have 2 design changes in mind for the first part of 2021, it should be exciting! I hope others get busy building too! I also hope everyone stays safe. Happy New Year!

First Propulsion Bench Test for PIE 4.6

I had intended to wait and do the first true propulsion test on the 4.6 on a proper set of bearings or wheels, but I found myself with a few minutes of free time so I went into my lab area to think about “next moves” & decided that I simply wanted to see it move on its own.

So, it was nothing fancy and the battery was not “riding” along with it. No numerical data was recorded either. I simply placed two short (about 12”) lengths of ½” (12mm) conduit under the PIE 4.6 which would allow it to move freely forward and backward.

The RPMs were slowly brought up from zero and as soon as the weight started to swing properly the PIE 4.6 moved forward only, and with a great deal of authority. I was VERY pleased, and I was truly amazed at the lack of backward movement which I am attributing to the dead blow design. I will be posting a video very soon (might be posted by the time this is being read) so please check my YouTube & BitChute channels. https://www.youtube.com/user/stclairtechrd and https://www.bitchute.com/channel/miGkQfBM24NZ/

I will be making a couple more of these amazing Dead Blow Weights with its attached Guide (DB-G) as soon as possible so that I can see if the 4.6 will still move properly with multiple planet gears using the DB-G. From there, multiple wheels would be on the agenda along with experimentation much like those performed with the 1.0 and 2.0 such as synchronous rotation vs. counter-synchronous rotation etcetera.

It has been mentioned that the slow progress and multiple videos posted with little success tend to be frustrating. This is the methodology employed by the scientific community and by professional Model Makers worldwide. Even though I know what I want to build, taking these slow and methodical steps allow me to eliminate component designs with inferior performance and focus on those designs with more promise. The more successful designs, to which I am adding the PIE 4.6, are the fruit of this painfully slow methodology. Regardless of anyone else’s personal beliefs (all are welcome to their own beliefs) I also acknowledge a divine inspiration fueling my own personal path of growth in this lifetime.

PIETECH Page 9 – PIE 4.5 With New Dead Blow Type Weight

The latest test of the PIE 4.5 is using a 1 kg dead blow type weight. The weight is a steel box with steel shot (BB’s) inside it. It appears to have a lot of promise, as there is virtually no “bounce” when the weight hits the inner stop, and it seems to be dampened where it would contact the outer stop if it had one (has not been installed).

There is a video of this first testing on YouTube and BitChute. The problem however remained that the centrifugal force and impact force did not push in the same direction, which was the reason for Thornson’s “Inner Planet Trap” which would hold the weight and release at the correct time.

The answer is to install a “guide” on the end of the weight which would keep the weight near the center axle and correct the problem of thrusting in two different directions. This is proving , so far, to be a much improved design. This can also be seen on YouTube and BitChute.

These improvements are now bringing the PIE version up to “PIE 4.6”.

Check out the videos on YouTube and BitChute & thanks for watching!

https://www.youtube.com/user/stclairtechrd

https://www.bitchute.com/channel/miGkQfBM24NZ/

PIE 4.5 and My Original Thornson Drive Replication

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog’s new home. I hope that this venue will be of at least the same quality as before, and I really hope that the text is a bit easier to read!

I posted a video on YouTube & BitChute of the PIE 4.5 with 3 gears, 2 gears and just one planet gear on it. There is a bit of controversy as to which is better and what configuration should be considered for the PIE 4.5 to continue. Watch the video and you can plainly see the lack of propulsion with better balance (3 planet gears), and much better propulsion with a fully unbalanced wheel (1 planet gear). Of course, getting rid of the jerking nature of the drive is a primary goal along with stronger propulsive force.

I have gone back and reviewed my recorded data, and videos, going all the way back to the very first truly functioning drive still being referred to as a Thornson Drive even though the stop modifications were already being changed and modified to the design finally used in the PIE system. The wheels (4 of them) all had a single planet gear, they were all running more or less in-sync, and it just plain worked. I am going to put the 3 videos I have of this original unit together into one video and post in soon.

Keeping this in mind, and knowing that I really can get a MUCH stronger forward pulse without increasing the back pulse, the goal remains to pulse smoothly (an oxymoron). For this plan to work, I need 2 or more complete PIE units that produce fairly equal amounts of force and that can run in-sync (with a calculated offset) without actually being physically mounted to the same frame.

Stay tuned to this blog and my video channels as I think some exciting things should be happening soon!