Dated: 24 May 2017
Village: Delvaad(Gujrat)
On our visit to Delwaad village, we visited the house of the Sarpanch of that village. It was the most advanced house in the neighborhood. There we met Mr. Mukesh Bhai, the head carpenter and other workers, they made farming tools there and were pretty skilled in their job. We were shown a Hal. The machines they used were absolute and not at all safe in any manner.
Problem Statement: The whole process of tool making from carpentry was a slow and old process, the process was not safe as it could severe damage a person new to those machines and also even someone proficient if not taken the required precautions. Process involves a lot of dust and dirt particles which are harmful for their eyes. Machines used were very old and inefficient and the connections were also such that we could not run only one of the two without incurring any significant trouble.
Solution 1: Wooden Brake, Pedal Stop
With the help of a little change in the starting mechanism, safety features can be improved. We have proposed a design such that a pedal controls the power supply of machine and stops the blade as well (the inertia of the blade does not allow it to stop at once). What we have proposed is that we can attach a pedal to the main circuit of the machine which can control the starting/stopping of the machine, and also, we attached a mechanism which make a wooden log touch the blade and thus stops its motion (friction baby). The pedal is attached to a spring so as to get it back when released. Its other end is attached to a switch connected to the main circuit which completes the circuit when pressed. As the pedal is released, the circuit breaks and the wooden block also shifts towards the blade again. This machine is very feasible and can be easily implemented in the existing machines.
