"flying" tools around the shop was Re: re: air bearings

Smoke asked:

>Does the air bag drag along the floor as the object is moved? If
>so, what keeps the air bag from sticking to the floor?
>When you say "air bag" does that mean any air bag will do...like say
>an air mattress for instance?

Smoke,

Let's give a simple 'real world' application. You take a sheet of ply
wood about 16 inches square (or circular). You drill a hole in the
middle to fit your shopvac hose (or glue a shopvac fitting above the
hole for the vac hose to 'plug into'. Stand on the disk, hold on to
something for support, and have someone turn on the shopvac (in
the "BLOW AIR OUT" mode!!!)...

You're Flying!!! Not very high, and as you lean you can
easily "ground" yourself.

Now let's put some closed cell weatherstripping foam tape around the
perimeter of the ply disk and try again...

This time, you have better results since the foam acts as a 'gasket'
to accomodate differences in the floor and load movements...

The 'bag' referred to originally is a 'containment cushion' (means
air filled 'tube' of material fastened around the perimeter of the
platform which performs the same function as the foam tape in the
example. The air to 'fill it' is taken from the shopvac input by
venting a portion of the input air into the 'tube'). This is used
for 'flying over rougher terrain'.

In all cases, the air escapes at the perimeter of the lifting
platform, but at a slower(lower) rate than it is being introduced (by
the shop vac, in our examples). This differential (more in than out)
results in an air 'cushion' which floats the ????(whatever).

Again, try to see one of the 'refrigerator flyers' if you can. It is
easier understood 'seen' than explained.

Hope this helps.

Ballendo