Ideas for Future Additions to The

Ideas for Future Additions to the

Sensory Awareness Trail

Prepared by RIT Senior Design Group 06209: Sensory Awareness Trail

1.0 Introduction p 3

2.0 Ideas p 4

2.1 Water Wheel p 5

2.2 Woodpecker p 13

2.3 Squirrel Chase p 17

2.4 Hand Crank Animals p 22

2.5 Bridge p 29

3.0 Conclusion p 34

4.0 Appendix: Bridge Installation p 35

1.0 Introduction

The following is a list of ideas that could be developed by future design teams, community groups, or volunteers for the sensory awareness trail run by Everybody Rides in Newark, NY. Although these designs may contain dimensions, parts, and materials the designers are in no way restricted to these if an idea is constructed. Most designs will require that adjustments be made due to the selected installation locations and individual’s preferences. The purpose of this packet is to provide a guide to designers along with encouraging their creativity to develop interesting, educational, and nature themed additions to the sensory awareness trail to further the users experience and enjoyment during their trail experience.

2.0  Ideas

2.1 Water Wheel

Operation and Appeal: This device is designed to cater to wheel chair bound participants. Its intended location is at the edge of the pond, preferably near the dock where the shore has a steep drop off. By turning the handle a “wheel” with fins long enough to dip into the water at their lowest point will spin creating a splash in the water. This would incorporate motor skills, along with stimulating the sense of touch, hearing, and sight. At this designed height users seated in wheel chairs along with individuals walking would be able to operate the water wheel.

Design: As drawn, a wooden handle with a dowel rod for grasping, would be glued onto another dowel rod. This dowel rod would then enter a plastic gear box where a bevel gear

Gear box uncovered to show bevel gear assembly inside

would be attached to the end of it. This bevel gear would be meshed with another bevel gear with a dowel rod attached to it allowing for both rods to turn at the same ratio while being at a 90o angle to each other. This dowel rod will then go towards the ground for a certain distance until it reaches another gear box. Inside this gear box it will again have a bevel gear attached that is meshed with another bevel gear. The rod in the second bevel gear will then be sticking out over the water. At the end of this dowel rod a wheel with 4 spokes on it would be attached. The gear boxes would then be attached to a post by using bolts in the through holes on them. The post will have to be cemented in the ground as close to the edge of the pond as possible.

Parts (all dimensions are in inches):

16 Pitch Molded Nylon Plain Bore Miter Gear

Gear box constructed of 1”x3”x3” Teflon sheet
Handle Constructed out of 1” thick pine board and 3/8” Oak dowel rod
Wheel constructed out of 1” thick pine board
The dowel rods coming out of the handle and into the gear box, along with the dowel rod coming out of the wheel and into the gear box, are both 3/8”x 8”. The dowel rod running the length of the post is 3/8” x 24”. The post that the gear boxes are attached to is a 4”x6”x8’ pressure treated post.
2.2 Woodpecker

Operation and Appeal: This device can, depending on the height it is mounted at on a tree, appeal to both walkers and horseback users of the trail. The users would pull a rope that is attached to the front of the wood pecker which will cause it to rock forward and hit the tree with its beak. This device would incorporate the motor skills of the participant and stimulate both the sense of sight and hearing.

Design: This design may require modifications due to the different shapes and sizes of the trees it could be mounted to. The shape of the bird that is chosen along with the length of rope used will also cause for some modifications. As drawn, a small length of 2”x4” would have a hole drilled through it for rope to go through and two small pieces of wood screwed to the top of it. The two pieces of wood screwed to the top will have holes going through them for a bolt to pass through. This bolt will also pass through the woodpecker’s body, creating its pivot point. The front of the woodpecker will have an eyebolt coming out of it where a rope can be tied and then put through the hole drilled into the 2”x4”. Although the center of gravity of the drawn bird currently is behind where the bolt passes through, the added weight of the eye bolt and the rope used may change this. To stop this from becoming a problem, a spring can be attached to the 2”x4” where the hole is drilled allowing the rope to pass through it and the eyebolt to bounce off of it still allowing the woodpecker to rock back and forth.

Parts (all dimensions are in inches):

Bracket made from a 2”x4”

Woodpecker made out of 1”x12”x24” pine board

2.3 Squirrel Chase

Operation and Appeal: This device can be used for both walkers and horseback riders of the trail. To operate it a rope would be pulled down which would cause a squirrel to ride a track up a tree. When the rope is released, the squirrel would ride back down the track to its original starting position. This would incorporate the users motor skills and sense of sight.

Design: A pulley and two brackets would be mounted to a tree. The brackets would have two dowel rods running parallel between them. A squirrel cutout would ride the dowel rods by two holes drilled into a board attached to its underside. The nose of the squirrel will have an eyebolt screwed into it where a rope will be tied and the strung through the pulley overhead.

Parts (all dimensions are in inches):

5” diameter clothesline pulley

Squirrel constructed of 1”x12”x24” pine board. As drawn the squirrel weighs approximately 1.15 lbs.
The oak dowel rods coming out of the brackets are ¼” x 36”. Mounting the Brackets to the tree will require ¼” bolts and mounting the clothesline pulley will require a 3/8” bolt.

2.4 Hand Crank Animals

Operation and appeal: This device would be mounted to a post where a user walking by would turn the crank on the outside of the box which will cause cams to move animals on top of the box in an up and down motion. The animals could range anywhere from birds in a nest to woodchucks in the grass. This will stimulate both sight and motor skills of the participants.

Design: A dowel rod will be mounted through a wooden box with a stopper glued to one end of it and a handle glued to the other. Near the center of the rod two circular cams will be glued. Resting on top of these cams will be a flat board with two dowel rods stuck in them. The dowel rods will go through the top of the box and into the animal shapes. The animals can be the shape of the users choosing with any selected scenery secured to the top as well.

Parts (all dimensions are in inches):

Handle end is made of 1” thick Birch. ¾” oak dowel rod is inserted into one of the thru holes.

Cam and end stop, both made of 1” thick Birch.

Sides of box are made of 1” thick Birch.

Top of box is made of 1” thick Birch (bottom is same size with no holes thru it).

Animals constructed of 1” thick Birch. The extended portion sticking off of the animals back will be glued onto the animal.

Lift bar that rides the cams and is connected to the animals by two dowel rods.

All dowel Rods are ¾” diameter. Dowel Rods coming out of the lift bar and entering the animals are 4” long. The dowel rod coming out of the handle and ending at the end stop is 20”.

2.5 Bridge

Operation and Appeal: In order to make the portion of the trail that is across the stream accessible during the spring months a bridge could be constructed. The bride could also be visually pleasing along with producing sounds from the horse’s hoofs that could stimulate the riders’ sense of hearing.

Design: Other than the hand rails, which are 2”x 6” boards, the rest of the bridge will be constructed of 2”x 12” and 6”x 6” boards. The 2” x 12”s running across the top of the bridge are all 8’ long. All wood used will be pressure treated. All posts will be cemented 4’ into the ground. The top planks will be secured by screwing them into the support beams underneath. The 2” x 12” support beams underneath the bridge will be secured to 6” x 6” cross beams with corner brackets. Corner brackets are also to be used to secure all 6” x6” cross beams to the 6” x 6” posts.

Parts and Assembled Design (all dimensions are in inches):

Ramp leg, made of 2” x 12” (9 used)

Assembled Side View:

Back View:

3.0  Conclusion

This packet was put together to provide working examples of additions to the sensory awareness trail. Although these designs could be put in place exactly as they are, they also leave much room for creativity and individual preference. If nothing else, these ideas can help to guide designers into the direction of some acceptable and creative things to add to the Everybody Rides trail.

4.0 Appendix: Bridge Installation

Step 1

Set 6”x6” posts 4 feet deep in ground with concrete as shown. Starting in the front right corner and working to the back right corner the posts, from inside to inside, should be separated as follows:

Sides: