Clockwork 4x4x4 Cube by Timur

grigr

This puzzle is a 4x4x4 cube with geared bandaging where all layers turn simultaneously, but with different speeds. If we consider bottom layer fixed, lower middle layer will turn with speed A, upper middle layer - with the speed 2A, and top layer - with speed 3A. A single move is finished when the layers have turned by 1/4 turn, 2/4 turn and 3/4 turn, respectively. So the principle is similar to Bram and Oskar's Geary Cube (3x3x3), but the mechanism is vastly more complex.

I dreamed to build this puzzle ever since I've made the Clockwork Master Pyraminx. Because it's not really comfortable to play with the latter (you have to turn a corner 7 times around to finish a turn), the main and firm requirement for Clockwork 4x4x4 Cube was minimum turning job - only 270° outer layer's turn had to be made for one move, so that all layers turn by 90° with respect to its neighbors.

Throughout a year or so I made three or four attempts to develop the mechanism, but always failed. Each time I felt that I'm close to the solution, I would discover some conflict ruining the whole idea. Still I was sure that it's possible and it became a challenge to myself. Meanwhile, I worked with other projects, but never forgot about the 4x4x4 cube.

Finally, it cracked and I'm glad that it works decently from the first prototype. The mechanism contains 156 3D-printed parts, 21 screws and 18 nuts (nuts could actually be omitted). I think it's the most complex thing I've designed (Emperor Pyraminx goes next  ). The mechanism will be revealed in one of my next posts.

Can anyone calculate the number of possible states of this puzzle? I guess it's smaller than that of a normal 4x4x4 cube, right?

Video

haoyifan0123

齿轮结构。。鉴定完毕

花无缺0228

Fenz 发表于 2012-11-22 22:41
如果你转个U，顶层会转90°，从上往下第二层会转60°，第三层转30°，就跟齿轮三阶一样

看着结构好复杂！真难想象……

可馨宝贝

GOOD......

橙橙不酸

外部还真看不出差别，看视频才发现不同，齿轮四阶···好奇特

grigr

xd07514 发表于 2012-11-22 21:51
I want to know about the corner-cutting
If you rotate middle lower layer 4 degrees
middle upper la ...

YES-YES.
this is possible

Fenz

花无缺0228 发表于 2012-11-14 02:08
看不出有什么蹊跷，看着就是四阶，

如果你转个U，顶层会转90°，从上往下第二层会转60°，第三层转30°，就跟齿轮三阶一样

Fenz

xd07514 发表于 2012-11-22 21:51
I want to know about the corner-cutting
If you rotate middle lower layer 4 degrees
middle upper la ...

You should do a "R'3" instead of "R".

And what does the corner cutting mean?

xd07514

I want to know about the corner-cutting
If you rotate middle lower layer 4 degrees
middle upper layer rotates 8 degrees
top layer rotates 12 degrees
then you do ''R''
can corner cutting be worked?

天方魔

虽然对内部结构不清楚，但是看着挺有创意的。