Weisshaupt's LCD Mechanism

This mechanism allows automatic programmatic control of the rotation of a 4:3 LCD monitor up to 20in diagonal.

Mounting

In this method, the Monitor is Mounted to a custom made mount. The Mount consists of a 1/4 inch bolt, placed through the bearing of a 5 inch or larger plastic pulley (Like McMaster-Carr Part number 6284K61), placed thorugh a spacer, and then placed through a Hole drilled ina 2x4 and secured with a standard wingnut. Washers may be required to hold the Spacer firmly against the Pulley and the 2x4, and between the 2x4 and the wingnut.

The Monitor is attached using bolts placed through holes drilled in the pulley using the Standard Vesa mount found on the back of almost all LCD displays. Sandwiched between the Pulley is a Pizza Pie Plate from Target. A pizza Pie PLate with holes is beneficial because the center of the plat can be more easily determined. The Very center of the plat needs a 3/4 inch hole which prevents the PLate from Binding on the mounting bolt. In addtion, 4 hols must be drilled in the plate that correspond to the VESA mounting holes on the Monitor. VERY OFTEN THESE HOLES WILL NOT BE ON CENTER, but vertically offset from a 4:3 aspect. If this offset is not taken into account, the Monitor will be to the left or right of center when rotated to its 3X4 aspect. Vesa Mounts use M4 .7 Metric Screws. You must choose a length that will fit thorugh the pulley, the pizza pie plate and fit snugly into the VESA mount without bottoming out.

The Pizza Plate should be painted with Spray-can Plasti-dip (available at most hardware stores) This increases the friction between the plate and the driver wheel

A wood extension is attached underneath the central 2x4 and the motor is mounted to it in such a way that the Motor's drive wheel makes solid contact with the Pizza Pie Plate. The extension MUST be mounted on the bottom of the 2x4 because any "play" in the mount will make it Fall into the motor wheel, rather than away from it.

Two more short extensions are mounted on top of the 2x4. The ends of these extensions are coated with Loop-side velcro, and hold the reed switches that acts as limit switches. 2 More strips of loop-side velcro are attached to the Pizza Pie plate at the approximate locations where the Monitor will reach its 3x4 and 4x3 aspects. The Magnets that activate the Reed switches are mounted to these patches.

It is recommended that DigiKey part numbers CH404-ND and CH411-ND be used for the limit switches.