This famous model is based on the Super Meccanograph of Dr. ir. A. H. Boerdijk.

The original has been developed and built in the early 1960’s. After 1990 the Super Meccanograph was more or less lost out of sight. By the mid of 2007, research done by Wilbert Swinkels led to the tracking of this model.

In the latter part of 2007 a replica was built and in January 2008 a computermodel in VirtualMEC was generated, based on the replica.

All of this has resulted in the making of Modelplan 182, available at MWMO.

In the past months I have been contacted by a few Meccano friends who did have some questions regarding MP 182. It's likely, that more builders will cope with the same kind of questions and therefore I decided to publish some of these issues on this site.

Issues are:

1. motors
2. my opinion about the use of bent parts like strips and flat girders
3. powersupply
4. paperroll
5. electrical switching and the podition af several cranks
6. ratchet device on the 36tooth sprocket wheel
7. papertable
8. 56t gear
9. the Super Meccanograph as a 3D file

M1, M2 and M4 run at 42rpm at 12vdc
M3 runs at 10rpm at 12vdc

As mentioned on the CD, which is part of MP 182 it might have been better to use for M3 also the same rpm as M1, because synchronity between the devices driven by these 2 motors is absolutely neccesary to get satisfied drawings. The speed of these 2 motors (M1 and M3) have to be exact, because the devices actuated by these motors must run synchron. If not, the tip of the ballpoint does not end where it began on the paper, resulting in a drawing that looks not correctly finished.

M2 and M4 run only within a limited time and these motors actuate the geardrums and the papertransport (they don't have to be exact). It's obvious, that these interactions must be finished before the pen is pushed downwards to the paper again to start a new drawing.

It must be said, that the well know Meccano M5 motor, which is a wonderful piece of engineering, does not comply with the requirements regarding to the constant torque. This motor can not be used as an substitute for M1 and M3

I ordered the motors directly from Jameco, a USA based company, worldwide delivery. Direct link to the motor M1, M2 and M4. Direct link to the motor M3.

If I had to do it again I should have chosen 4 motors with all the same rpm in the range of 200-250. The originals were running on 200rpm. See the CD for more info.

The paperroll is of a topquality paper, available at any office supplier and I bought it here. The dimensions of the paperroll must be: 12mm inside diameter, 70mm outside diameter and 57mm width of the paper.

the diagrams on page 18 and 19 of the ModelPlan must be studied very well in order to understand the interactive working of the switches. In general, the crank mounted on the 133th axle does make 1 rotation per session. Each session consists of making 1 drawing and changing the gearratios of the penarm and feeding the paperroll.

The machine operates as following:

1. Whilst drawing, the contacts 5.2A and 5.2B don't make contact (in some pictures one will see a fifth contact, but this last one is of no use anymore
2. Whilst drawing contact 5.1 (Motor 4, papertransport) and 5.3 (Motor 2, geardrums) is interrupted
3. When a drawing is finished, this will happen: crank 62 in the front of axle 14a (see 4.3) pulls down the balance frame, thus lifting the pen from the table. After this the other crank 62 at the back of the same axle 14a (see 4.3) pushes against the contacts 5.2A and 5.2B. This contact maintains for about 6 seconds. This axis is running continiously and so is the papertable. At the beginning of this 6 second period Motor M4 and M2 starts running. The contacts 5.1 and 5.3 which were disconnected will make within this 6 second period contact!. This is neccesary, because the contacts 5.2A en 5.2B are after 6 seconds interrupted again and M4 and M2 must still run until the cranks related to 5.1 and 5.3 will disconnect the whole elecrical ciruit. The crank mounted on the 133th axle does make 1 rotation per drawing
4. When this is done M4 and M2 stop running (thus the paper has been transported and new speedratios have been assigned to the penarms) and after a couple of seconds crank 62 in the front of axle 14a will move the balanceframe in opposite direction, thus downlifting the pen to the paper
5. The machine starts a new drawing.

To transport the paper I used a serie of 1/2'' pulleys, nr 23a. During operation I noticed, that when the paper is running to it's end, the roll sometimes isn't transported correctly. I have changed this part of the table conform following picture. The 1/2'' pulleys 23a must be token out and in stead of this part 142m must be placed around coupling 63. A short grub screw 69c must be used to fixate the coupling on the middle of the axle.

Please notice, that neither Dave Taylor nor Frizinghall do sell this rubber tyre, but they use the partnumber as well!. You can find this part in the official Meccano dealer partslist. The 6 digit code is a modern Meccano partnumber.