Not a problem on the asking lots of questions, that is what we are here for!
A
commutator, or really in this case a
slip ring, is w device that allows the transfer of electricity to a rotating drum. Here the most important info from wikipedia:
wikipedia said:
A
slip ring consists of a conductive circle or band mounted on a shaft and insulated from it. Electrical connections from the rotating part of the
system, such as the rotor of a generator, are made to the ring. Fixed contacts or brushes run in contact with the ring, transferring electrical
power or signals to the exterior, static part of the
system.
You can read the rest
here.
In simpler terms, the pivot of the
revolve has a series of metal bands that rotate with the
revolve. Each band is insulated from the others. The bands are wired to outlets or connectors, all of which moves with the
revolve, thus no twisting cables. The pivot then sits in a sleeve that has metal brushes, one that contacts each band. The brushes allow a
circuit to be made while allowing the
revolve to spin freely.
While this would be the ideal way to
build your
revolve, it would be a big DIY project. I would imagine you can buy these places, though I am not sure where. I have one that if it came down to it, you probably could rent from us. PM or email me if you want to discuss that further.
The other option is that if you run the
revolve slow enough over that 45-60 seconds that it is on, you may be able to get away with just letting the cables get twisted. You need to leave them lots of slack, and you need to remember to untwist after each show. If you choose to go this route you really need to pay attention so that you don't destroy your cables. You may find that to get enough revolves in you need to
preset by twisting the cables in the opposite direction before each show.
As for the drive
system, do you have andy motors and such in
stock at your
theatre? This could easily become expensive if you need to buy a motor. You will find that most motors suitable for this application will have very high RPMs. You need a gear reducer to get the rpms down to something usable. You get into lots of mechanical advantage and gear ratio math here. Ultimately you need to have the
revolve moving slow enough to not
throw everything off it, and you need to go fast enough for your
effect.
The two drive systems that I mentioned before work like this. The direct drive, is exactly what it sounds like, you
build the
revolve so that it's center is the shaft of the motor or gear reducer. This is the simplest way to design the
system, fewest parts. This
system also requires the output RPM to be exactly what you want it be.
The friction drive uses a wheel/tire connected to the motor or gear reducer. The tire is placed in contact with the bottom or
edge of the
revolve and then when the tire spins the
revolve spins. This can allow you more speed control as varying the size of the tire will change how fast the
revolve moves.
I am not sure how helpful all that is, keep the questions coming and we will do what we can to help.