BYRÅLÅDSEFFEKTEN

Byrålådseffecten a english translation would be the drawer effect: This is what we engineers call the nuisance when a drawer gets stuck in a chest of drawers and it does not only happen to drawers; it happens to most sliding things that are wider than deep. It is a pain.
To avoid it I made an analyses and it turns out that the solution is surprisingly simple. Drawers that are wider than deep have little guidance and therefore not always move straight but turn. When they turn the short side of the drawer is not any longer parallel with the guiding sides. The drawer takes more space and gets stuck diagonally. The more you pull the worse the drawer gets stuck.
I said to myself: what geometrical figure does not get wider when it’s turned, obviously the circle, by definition. I use part of a circle segments have been cut away to make it almost like an rectangle. In this case when using it as a lid for the anchor locker I only lose 15 mm on the corners. Pictures will illuminate. A big lid would be to cumbersome so I devided into three peices.

Below some pictures.

Just for fun I did a simpel calculation using Pythogeras formula. I got 15 mm difference in the corners compared to a rectangle. That was fine. Of course it is more simpel to do it graphically.
Marking the corners to be cut with a compasses
The three pieces in place being now a strong easy handled lid for the anchor locker.
Finally holding down the lid with angle profiles of carbon fibers. The lid on the anchor locker is also my seat in the saloon. The two lunch boxes can be seen to left and right.

This idea of preventing narrow sliding broadside to jam can be used on many applications. Companionways are mostly shaped narrover at the bottom that the washboard will not get stuck by the byrålådseffekten. Its a bit magical how easy the boards now slide thanks to the rounding of the corners.

I have now started on the deck of the saloon.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind