I'm looking for the name of a contact type that would connect an x and y axis to a continuously revolving z axis. I'm guessing it would use offset wiper contacts on the z axis wiping along 2 circular contacts on x and y but I'm having no luck with googling.

They must exist, surely?

 

A wiper on a revolving z axis, will sweep out a plane, where any line on that plane which passes through it's origin (location where the z axis passes through the plane) is orthogonal to the z axis. This likely is the plane defined by the x & y axis.

This is a long winded introduction to the question what do you mean by contacts on the x axis and y axis?

 

What environment is this? servo? Motion control?
Max.

 

I'm having real difficulty finding the right terminology to describe it, either that or I'm having a mind block!

I'll put it into a situation.. Imagine i want lights on the wheel of a car and it needs to be powered from the car battery, having a battery on the wheel itself isn't an option. I obviously cant use wires to connect between the axis and the wheel because the wheel needs to rotate more than 360 degrees. Therefore i need some sort of contact adapter(?) that will keep the lights connected whist the wheel is turning. (This isn't actually what i want to do but its the same premise).

 

Do a search on "slip ring". Is this the sort of thing you're after?

 

The way I see it, you either need a slipping brush like what's inside an alternator, or an induced current made with two coils that are spaced very close to each other, like a toothbrush charger.

 

Do a search on "slip ring". Is this the sort of thing you're after?

That's it, thank you!