In early 2013, I went into Eden Rehabilitation Centre at Cooroy, near Gympie, after a knee replacement. The first morning, I was interviewed by the Occupational Therapist.
Among the many questions she asked was, “What is your hobby?”, to which I replied, with a grin, “Restoring old machinery”. She said, “You might be the man we’re looking for. We have a broken down mechanical ‘tiger’. Do you think you could fix it?” I paused and then said, “I’ll think about it”.
However, I had other thoughts, and asked her, the next day, if they would sell it. The therapist said the tiger was often taken to fetes and shopping centres around the Sunshine Coast, to give children a ride for $2. Insurance was starting to be a problem, though, so she thought that they might as well sell it.
The next day she brought some photos, and I was impressed, so I made her an offer. A couple of months later, when I could drive again, I picked it up.
It was powered by a 24 volt electric motor using two ride-on mower batteries, though after not having been used for six years, the batteries were shot. The motor drives a shaft running from the front to the back legs, with bevel gears at each end, driving cross shafts that run across to the front and back legs, which had a crank on each end at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock. These then run into slots in each leg, which move them back and forward.
In each foot is a wheel attached to a ratcheting bike sprocket, which allows the wheel to roll freely on the front stroke, but locks it on the back stroke, which makes it grip the ground and propel the machine forward. My tiger actually walks!
One of the ratchets wasn’t working, so that was one of the first things I fixed. It used to be remote controlled by a hand-held control that signalled to a receiver in a computer box. This didn’t work, so I fitted a push button switch through 2 metres of cable to the relevant battery and motor terminals, and now I can control it.
I sent the computer and remote to an expert, who said it was all in order but, for some reason, there is still no action.
The tiger apparently had flashing eyes once, and a speaker in the head, and could be set to ‘roar’ every 2, 3 or 4 minutes, but none of that works either. He also came with a lion outfit.
He made his debut at our annual club rally in Maryborough, where he was the star attraction.
Footnote: My tiger was imported from China in the early 1990s, and production ceased in 1995. It is thought to be one of only four in Australia.
*Don Nahrung
