• drolex
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    3 months ago

    self-centering […] easy to stack up

    What is this supposed to mean?

    • Ephera@lemmy.ml
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      3 months ago

      I can’t really think of a better example, but well, if you stack half-cylinders like these:
      …they can’t be off-center in the direction that they’re rounded, because gravity + their shape pulls them towards the center.

      And well, this saddle shape is rounded in two directions, so it pulls towards the center in both directions.

      It’s also better than a parabolic/lens shape, because while that can’t either move sideways, it doesn’t counteract angular movement, so the stack would still bend and fall.