Laboratory – practical works, Mechanisms

Laboratory 1. The structure of mechanisms, fundamentals and examples

Objectives
For the given mechanisms do the following:
1. Skeleton representation
2. Identify the links and pairs (kinematic elements and joints)
3. Compute the degree of freedom

Fundamental knowledge
Mechanism - a technical system for transmitting and transforming movement and forces. It is
composed of kinematic elements (links) connected by mobile connections (pairs, kinematic
joints joints).

Skeleton representation - structural model of the mechanism in which links and pairs are
represented in simplified form.

Kinematic element (link) - a part or a group of parts rigidly connected together (no relative
movement) forming a kinematic unit. It is as mobile during the operation of the mechanism.
Ex. crank, connecting rod, coupler, gear, cam.

1 2

Connecting rod Gear

Rocker Cam

Kinematic joint (pair) - the direct and mobile connection between two cinematic elements
(links), defined by the contact area between the two elements. Ex. pin in a slot, guides,
profiles.

Degree of freedom of a pair - f - the number of relative independent movements permissible

for the two coupled links. The free (unbounded) element has 6, and the pairs are cancelling
some of these: one link compared to the other one can move in certain directions (linear

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displacement) or rotate about certain axes (rotation), but is not allowed to move or rotate in
other directions. Thus, the degree of freedom can be f=5,4,3,2,1 (also is the number of
parameters required to determine the position of one, relative to the other. Restrictions of the
joints r=6-f.

Type of pairs
One DOF, f=1 Revolute (pin) joint - R Translational (slider, prismatic) joint
allows a relative -T
rotation or
translation
2 2
1 1
Two DOF, f=2 Cylindrical joint - C Two profiles - Rt (roto-translation)
allows two
relative
movements
2 2
1

1
Three DOF, f=3 Spherical joint - S Planar joint
allows three 2 1
relative
movements
1 2 2
1

Four DOF, f=4 Sphere in cylindrical slot Cylinder - plain

allows four
2 2
relative 2
movements
1 1
1
Five DOF, f=5 Point contact
allows five
2 2 2
relative
movements
1 1
1
Kinematic chain - a sequence of links (kinematic elements) connected by pairs (kinematic
joints).
 Open kinematic chain
B
3
2
C
1
A 4

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 Closed kinematic chain (forming a closed loop)

B
3
A 2
C
1
D 4

Mechanism – closed kinematic chain with a fixed element (base link) and having a base and
determined motion.
Mechanisms can be planar or spatial.
Mechanisms can have single loop or multiple loops.
Ex. Four bar mechanism, crank-slider mechanism, Hook mechanism, spatial four-bar
mechanism, gear mechanism, cam mechanism.

3 A: R1-2, f=1 A: R1-2, f=1

B B
B: R2-3, f=1 B: R2-3, f=1
C C: R3-4, f=1 3 C: R3-4, f=1
2 2
D: R4-1, f=1 D: T4-1, f=1
4 c1 = 4 4 c1 = 4
n=4 C n=4
A D M=3(4-1)- A M=3(4-1)-
1 1 D
2*4=1 2*4=1

M = Σfi – S= 4 - 3= 1 M = Σfi – S= 4 - 3= 1

Four bar mechanism Crank-slider mechanism

3 A: R1-2, f=1 3 A: R1-2, f=1
C B: R2-3, f=1 B B: T2-3, f=1
D
2 B C: T3-4, f=1 C: R3-4, f=1
A D: R4-1, f=1 C D: R4-1, f=1
4 4 1
c1 = 4 c1 = 4
n=4 2 n=4
1 D A
M=3(4-1)- M=3(4-1)-
1 2*4=1 1 2*4=1
M = Σfi – S= 4 - 3= 1 M = Σfi – S= 4 - 3= 1

Mechanism with a slider Oscillating mechanism

B A: R1-2, f=1 B A: R1-2, f=1
2 C B: R2-3, f=1 3 B: S2-3, f=3
2 C
A 4 C: R3-4, f=1 C: S3-4, f=3
3 4
D: R4-1, f=1 D: R4-1, f=1
1 c1 = 4 A 1
1 D c
D 1=2
n=4 c3 = 2
M=3(4-1)- 1 n=4
2*4=1 M=6(4-1)-
M = Σfi – S= 4 - 3= 1 M = Σfi – S= 8 - 6= 1 5*2-3*2=2

Hook mechanisms Spatial four-bar mechanism

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Laboratory – practical works, Mechanisms

A: R1-2, f=1 C 1 A: R1-2, f=1

B: R1-3, f=1 B: Rt 2-3, f=2
3 C: Rt 2-3, f=2 3 B C: T3-1, f=1
2 C
A B c1 = 2 c1 = 2
c2 = 1 2 c2 = 1
n=3
A n=3
1 1 1
M=3(3-1)- M=3(3-1)-
2*2-1*1=1 2*2-1*1=1
M = Σfi – S= 4 - 3= 1 M = Σfi – S= 4 - 3= 1

Gear mechanism Cam mechanism

2-cam, 3-follower

Degree of freedom of mechanisms (mobility)

In order to fulfil the role of transmitting movement, the mechanism must have determined
motion (positions determined at any moment of the links).

Mobility of the open kinematic chain - the sum of the parameters required to determine the
position all links. Can be computed as the sum of the degree of freedom of the pairs– Moc:
c
M oc   f i , c – nr. joints.
i 1
Degree of freedom of mechanisms (closed chain with a base) – the sum of the degree of
freedom of the pairs, minus the degrees of freedom of the fixed (base) element / called the
motion space dimension (S):
M  f i  S for mechanisms with single loop
or M  f i  k  S for mechanisms with multiple loops.

Planar mechanism:
M  3  ( n  1)  2  c1  1 c2 .
Spatial mechanisms:
M  6  ( n  1)  5  c1  4  c 2  3  c3  2  c 4  1  c5 ,
where:
n – number of links (including the base),
ci – number of pairs with i degree of freedom,
S – motion space dimension (3 for planar mechanisms, 6 for spacial mechanisms),
k – number of independent loops.

Example:
E A: R1-2, f=1
3
A 5 B: T2-3, f=1
C
B 4 C: R3-4, f=1
4 D: R4-1, f=1
2 6
F E: R4-5, f=1
A F: R5-6, f=1
1 D 1 G G: T6-1, f=1
M  f i  3k  7  6  1 c1 = 7
S=3, Σfi=7,k=2. n=6
M=3(6-1)-2*7=1

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Laboratory – practical works, Mechanisms

B A: R1-2, f=1
3 B: S2-3, f=3
2 C: S3-4, f=3
C D: T4-1, f=1
1 c1 = 2
D 4 1 c3 = 2
A n=4
M  f i  6  8  6  2 M=6(4-1)-5*2-
S=6, Σfi=8,k=1. 3*2=2

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Laboratory – practical works, Mechanisms

Examples of mechanisms

1. Stamp mechanism 2. Tipping mechanism

3. Press mechanism 4. Wing flaps mechanism

5. Airplane wheel mechanism 6. Press mechanism

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Laboratory – practical works, Mechanisms

7. Cutting mechanism 8. Tipping mechanism

9. Press mechanism 10. Windshield wiper

11. Cup mechanism 12. Front loader

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Laboratory – practical works, Mechanisms

13. Cutting mechanism 14. Needle mechanism

15. Press mechanism 16. Push mechanism

17. Lifting mechanism 18. Front loader

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Laboratory – practical works, Mechanisms

19. MacPherson suspension 20. Hood mechanism

21. Lifting mechanism 22. Stirling engine

23. Window lifting mechanism 24. Window lifting mechanism

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Laboratory – practical works, Mechanisms

25. Braking mechanisms 26. Lifting mechanism

27. Windshield wiper 28. Platform

29. Lamp

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Laboratory – practical works, Mechanisms

31 32

33 34

35 36

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