Chapter 2

Structural Analysis of Planar Mechanisms

§2-1 Kinematic pair and its classification

§2-2 The Kinematic Diagram of a Mechanism

§2-3 Degree of Freedom of a Mechanism

§2-4 Points for Attention During the Calculation of DOF

§2-5 The Composition Principle

 §2-1
§2-1Kinematic
Kinematicpair
pairand
andits
itsclassification
classification
Mechanism ←link connected by→Kinematicnode pairs
Joint: is a connection between two or more links (at their nodes),
which allows some motion, or potential motion, between
the connected links. (Joint is also called kinematic pairs)

Contact method point or line→ Higher

pair
surface → Lower Pair
 1. Lower pairs: joints with surface contact

Prismatic joint Revolute joint Cylindric joint Spherical joint Helical joint Planar joint

Type P joint R joint C joint S joint H joint F joint

DOF 1 1 2 3 1 3
2. Higher pairs: joints with point or line contact

DOF 5 2
 Examples of higher pairs

Form –closed

Force –closed closed by its geometry

need external force

 Diagram of Kinematic pairs

1 1 1

Revolute joint Sliding joint Higher joint

 Some conceptions
Machine Element: minimum unit during
manufacturing

This link has several

machine elements

Binary link
Kinematic Chain: an assemblage of links and joints. If these
links are connected in such a way that no motion is possible, a
locked chain(structure) result.

Mechanism: a kinematic chain in which at lease one link has

been “grounded”, or attached, to the frame of reference (which
itself may be in motion); the links in the kinematic chain move
upon each other with definite relative motion.

Machine: a combination of resistant bodies arranged to

compel the mechanical forces of nature to do work
accompanied by determinate motion.
Characteristics of a machine:
1. Composed of man-made elements
2. The elements are arranged to transmit motion
3. Can transmit energy, and fulfill certain work for human
being.

Constitution:
Parts of a machine: normally there are four parts, namely,
Motors and Drivers, Controller, Working part, Transmission.
Crank: a link which makes a complete revolution and is
pivoted to ground.

Rocker: a link which has oscillatory (back and forth)

rotation and is pivoted to ground.

Coupler (connecting rod): a link which has complex

motion and is not pivoted to ground.

Ground (frame): any link or links that are fixed

(nonmoving) with respect to the reference frame. ( Note
that reference frame may in fact itself be in motion.)
 Coupler

Crank

Rocker
Frame or Ground

Fully rotating
revolute;
Partially rotating
revolute;
Planar mechanism: all links of a mechanism
move in planes that remains parallel to each other.
Otherwise, it is a Spatial mechanism.
 §2-2
§2-2The
TheKinematic
KinematicDiagram
Diagramof
ofaaMechanism
Mechanism
(Planar) Mechanism ←composed by links with certain movement

How to show a mechanism before studying it?

Link
Link classification
classification and
and its
its diagram:
diagram:
1. Classification ：
Fixed link (frame/ground): Reference system
Driving link (input): Motion-known links
Driven link: Other movable links
2. Diagram of Links:
(line) →one link may have several nodes

二二..机构运动简图：
机构运动简图：
3. Definition and Purpose
The kinematic diagram serves a purpose similar to that of the electrical
schematic or circuit diagram in that it displays only the essential skeleton of the
mechanism. It embodies the key dimensions that affect its motion and expresses
their connection between each others.

There are two forms: a sketch (proportional but not exactly to scale), and the
scaled kinematic diagram (usually used for further analysis:
position,displacement, velocity, acceleration, force and torque transmission,etc)

4. How to draw?
 Procedure for drawing the kinematic diagram of a
mechanism
(1)Analyse the construction, motion of the mechanism; Select a visual
angle to observe the transmission route from the driving links to output
links.

(2) Determine the type and number of kinematic pairs ；

(3) Choose a drawing plane to express the mechanism ；

(4) Choose a proper scale (=actual length(m)/length in diagram(mm)) to

draw. Be careful about the relative positions between the pairs. For
convenient reference, the links are numbered, while the joints are
lettered. The input and output are also labeled.

(5) Calculate and check the degree of freedom of the mechanism.

 The symbol represents the pairs
Gear pair
Frame

Revolute pair

Sliding pair

Cam pair
Example 1:

Example 2:

Steps ：
1.Analysis
2.Choose view and scale
3.Choose one position of the driven link
4.Make a drawing
Frame → driving links → driven links
 1.Find frame (1) 、
driving links(≥1) 、
driven links
2.Find joints

Piston pump

Jaw crusher
 §2-3
§2-3Degree
Degreeof
ofFreedom
Freedomof
ofaaMechanism
Mechanism
A.
A. DOF
DOF of
of aa free
free link
link

A free link does a planar →3 DOF

Amotion
free link does a spatial →6 DOF
motion
B.
B. Constraints
Constraints introduced
introduced by by
joint
joint
┌Lower pair →2 constraints
└higher pair →1 constraints
n t

t
n
C.
C. DOF
DOF of
of aa planar
planar mechanism
mechanism (F
(F ＞＞
0)
0)
(1) DOF formula of a planar mechanism :

F=3N-2PL-PH

F: degree of freedom or mobility

N: number of movable links
PL: number of lower pairs
PH: number of higher pairs
 (2) Conditions for a mechanism to have determined motions
One frame;
F0;
No. of driving links ＝ DOF of mechanism

Example K=4 ; n=3 ; pL=4 ; pH =0

F=3×3 － 2×4 － 0=1

Have determined motion

(F=0 → truss; more → uncertain; less → broken

 Example 1

K=5, n=K － 1=4, PL=5, No. of drivers=1

→ F=3n － 2PL － PH=3×4 － 2×5=2

→ F ＞ No. of dirvers →undetermined motion

Example 2 2

K=4, n=K － 1=3, No. of drivers=2 ， PL=4

→F=3n － 2PL － PH=3×3 － 2×4=1

→ F ＜ No. of drivers →rod 2 broken
Example 3

K=5, n=K － 1=4, PL=6

→F=3n － 2PL － PH=3×4 － 2×6=0

→ F=0 →non-movable
xample: modify the design of hand puncher

n=2,PL=3
F=0

Decrease one constraint

Increase one freedom

n=2 , PL=2, PH=1

F=1
n=3,PL=4, F=1
§2-4
§2-4Points
Pointsof
ofAttention
Attentionto
toCalculating
CalculatingDOF
DOF

A:Multiple joints (compound hinges)

B:Passive DOF
C:Redundant Constraints
 A: Multiple joints (compound hinges)

The links (>2, total m) are connected by revolute pairs in the same axis
→No. of the actual revolute joints ＞１ , ( Ｐ L ＝ m － 1)
→introduce No. of constraints ＝２ (m －１ )

Multiple joints (compound hinges)

Example:
2
5
1 3 6

4
F=3×5 － 2×7=1

2
3 5
1 6
4

F=3×5－－2×7=1
F=3×5 2×6=3 ？
Example : straight-line mechanism (disc saw )

F=3×7 － 2×6 － 0=9 ？

F=3×7 － 2×10 － 0=1

 B: Passive DOF
the independent movement of some links does not affect
other links’ motion.

→delete before the calculation of the DOF of mechanism

 F= 3×2 － 2×2 － 1
=1

F= 3×3 － 2×3 － 1
=2 ?
Delete the passive DOF
 C: Redundant Constraints
It is the repeated constraints which do not restrict
the motion of the mechanism at all.
 ① Two links form several repeated joints →
(parallel) sliding pairs 、 (coincide axes) revolute pairs.

② Symmetrical or duplicated structures which do not have independent

function for the movement transmission of the mechanism.
redundant
redundant
redundant

F=3×2 － 2×3 － 1
= －1？
F=3×4 － 2×4 － 4= 0 ？
F=3×3 － 2×3 － 2=1 F=3×2 － 2×2 － 1=1
 Example: Compound

1.Sovle: 2 3
don’t consider above 5 passive
attention points 1 redundant
8 4
K=9, n=8 6 7
PL=10 ， PH=1 ， 9
No. of drivers=2 → F=3n － 2PL － PH=3×8 － 2×10 － 1=3
→ No. of drivers ＜ F →undetermined motion→ wrong conclusion

2.resolve ：
n=7 ， PL=9 ， PH=1
F=3×7 － 2×9 － 1=2

→ No. of drivers= F →determined motion

 Example:
Solve:
passive
n ＝ 8, redundant

1 passive DOF;
1 redundant constraint; compound

1 compound hinge;
Ｐ L ＝ 11, ＰＨ＝ 1 ，

∴ Ｆ＝ 3 ｎ－ 2 ＰＬ－ＰＨ
＝ 3×8 － 2×11 － 1 ＝ 1
∵No. of the drivers ＝ 1
∴the mechanism has determined motion.
 §2-5
§2-5Composition
CompositionPrinciple
Principleof
ofMechanism
Mechanism
We know:
1. A mechanism can be divided into two parts:
the basic mechanism
(one is the frame+drivers+kinematic pairs
(which connect the frame and drivers)), the
others are the left (driven system).
2. DOF of a mechanism=number of the drivers

Then: DOF of the left= 0

 Assur groups

Inner pairs

Outer Grade Ⅱ Assur

pairs groups
Assur groups

Grade Ⅲ Assur
groups
• The DOF of the left group is zero, and no
group can be divided further into two or
more zero-DOF groups, then such groups
are called Assur groups.

• A mechanism can be assembled from a

basic mechanism by connecting Assur
groups to the determined links using outer
pairs, group by group.
Example

mechanism
 BRIEF SUMMARY

1.Basic Conceptions:
Machinery, Machine, Mechanism, Link, Manufacturing
Element, Kinematic pair, Planar mechanism, DOF

2.Basic Contents:
1.DOF calculation
2.Attention points during the calculation of DOF
3.Draw the kinematic diagram of a mechanism
4.Conditions for a mechanism to have a determined motion
 Homework

2-1 ， 2-2 ， 2-3 ， 2-4

2-6 (43, 45)
2-7(47, 49, 50, 53, 58)

Read chapter 3