Mechanisms of Machinery

(MEng 3071)

Chapter 1: introduction

By Haile Simachew

1 March 2013 E.c

01/27/2024
 Machinery:

 machines collectively, or
 the components of a machine.
Machine:
Machine is a device which receives energy and
transforms it into some useful work.
A machine consists of a number of parts or
bodies called mechanism.
In this chapter, we shall study about
mechanisms
2 01/27/2024
 Structure

 It is an assemblage of a number of resistant bodies

(known as members) having no relative motion between

them and meant for carrying loads having straining

action.

 A railway bridge,

 a roof truss,

 machine frames etc., are the examples

3 of a structure. 01/27/2024
What is the difference between a machine and a
structure?
The following differences between a machine and a structure are

important from the subject point of view :

1) The parts of a machine move relative to one another, whereas the

members of a structure do not move relative to one another.

2) A machine transforms the available energy into some useful work,

whereas in a structure no energy is transformed into useful work.

3) The links of a machine may transmit both power and motion, while

the members of a structure transmit forces only.

4 01/27/2024
 Mechanism
 A mechanism is a heart of a machine.
 It is the mechanical portion of the machine that has the
function of transferring motion and forces from a
power source to an output.

 Mechanism is a system of rigid elements (linkages)

arranged and connected to transmit motion in a
predetermined fashion.

 Mechanism consists of linkages and joints.

5 01/27/2024
 Mechanism (Multibody system):
 Formed and connected that they may move upon each

other.
 Connected by movable joints, with one link fixed and

having the purpose of transforming motion.

 The resistant bodies are connected by movable joints

or pairing elements.
 A mechanism is obtained by fixing one of the links of

a kinematic chain to the ground or frame.

6 01/27/2024
 Example of Mechanism

Can crusher
Simple press

Rear-window wiper

7 01/27/2024
 Example of Mechanisms

Moves packages from an assembly

bench to a conveyor

Lift platform
8 01/27/2024
 Example of Mechanisms

Lift platform

Front loader

Device to close the

top flap of boxes

9 01/27/2024
 Kinematic Link or Element
A link: is a rigid body having two or more pairing elements by

means of which it may be connected to other bodies for the

purpose of transmitting force or motion.

 A simple link has two pairing elements whereas a compound

link has more than two pairing elements.

10 01/27/2024
 Kinematic Link or Element
A link, as shown is an (assumed) rigid body which

possesses at least two nodes which are points

for attachment to other links.
 Binary link - one with two nodes.
 Ternary link - one with three nodes.
 Quaternary link - one with four nodes.

11 01/27/2024
 Kinematic Link or Element
 A link should have the following two characteristics:

1. It should have relative motion, and

2. It must be a resistant body.

 A body is said to be a resistant body if it is capable of

transmitting the required forces with negligible

deformation.

12 01/27/2024
 Types of Links
 In order to transmit motion, the driver and the follower

may be connected by the following three types of links :

1) Rigid link. A rigid link is one which does not undergo

any deformation while transmitting motion.
 Strictly speaking, rigid links do not exist. However, as

the deformation of a connecting rod, crank etc. of a

reciprocating steam engine is not appreciable, they can
be considered as rigid links.

13 01/27/2024
 2) Flexible link. A flexible link is one
which is partly deformed in a manner
not to affect the transmission of
motion.
For example, belts, ropes, chains and
wires are flexible links and transmit
tensile forces only.
3) Fluid link. A fluid link is one which
is formed by having a fluid in a
receptacle and the motion is
transmitted through the fluid by
pressure or compression only, as in
the case of hydraulic presses, jacks
and brakes.
14 01/27/2024
 Kinematic chain:
Kinematic chain the arrangement of links in a chain
fashion which permits relative motion between the
links. Kinematic chains are classified into two:
i) open-loop kinematic chains in which the links are
composed without closed branches, and
ii) closed-loop kinematic chains in which the links form
closed loops.

15 01/27/2024
 Kinematic chain:
 A mechanism is obtained by fixing one of the links of a kinematic

chain to the ground or frame.

 For example, in the slider-crank mechanism shown in Fig. below,

link 1 is the ground or frame which is stationary, link 2 is the

crank, link 3 the connecting rod and link 4 the slider. The slider
crank mechanism is commonly used in internal combustion engines.

16 01/27/2024
 Kinematic Pair:
A kinematic pair is a pair of elements or rigid bodies,
permanently kept in contact, so that there exists a

relative movement between these elements.

 Kinematic pairs are joined by pairing elements which

allow the relative motion.

 In the slider-crank mechanism shown above, links 1 and

2, 2 and 3, 3 and 4, are kinematic pairs joined by pin
joints; links 4 and 1 also form a kinematic pair joined by

17 the sliding element. 01/27/2024

 Transmission of Motion
 Motion is transmitted from one member to another in

three ways:
a) by direct contact between two members;
b) through an intermediate link or a connecting rod;
c) by a flexible connector such as belt or chain.
In the transmission of motion one element of the

mechanism must be a driver and another element

must be a driven element or a follower.

18 01/27/2024
 Degree of Freedom (Mobility)
 Mobility is one of the most fundamental concepts to the

study of kinematics.
 Defined as the number of independent movements
mechanism has.
 Is the minimum number of independent parameters
required to specify the location of every link within a
mechanism.
 The minimum number of coordinates required to fully

describe the configuration of mechanism is called the

19
number of degree of freedom. 01/27/2024
 Degree of Freedom
 The number of inputs which need to be provided in order to

create a predictable output.

 The number of independent coordinates required to define its
position.
 To determine the overall DOF of any mechanism, we must account for

the number of;

 links

 joints and

 for the interactions among them.

 The DOF of any assembly of links can be predicted from an investigation

of the Gruebler condition.

20 01/27/2024
 Degree of Freedom
Any link in a plane has 3 DOF.

Therefore, a system of L unconnected links in the

same plane will have 3L DOF.

Two unconnected links have six DOF.

21 01/27/2024
 Degree of Freedom
 If the two links are pinned together at a point by means of a revolute

joint, the two-link system will possess only four degrees of freedom.
 Combination of two links by a full joint removes two DOF, leaving four

DOF.

 Combination of two links by a full joint removes two DOF, leaving four

DOF.
22 01/27/2024
 Degree of Freedom
The half joint removes only one DOF from the
system (because a half joint has two DOF),
leaving the system of two links connected by a
half joint with a total of five DOF.

23 01/27/2024
 Degree of Freedom
 When any link is grounded or attached to the reference

frame, all three of its DOF will be removed.

 Gruebler's equation:

M=3L-2J-3G

 where: M = degree of freedom or mobility

L = number of links

J = number of joints
24 G = number of grounded links 01/27/2024
 Degree of Freedom
 Note that in any real mechanism, even if more than one link of the

kinematic chain is grounded, the net effect will be to create one

larger, higher-order ground link, as there can be only one ground

plane. Thus G is always one, and Gruebler's equation becomes:

M=3(L-1)-2J

 The value of J in the above equations must reflect the value of all

joints in the mechanism. That is, half joints count as ½ because they

remove one DOF. It is less confusing if we use Kutzbach’s

modification of Gruebler’s equation in this form

25 01/27/2024
 Degree of Freedom

M=3(L-1)-2J1 – J2

where: M = degree of freedom or mobility

L = number of links

Jl = number of 1DOF (full) joints (lower pair)

J2 = number of 2 DOF (half) joints (higher pair)

26 01/27/2024
 Commonly used Joints and their DOF

27 01/27/2024
 Degree of Freedom

28 01/27/2024
 Degree of Freedom

29 01/27/2024
 Degree of Freedom
Car window wiper mechanism.

30 01/27/2024
 Degree of Freedom

31 01/27/2024
 THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

32 01/27/2024
 Quiz 1 (5%)
1) Clearly define what is mechanism?
2) List down the types of links?
3) Calculate the DOF by using Gruebler’s and kutzbach’s
criteria's?

33 01/27/2024