BASIC CONCEPTS

Dedison Gasni, Ph.D

Mechanism
A mechanism has been defined by Reuleaux as a
combination of rigid or resistant bodies so formed
and connected that they move each other with
definite relative motion
Function of a mechanism is to transmit or transform
motion from one rigid body to another as part of
the action of a machine.

Three types of basic elements of a

mechanism
Gear systems, in which toothed members in contact
transmit motion between rotating shaft.
Cam Systems, where a uniform motion of an input
member is converted into a non-uniform motion of
the output member.
Plane and spatial linkages are also useful in
creating mechanical motions for a point or rigid
body.

Linkages can be used for three basic

tasks
Rigid body guidance, A rigid body guidance
mechanism is used to guide a rigid body through a
series of prescribed positions in space.
Path generation. A path generation mechanism will
guide a point on a rigid body through a series of
points on a specified path in space.
Function generation. A mechanism that creates an
output motion that is a specified function of the
input motion.

Terminologies of Mechanisms
A link is defined as a rigid body having two or
more pairing elements which connect it to other
bodies for the purpose of transmitting force or
motion.
In every machine, at least one link either occupies a
fixed position relative to the earth or carries the
machine as a whole along with it during motion. This
link is the frame of the machine and is called the
fixed link.
The combination of links and pairs without a fixed
link is not a mechanism but a kinematic chain.

Link
Link is an (assumed) rigid body that possesses at least two nodes that
are points for attachment to another links.
A link is an (assumed) rigid body that possesses at least two
nodes that are points for attachment to other links.

Joints
Joints is a connection between two or more links (at their
nodes), which allows some motion, or potential motion,
between the connected links.
Joints (also called kinematic pairs) can be classified in several
ways:
1. By the type of contact between the elements, line, point, or surface.
2. By the number of degrees of freedom allowed at the joint.
3. By the type of physical closure of the joint: either force or form
closed.
4. By the number of links joined (order of the joint).

Pairing Elements
Pairing elements is the geometrical forms by which two members of a
mechanism are joined together so that the relative motion between
these two members is consistent.
Reuleaux coined the term lower pair to describe joints with surface
contact (as with a pin surrounded by a hole) and the term higher
pair to describe joints with point or line contact.
Lower pair is if the joint by which two members are connected has
surface contact such as a pin joint .
Higher pair is if the connection take place at a point or along a line
such as in a ball bearing or between two gear teeth in contact.

lower pairs : revolute pairs and prismatic pairs,

Point-, line-, or curve-contact pairs are called higher

pairs

Lower Pairs in Planar Mechanisms

There are two kinds of lower pairs in planar mechanisms:
revolute pairs and prismatic pairs.
A rigid body in a plane has only three independent motions - two translational and one rotary -- so introducing either a
revolute pair or a prismatic pair between two rigid bodies
removes two degrees of freedom.

In Figure a, a rigid body is constrained by a revolute pair which

allows only rotational movement around an axis. It has one
degree of freedom, turning around point A. The two lost
degrees of freedom are translational movements along the x
and y axes. The only way the rigid body can move is to rotate
about the fixed point A.

In Figure b, a rigid body is constrained by a prismatic pair which

allows only translational motion. In two dimensions, it has one degree
of freedom, translating along the x axis. In this example, the body
has lost the ability to rotate about any axis, and it cannot move
along the y axis.

In Figure c, a rigid body is constrained by a higher pair. It has

two degrees of freedom: translating along the curved surface
and turning about the instantaneous contact point.

The six Lower Pairs

Lower pairs and Higher pairs

Drawing Kinematic Diagrams

A Mechanism and its Kinematic

Diagram

Determining Degree of Freedom or

Mobility
The concept of degree of freedom (DOF) is fundamental
to both the synthesis and analysis of mechanisms.
Degree of Freedom :
The number of inputs that need to be provided in order to
create a predictable output;
also:
The number of independent coordinates required to
define its position.

Kinematic chains or mechanisms

may be either open or closed

Open or Closed Mechanism chains

A closed mechanism will have no open attachment
points or nodes and may have one or more degrees of
freedom.
An open mechanism of more than one link will always
have more than one degree of freedom, thus requiring
as many actuators (motors) as it has DOF.
A common example of an open mechanism is an
industrial robot.
An open kinematic chain of two binary links and one joint
is called a dyad. The sets of links shown in Figure b and
c are dyads.

Degree of Freedom
The degrees of freedom (DOF) of a rigid body is
defined as the number of independent movements it
has. Degrees of Freedom determine the possible
movements of mechanisms.
there are 3 DOF

An unrestrained rigid body in space has six degrees

of freedom: three translating motions along the x, y
and z axes and three rotary motions around the x, y
and z axes respectively.

Degree of Freedom (Mobility) in

Planar Mechanisms
To determine the overall DOF of any mechanism, we
must account for the number of links and joints, and
for the interactions among them.
Any link in a plane has 3 DOF. Therefore, a system of
L unconnected links in the same plane will have 3L
DOF, as shown in Figure a below where the two
unconnected links have a total of six DOF.

Kinematic Constraints
Two or more rigid bodies in space are collectively
called a rigid body system. We can hinder the
motion of these independent rigid bodies with
kinematic constraints.
Kinematic constraints are constraints between
rigid bodies that result in the decrease of the
degrees of freedom of rigid body system.

Two unconnected Links

Connected by a Full Joint

When these links are connected by a full joint in Figure b, y1

and y2 are combined as y, and x1 and x2 are combined
as x. This removes two DOF, leaving four DOF.

Connected by a roll-slide (half) joint

In Figure c 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.

Grueblers Eqution
In addition, when any link is grounded or attached to
the reference frame, all three of its DOF will be
removed.
This reasoning leads to Grueblers equation:
M = 3L 2J 3G
where:
M = degree of freedom or mobility
L = number of links
J = number of joints
G = number of grounded links

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 Grueblers equation becomes:
M = 3(L -1) 2J
The value of J in equations above must reflect the value of all joints in the
mechanism. That is, half joints count as 1/2 because they only remove
one DOF.
It is less confusing if we use Kutzbachs equation in this form:
M = 3(L-1) 2J1 J2
where:
M = degree of freedom or mobility
L = number of links
J1 = number of 1 DOF (full) joints
J2 = number of 2 DOF (half) joints

Degree of Freedom (Mobility) in

Spatial Mechanisms
The approach used to determine the mobility of a planar
mechanism can be easily extended to three dimensions.
Each unconnected link in three-space has 6 DOF, and any
one of the six lower pairs can be used to connect them, as
can higher pairs with more freedom.
A one-freedom joint removes 5 DOF, a two-freedom joint
removes 4 DOF, etc.
Grounding a link removes 6 DOF. This leads to the Kutzbach
mobility equation for spatial linkages:
M = 6(L-1) 5J1 4J2 3J3 2J2 J5
where the subscript refers to the number of freedoms of the
joint.

MECHANISMS AND STRUCTURES

The degree of freedom of an assembly of links
completely predicts its character. There are only
three possibilities.
1.
If the DOF is positive, it will be a mechanism, and
the links will have relative motion.
2.
If the DOF is exactly zero, then it will be a structure,
and no motion is possible.
3.
If the DOF is negative, then it is a preloaded
structure, which means that no motion is possible and
some stresses may also be present at the time of
assembly.

Mechanisms, structures, and preloaded

structures