Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323

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Mechanism and Machine Theory

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/mechmt

Kinematic analysis and synthesis of an adjustable six-bar linkage

Gordon R. Pennock a,*, Ali Israr b
a
School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
b
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This paper investigates the kinematics of an adjustable six-bar linkage where the rotation
Received 27 November 2007 of the input crank is converted into the oscillation of the output link. This single-degree-of
Received in revised form 9 April 2008 freedom planar linkage will be used as a variable-speed transmission mechanism where
Accepted 15 April 2008
the input crank rotates at a constant speed and the output link consists of an overrunning
Available online 5 June 2008
clutch mounted on the output shaft. The analysis uses a novel technique in which kine-
matic coefficients are obtained with respect to an independent variable. Then kinematic
inversion is used to express the kinematic coefficients with respect to the input variable
Keywords:
Adjustable six-bar linkage
of the linkage. This technique decouples the position equations and provides additional
Variable-speed transmission mechanism insight into the geometry of the adjustable linkage. The angle through which the output
Kinematic coefficients link oscillates, for each revolution of the input crank, can be adjusted by a control arm. This
Radius of curvature arm allows a fixed pivot to be temporarily released and moved along a circular arc about a
Instant centers permanent ground pivot. The paper shows how to determine the angle of oscillation of the
Toggle positions output link for a specified position of the fixed pivot and investigates the extreme positions
Control arm of the output link corresponding to the extreme positions of a point on the coupler link. For
Redesign
this reason, the paper includes a study of the geometry of the path traced by a coupler
point and determines the location of the ground pivot of the control arm which will cause
the output link to remain stationary during a complete rotation of the input crank. Finally,
the paper shows how the kinematic analysis results can be used, in a straightforward man-
ner, to redesign the control arm.
Ó 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

This paper focuses on the kinematics and design of an adjustable six-bar linkage which is proposed here as a variable-
speed transmission mechanism. Such mechanisms are used to change the ratio of the input motor speed to the output shaft
speed. Many variable-speed transmission mechanisms incorporate cams, planetary gear arrangements, multiple drive belt
and pulley systems to power a lawn mower or tractor [1], to improve the wheel drive of garden equipment [2], to connect
an air-conditioning compressor to the prime mover of the automobile [3], to improve an exercise driving mechanism [4], and
to control the movement of valves in an engine [5]. The disadvantages of such mechanisms include high manufacturing
costs, high maintenance costs, large housing requirements, shaking vibrations, and slip. Variable-speed transmission mech-
anisms based on only linkages can be used to reduce design complexity and can also be superior to alternative designs espe-
cially at high speeds. Horton [6], for example, designed a linkage-type variable-speed transmission mechanism to replace the
cone-and-belt type of drive that was used in some textile machines. Gasoline-driven railroad section cars have employed
adjustable linkages where the continuous rotation of the input crank is converted into an intermittent rotation of the output
shaft. Several of these mechanisms can be used in combination to approximate a continuous rotation to the output shaft. One

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: pennock@ecn.purdue.edu (G.R. Pennock).

0094-114X/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2008.04.007
 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323 307

approach to obtain a variable-speed output is to utilize an adjustable crank–rocker mechanism in which the length of the
crank, or the rocker, is adjusted to obtain the required oscillation range, or timing, of the stroke [7,8]. Another approach
is to relocate the coupler, or follower, joints in order to change the orientation of the mechanism to obtain the range of out-
put positions for a single rotation of the crank [9,10]. In the latter case, a control arm is commonly designed that adjusts one
of the links to rotate along a circular path. The design of such a control arm is discussed in the present paper.
Basically, the adjustable six-bar linkage presented in this paper and shown in Fig. 1 is a Stephenson III six-bar linkage [11–
13] with an additional link, referred to as the control arm. The input crank is denoted as link 2, the clutch is denoted as link 6,
the coupler link is denoted as link 4, and the control arm is denoted as link 7. The continuous rotation of the input crank is
converted into an oscillation of the clutch mounted on the output shaft. The input crank rotates at a constant speed and the
angle through which the clutch oscillates, for each revolution of the input crank, will be changed manually by moving the
location of the fixed ground pin (or pivot) P of link 5. The position of this pin is changed by unlocking the pin and moving
the control arm to a new location on the circular arc (denoted by positions 1–6 in Fig. 1).
The linkage has two modes of operation; namely: (i) the working mode in which the control arm is locked at an arbitrary
position (i.e., the position of pin P is fixed on the circular arc) and the clutch can oscillate. Since the control arm is locked then
it is a part of the ground link and the resulting linkage is a Stephenson III six-bar linkage, see Fig. 2a; and (ii) the adjustment
mode in which the clutch is locked and the control arm can move along a circular arc about a permanent ground pivot. Since
the clutch is locked then it is a part of the ground link and the resulting linkage is a Watt II six-bar linkage, see Fig. 2b. The
paper begins with a kinematic analysis of the linkage in the working mode (the adjustment mode is the focus of the redesign
or synthesis of the linkage, see Section 4). The analysis is performed using the method of kinematic coefficients [14,15] which
provides a concise description of the geometric properties of the linkage and provides insight into the point trajectory prob-
lem. The method has been applied to the kinematic analysis of a wide variety of single-degree-of-freedom planar mecha-
nisms; for example, a variable-stroke engine [16], a planar eight-bar linkage [17], and cooperating robots manipulating a
payload [18]. The technique has also been used to study the path curvature of a geared seven-bar mechanism [19] and
the double flier eight-bar linkage [20].
The paper introduces a novel technique to determine the kinematic coefficients of the linkage with respect to an indepen-
dent variable. This technique decouples the position equations and gives additional insight into the geometry of the linkage.
In order to obtain kinematic coefficients with respect to the input variable, the paper presents equations for a kinematic
inversion. The paper also investigates the extreme positions of the clutch; i.e., the clutch stops and changes direction of rota-
tion. The extreme positions of the clutch correspond to stationary positions of a point fixed in the coupler link (i.e., the veloc-
ity of the coupler point is zero). For this reason, the paper includes a kinematic analysis of the coupler point (which for
convenience is chosen here as point B). Again the method of kinematic coefficients is used to provide geometric insight into
the analysis.
The paper also addresses the problem of how to determine the angle through which the clutch will oscillate for a com-
plete rotation of the input crank. The range of angular displacement of the clutch varies with the position of the fixed ground
pivot (and the control arm) on the circular arc. In order for the linkage to be changed from the working mode to the adjust-
ment mode, the clutch must dwell for a complete rotation of the crank. This paper investigates the location of the fixed pivot
for the clutch to remain stationary in the working mode. The kinematics literature contains six-link dwell mechanisms that
convert the uniform motion of the input link into periodic, or intermittent, motion of the output link. For example, Sandgren
[21] applied nonlinear programming techniques to design multiple-dwell six-link mechanisms. Kota et al. [22,23] developed
rules of thumb for a systematic analysis and classification of straight-line, circular-arc, symmetrical curves, parallel motion,

Fig. 1. The adjustable six-bar linkage.

308 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323

Fig. 2. (a) The linkage in the working mode (the control arm is fixed). (b) The linkage in the adjustment mode (the clutch is fixed).

and dwell mechanisms. The rules were based on path curvature theory and were used to develop computer-aided-design
packages [24,25]. Drawbacks to this approach include: (i) a four-bar linkage was selected and a dyad was designed iteratively
creating computational problems; and (ii) the dwell-link did not, in fact, dwell for a complete rotation of the input crank.
A constant radius of curvature and a constant center of curvature of the path traced by the coupler point of a planar link-
age, during a complete rotation of input crank, indicate that the coupler point is moving on a circular arc. If the location of the
center of curvature of coupler point B, see Fig. 1, is coincident with point D on the clutch then the clutch will remain station-
ary for a complete rotation of the input crank. The novel technique presented in this paper will determine the geometric con-
ditions for the clutch to dwell for a complete rotation of the input crank. The geometry of the path traced by coupler point B
(i.e., the radius of curvature and the center of curvature of the path) is obtained from the method of kinematic coefficients.
Mechanisms with an exact dwell are not possible in practical engineering due to manufacturing tolerances, vibrations, and
backlash. The linkage, obtained here in the redesign, will reduce the change in the angular displacement of the clutch to a
tolerance within 0.01°.
The kinematic analysis is performed by differentiating the vector loop equations for the linkage with respect to an inde-
pendent variable that will decouple the 4  4 matrix into two 2  2 matrices. Without loss in generality, the independent
variable is chosen to be the angular position of the clutch. The determinants of the two coefficient matrices provide insight
into the conditions for the clutch to remain stationary. A study of the first determinant yields the conditions for a toggle po-
sition; i.e., the configurations of the input crank for the clutch to reach an extreme position. While a study of the second
determinant yields the conditions for the clutch to dwell, for a complete rotation of the input crank. Finally, the paper pre-
sents a redesign of the linkage; i.e., the length of the control arm and the location of the permanent ground pivot are deter-
mined, such that the linkage can operate in the working mode and the adjustment mode by rotating the control arm about
the permanent ground pivot along a circular arc.
The remainder of the paper is arranged as follows: Section 2 presents the kinematic analysis of the adjustable six-bar link-
age in the working mode. A novel technique, that ensures the output link will dwell, is explained in some detail. The section
also presents relationships that convert the kinematic coefficients with respect to an independent variable to kinematic coef-
ficients with respect to the input variable. Section 3 presents a kinematic analysis of the path traced by a point fixed in the
coupler link of the mechanism. The velocity of the coupler point, the radius of curvature and the center of curvature of the
path traced by this point are obtained in terms of kinematic coefficients. The section also shows that two toggle positions
 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323 309

correspond to two extreme positions of the output link. Section 4 presents a redesign of a control arm such that the output
link will remain stationary for a complete rotation of the input crank. Then Section 5 presents a numerical example to illus-
trate the analytical techniques and the redesign problem. Finally, Section 6 presents some conclusions and suggestions for
future research.

2. Kinematic analysis

For a given set of link dimensions and the control arm locked in a chosen position (i.e., link 7 is a part of the ground link),
the problem is to determine the angle of oscillation of the output link that corresponds to a complete rotation of the input
crank. A suitable set of vectors for the linkage are shown in Fig. 3.
Since the linkage consists of the four-bar loop O5O6DCO5 coupled to the five-bar O2ABDO6O2 then the linkage can be rep-
resented by two independent vector loop equations. The first vector loop equation can be written as
pp p p p
? C ?
 R11  R6  R4 þ R5 ¼ 0 ð1aÞ
and the second vector loop equation can be written as
p p p p pp
I ? ? ?
R2 þ R3 þ R46 þ R6  R16 ¼ 0 ð1bÞ
where the first symbol above each vector indicates the magnitude and the second symbol indicates the direction of the vec-
p
tor with respect to the fixed X-axis. The known quantities are denoted by , the unknown variables are denoted by ?, the
independent variable (or input) is denoted by I, and a constraint is denoted by C. The constraint in Eq. (1a) can be written
as
h4 ¼ h46 þ b ð2Þ
The X and Y components of Eqs. (1a) and (1b), respectively, are
 R11 cos h11  R6 cos h6  R4 cos h4 þ R5 cos h5 ¼ 0 ð3aÞ
 R11 sin h11  R6 sin h6  R4 sin h4 þ R5 sin h5 ¼ 0 ð3bÞ
R2 cos h2 þ R3 cos h3 þ R46 cos h46 þ R6 cos h6  R16 cos h16 ¼ 0 ð3cÞ

and
R2 sin h2 þ R3 sin h3 þ R46 sin h46 þ R6 sin h6  R16 sin h16 ¼ 0 ð3dÞ
The four unknown angular displacements in Eqs. (3), for a given position of the input crank, can be obtained from a numer-
ical technique, such as the Newton–Raphson iterative method.
Differentiating Eqs. (3) with respect to the input position h2 gives
þ R6 sin h6 h062 þ R4 sin h4 h042  R5 sin h5 h052 ¼ 0 ð4aÞ
 R6 cos h6 h062  R4 cos h4 h042 þ R5 cos h5 h052 ¼ 0 ð4bÞ
 R2 sin h2  R3 sin h3 h032  R46 sin h46 h042  R6 sin h6 h062 ¼ 0 ð4cÞ

Fig. 3. The vectors for the adjustable six-bar linkage.

310 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323

and
R2 cos h2 þ R3 cos h3 h032 þ R46 cos h46 h042 þ R6 cos h6 h062 ¼ 0 ð4dÞ

where the unknown variables h0j2

¼ dhj =dh2 ; ðj ¼ 3; 4; 5 and 6Þ are referred to as the first-order kinematic coefficients of the
linkage. Also, differentiating Eqs. (4) with respect to the input position h2 gives

þ R6 cos h6 h02 00 02 00 02 00
62 þ R6 sin h6 h62 þ R4 cos h4 h42 þ R4 sin h4 h42  R5 cos h5 h52  R5 sin h5 h52 ¼ 0 ð5aÞ

þ R6 sin h6 h02 00 02 00 02 00
62  R6 cos h6 h62 þ R4 sin h4 h42  R4 cos h4 h42  R5 sin h5 h52 þ R5 cos h5 h52 ¼ 0 ð5bÞ

 R2 cos h2  R3 cos h3 h02

32  R3 sin h3 h0032  R46 cos h46 h02
42  R46 sin h46 h0042  R6 cos h6 h02
62  R6 sin h6 h0062 ¼0 ð5cÞ

and

R2 sin h2  R3 sin h3 h02 00 02 00 02 00

32 þ R3 cos h3 h32  R46 sin h46 h42 þ R46 cos h46 h42  R6 sin h6 h62 þ R6 cos h6 h62 ¼ 0 ð5dÞ
2
where the unknown variables ¼d h00j2 hj =dh22 ;
ðj ¼ 3; 4; 5; and 6Þ are referred to as the second-order kinematic coefficients of
the linkage.
Eqs. (4) are four coupled equations in the first-order kinematic coefficients and Eqs. (5) are four coupled equations in
the second-order kinematic coefficients. Typically, the equations are written in matrix form (i.e., two 4  4 matrices) and
the unknown kinematic coefficients are obtained from inversions of the matrices based on a numerical technique. This
technique, however, will not be pursued here because the computation does not provide any geometrical insight. A
novel technique to solve the velocity and the acceleration problems will be presented here. The approach is to differen-
tiate the vector loop equations of the linkage with respect to an independent variable that will decouple the 4  4 ma-
trix into two 2  2 matrices; i.e., choose either h3, h4, h5, or h6. Without loss in generality, the independent variable is
chosen here to be the position of the output link 6. Then the first- and second-order kinematic coefficients, defined with
respect to the new independent variable, will be obtained from two equations and two unknowns. Finally, the concept of
kinematic inversion will be used to obtain the kinematic coefficients of link 3, 4, 5, and 6 with respect to the input
crank.
The two independent vector loop equations for the linkage, see Eqs. (1), can now be written as
pp p p p
I ? ?
 R11  R6  R4 þ R5 ¼ 0 ð6aÞ
and
p p p p pp
? ? C I
R2 þ R3 þ R46 þ R6  R16 ¼ 0 ð6bÞ
where the constraint equation is given by Eq. (2); i.e., h46 = h4  b. The X and Y components of Eqs. (6a) and (6b) are
 R11 cos h1  R6 cos h6  R4 cos h4 þ R5 cos h5 ¼ 0 ð7aÞ
 R11 sin h11  R6 sin h6  R4 sin h4 þ R5 sin h5 ¼ 0 ð7bÞ
R2 cos h2 þ R3 cos h3 þ R46 cos h46 þ R6 cos h6  R16 cos h16 ¼ 0 ð7cÞ

and
R2 sin h2 þ R3 sin h3 þ R46 sin h46 þ R6 sin h6  R16 sin h16 ¼ 0 ð7dÞ
Differentiating Eqs. (7) with respect to the independent variable h6 gives
R6 sin h6 þ R4 sin h4 h046  R5 sin h5 h056 ¼ 0 ð8aÞ
 R6 cos h6  R4 cos h4 h046 þ R5 cos h5 h056 ¼ 0 ð8bÞ
 R2 sin h2 h026  R3 sin h3 h036  R46 sin h46 h046  R6 sin h6 ¼ 0 ð8cÞ

and
R2 cos h2 h026 þ R3 cos h3 h036 þ R46 cos h46 h046 þ R6 cos h6 ¼ 0 ð8dÞ

Writing Eqs. (8a) and (8b) in matrix form gives

 " 0 #  
R4 sin h4 R5 sin h5 h46 R6 sin h6
0 ¼ ð9aÞ
R4 cos h4 þR5 cos h5 h56 þR6 cos h6

and writing Eqs. (8c) and (8d) in matrix form gives

 " # " #
R2 sin h2 R3 sin h3 h026 R46 sin h46 h046 þ R6 sin h6
¼ ð9bÞ
R2 cos h2 R3 cos h3 h036 R46 cos h46 h046  R6 cos h6
 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323 311

Using Cramer’s rule, the first-order kinematic coefficients can be written from Eqs. (9) as
R6 sinðh5  h6 Þ
h046 ¼ ð10aÞ
R4 sinðh4  h5 Þ
R6 sinðh4  h6 Þ
h056 ¼ ð10bÞ
R5 sinðh4  h5 Þ
R46 sinðh46  h3 Þh046 þ R6 sinðh6  h3 Þ
h026 ¼ ð10cÞ
R2 sinðh3  h2 Þ
and

R46 sinðh2  h46 Þh046 þ R6 sinðh2  h6 Þ

h036 ¼ ð10dÞ
R3 sinðh3  h2 Þ
Differentiating Eqs. (8) with respect to the independent variable h6 gives

R6 cos h6 þ R4 cos h4 h02 00 02 00

46 þ R4 sin h4 h46  R5 cos h5 h56  R5 sin h5 h56 ¼ 0 ð11aÞ
02 00 02 00
R6 sin h6 þ R4 sin h4 h46  R4 cos h4 h46  R5 sin h5 h56 þ R5 cos h5 h56 ¼ 0 ð11bÞ
 R2 ðcos h2 h02 00 02 00 02 00
26 þ sin h2 h26 Þ  R3 ðcos h3 h36 þ sin h3 h36 Þ  R46 ðcos h46 h46 þ sin h46 h46 Þ  R6 cos h6 ¼ 0 ð11cÞ

and

R2 ðsin h2 h02 00 02 00 02 00

26  cos h2 h26 Þ  R3 ðsin h3 h36  cos h3 h36 Þ  R46 ðsin h46 h46  cos h46 h46 Þ  R6 sin h6 ¼ 0 ð11dÞ

Writing Eqs. (11a) and (11b) in matrix form gives

  00   
R4 sin h4 R5 sin h5 h46 R6 cos h6  R4 cos h4 h02 02
46 þ R5 cos h5 h56
00 ¼ 02 02 ð12aÞ
R4 cos h4 þR5 cos h5 h56 R6 sin h6  R4 sin h4 h46 þ R5 sin h5 h56

and writing Eqs. (11c) and (11d) in matrix form gives

 " 00 # " #
R2 sin h2 R3 sin h3 h26 R2 cos h2 h02 02 02 00
26 þ R3 cos h3 h36 þ R46 cos h46 h46 þ R46 sin h46 h46 þ R6 cos h6
¼ ð12bÞ
R2 cos h2 R3 cos h3 h0036 R2 sin h2 h02 02 02 00
26 þ R3 sin h3 h36 þ R46 sin h46 h46  R46 cos h46 h46 þ R6 sin h6

Using Cramer’s rule, the second-order kinematic coefficients can be written from Eqs. (12) as

R6 cosðh6  h5 Þ þ R5 h02 02

56  R4 cosðh4  h5 Þh46
h0046 ¼ ð13aÞ
R4 sinðh4  h5 Þ
R6 cosðh4  h6 Þ  R4 h02
þ R5 cosðh4  h5 Þh02
h0056 ¼ 46 56
ð13bÞ
R5 sinðh4  h5 Þ
R2 cosðh2  h3 Þh02 þ R3 h02 þ R46 ½cosðh46 h3 Þh02 þ sinðh46  h3 Þh0046  þ R6 cosðh6  h3 Þ
h0026 ¼ 26 36 46
ð13cÞ
R2 sinðh3  h2 Þ
and

R2 h02 02 02 00
26  R3 cosðh2  h3 Þh36  R46 ½cosðh46  h2 Þh46  sinðh2  h46 Þh46   R6 cosðh6  h2 Þ
h0036 ¼ ð13dÞ
R3 sinðh3  h2 Þ
Note that the kinematic coefficients of links 2, 3, 4, and 5, as given by Eqs. (10) and (13), are evaluated with respect to the
independent variable h6. The kinematic coefficients of links 3, 4, 5, and 6 with respect to the input crank 2 can be evaluated as
follows:

(i) The first-order kinematic coefficient of the clutch 6 with respect to the input crank, defined as h026 ¼ dh2 =dh6 , can be
written as
1
h062 ¼ 0 ð14Þ
h26

Therefore, the second-order kinematic coefficient of the clutch with respect to the input crank can be written as
 
dh0 d 1
h0062 ¼ 62 ¼ ð15aÞ
dh2 dh2 h026

Using the quotient rule, Eq. (15a) can be written as

! 
00 0  dh026 =dh2 dh026 =dh6 dh6 h00
h62 ¼ 02
¼ 02
¼  26 ð15bÞ
h26 h26 dh2 h03
26

Then substituting Eq. (14) into this equation, the second-order kinematic coefficient of the clutch with respect to the input
crank can be written as
312 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323

h0062 ¼ h0026 h03

62 ð16Þ

(ii) The first and second-order kinematic coefficients of link j (= 3, 4, and 5) with respect to the input crank 2 can be writ-
ten, respectively, as

  
dhj dhj dh6
h0j2 ¼ ¼ ¼ h0j6 h062 ð17aÞ
dh2 dh6 dh2
and
d
h00j2 ¼ ðh0 h0 Þ ¼ h00j6 h02 0 00
62 þ hj6 h62 ð17bÞ
dh2 j6 62
Finally, the angular velocity and angular acceleration of link j (=3, 4, 5, and 6) can be written in terms of the first- and second-
order kinematic coefficients of link j as
xj ¼ h0j2 x2 and aj ¼ h00j2 x22 þ h0j2 a2 ð18Þ

The following section presents a procedure to obtain the velocity and acceleration of coupler point B, and the radius and cen-
ter of curvature of the path traced by this point. The section also investigates the extreme positions of the clutch and shows
that the clutch will dwell, and then change direction of rotation, at a toggle position.

3. Geometry of the path traced by a coupler point

Consistent with the previous section, the kinematics of coupler point B and the geometry of the path traced by this point
will be investigated using the method of kinematic coefficients. The vectors for a kinematic analysis of point B are shown in
Fig. 4 and the vector equation for this point can be written as
p pp
?? I
RB ¼ R2 þ R3 ð19Þ
The X and Y components of Eq. (19) are
X B ¼ R2 cos h2 þ R3 cos h3 ð20aÞ
and
Y B ¼ R2 sin h2 þ R3 sin h3 ð20bÞ
Differentiating Eqs. (20) with respect to the input position h2, the first-order kinematic coefficients of point B are
X 0B ¼ R2 sin h2  R3 sin h3 h032 ð21aÞ

Fig. 4. The vectors for coupler point B.

 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323 313

and
Y 0B ¼ R2 cos h2 þ R3 cos h3 h032 ð21bÞ

where the first-order kinematic coefficient h032

is known from the kinematic analysis of the linkage, see Eq. (17a). Differen-
tiating Eqs. (21) with respect to the input position h2, the second-order kinematic coefficients of point B are

X 00B ¼ R2 cos h2  R3 cos h3 h02 00

32  R3 sin h3 h32 ð22aÞ

and

Y 00B ¼ R2 sin h2  R3 sin h3 h02 00

32 þ R3 cos h3 h32 ð22bÞ

where the second-order kinematic coefficient h0032

is known from the kinematic analysis of the linkage, see Eq. (17b). The
velocity and acceleration of point B can be written, respectively, as

V B ¼ ðX 0B^i þ Y 0B^jÞx2 ð23aÞ

and

AB ¼ ðX 00B^i þ Y 00B^jÞx22 þ ðX 0B^i þ Y 0B^jÞa2 ð23bÞ

The unit tangent and the unit normal vectors to the path of point B can be written, respectively, as

X 0B^i þ Y 0B^j
^t ¼
u ð24aÞ
R0B

and

^u Y 0B^i þ X 0B^j

^n ¼ k
u ^t ¼ ð24bÞ
R0B

where
qffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
R0B ¼  X 02
B þ YB
02
ð25Þ

Sign convention: The positive sign is used in Eq. (25) if the change in the input position is specified as positive (i.e., counter-
clockwise) and the negative sign is used if the change in the input position is specified as negative (i.e., clockwise). For pur-
poses of illustration, this paper will assume that the change in the input position is specified as counterclockwise.
The radius of the curvature of the path traced by point B can be written as

V 2B
qB ¼ ð26aÞ
AnB

where the normal acceleration of point B can be written as

AnB ¼ AB  u
n ð26bÞ

Substituting Eqs. (23b) and (24b) into Eq. (26b) and performing the dot product, the normal acceleration of point B can be
written as
ðX 0B Y 00B  Y 0B X 00B Þx2
AnB ¼ ð27Þ
R0B

Then substituting Eqs. (23a) and (27) into Eq. (26a) and using Eq. (25), the radius of the curvature of the path traced by point
B can be written as

R03
B
qB ¼ ð28Þ
X 0B Y 00B  Y 0B X 00B

The Cartesian coordinates of the center of the curvature of the path traced by point B can be written as
Xcc ¼ X B þ qB ðun Þx ð29aÞ

and
Ycc ¼ Y B þ qB ðun Þy ð29bÞ

Substituting Eq. (24b) into Eqs. (29), the Cartesian coordinates of the center of the curvature of the path traced by point B can
be written as
 0
Y
Xcc ¼ X B  qB 0B ð30aÞ
RB
314 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323

and
 0
XB
Ycc ¼ Y B þ qB ð30bÞ
R0B

Eqs. (28) and (30) will be used in Section 5 to investigate the rotation of the clutch in the redesign problem. The following
subsection is a study of the toggle positions of the mechanism.

3.1. Toggle positions

The extreme positions of the clutch occur when the determinant of the coefficient matrix in Eq. (9b) is zero i.e.,
DET ¼ R2 R3 sinðh3  h2 Þ ¼ 0 ð31aÞ
Therefore, the conditions are
h3 ¼ h2 or h3 ¼ h2 þ 180 ð31bÞ
This corresponds to special configurations of the linkage (referred to here as toggle positions); i.e., links 2 and 3 are either
aligned or folded on top of each other. In these positions, the first- and second-order kinematic coefficients h026 ; h036 ; h0026 , and
h0036 will tend to infinity, see Eqs. (10c), (10d), (13c) and (13d). Also, in these positions, a small change in the angular displace-
ment h6 will have a significant effect on the change in the angular displacements h2 and h3. Conversely, the clutch will dwell
when the conditions given by Eq. (31b) are satisfied.
Recall that the first-order kinematic coefficient of link 3 can be written from Eqs. (14) and (17a) as
h032 ¼ h036 =h026 ð32aÞ

Fig. 5. (a and b) The location of the instant centers.

 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323 315

Substituting Eqs. (10c) and (10d) into this equation gives

R2 ½R46 sinðh2  h46 Þh046 þ R6 sinðh2  h6 Þ
h032 ¼ ð32bÞ
R3 ½R46 sinðh46  h3 Þh046 þ R6 sinðh6  h3 Þ

Now substituting the toggle position h3 = h2 into this equation, the first-order kinematic coefficient of link 3 can be written as
R2
h032 ¼  ð32cÞ
R3
Substituting Eq. (32c) into Eqs. (21a) and (21b), the first-order kinematic coefficients of point B are zero which indicates that
the velocity of this point is zero, see Eq. (23a). This result can be verified in a straightforward manner by locating the instan-
taneous centers of zero velocity (henceforth referred to as instant centers) of the mechanism. The locations of the instant
centers when h3 = h2 are as shown in Fig. 5a. Note that the instant center of link 2 with respect to the ground link (i.e., de-
noted here as I12) is coincident with the instant centers of link 2 with respect to links 4, 5, and 6 (i.e., I24, I25, and I26) indi-
cating that links 4, 5, and 6 dwell in this configuration. Similar results are obtained for the toggle position h2 = h3 + 180°. The
conclusion is that at a toggle position (which corresponds to an extreme position of the output clutch), the clutch will stop
and the direction of rotation of the clutch is about to change.
The following section is a discussion of the location of the fixed pivot of link 5 to ensure that the clutch will remain sta-
tionary for a complete rotation of the input crank. In order to satisfy this condition, it is necessary that: (i) the coupler link
must rotate with respect to point D, and (ii) the path traced by coupler point B must be a circular arc. The section will also
include a discussion on the length and the location of the control arm when the dimensions of the remaining links are
unchanged.

4. Redesign of the linkage

This section shows how to determine the conditions for the clutch to remain stationary and includes a discussion of the
length and location of the control arm. When the linkage is changed from the working mode to the adjustment mode, the
clutch must be stopped. Then the control arm must be rotated such that the fixed pivot moves to a new location along a
circular arc whose center is the ground pivot OP, see Fig. 2b. The solution to this problem occurs when the determinant of
the coefficient matrix in Eq. (9a) is zero; i.e.,
DET ¼ R4 R5 sinðh4  h5 Þ ¼ 0 ð33aÞ
The solutions are
h4 ¼ h5 or h5 ¼ h4 þ 180 ð33bÞ
i.e., the linkage is in a special configuration (links 4 and 5 are either aligned or folded on top of each other). In this position,
the first- and second-order kinematic coefficients h046 ; h056 ; h0046 , and h0056 will tend to infinity, see Eqs. (10a), (10b), (13a) and
(13b), which implies that a small change in h6 will have a significant effect on the change in h4 and h5. However, a change
in h4 and h5 will have no effect on the change in h6. So the clutch will dwell if the angle of link 5 is same as the angle of link 4
(denoted by the vector R4 in Fig. 3). For this special configuration, the coupler link 4 rotates with respect to point D such that
point D coincides with the center of curvature of the path traced by coupler point B. The result is that the radius of curvature
of the path traced by point B is a constant (i.e., point B moves on a circular arc about the pivot D). This configuration can be
explained by a study of the location of the instant centers, see Fig. 5b.
Note that the absolute instant centers of links 4 and 5 (i.e., I14 and I15) coincide with pin D and the instant centers of link 4
relative to links 1, 2, 3 and 6 coincide with the corresponding instant centers of link 5 (i.e., I14 and I15, I24 and I25, I34 and I35,
and I46 and I56), indicating that links 4 and 5 behave as a single link rotating about point D. Also, the absolute instant centers
having a 1 or a 6 subscript (i.e., I12 and I26, I13 and I36, I14 and I46, and I15 and I56) are coincident implying that link 6 is instan-
taneously the ground link. Therefore, the Stephenson III six-bar linkage becomes a four-bar crank–rocker linkage in the spe-
cial configuration given by Eq. (33b).

Table 1
The dimensions of a variable-speed mechanism

Links Vectors Length (cm)

O2A R2 15
O2O6 R16 80
AB R3 40
BD R46 45
CD R4 30
CO5 R5 30
DO6 R6 20
O5O6 R11 45
316 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323

Including the control arm, the angular position of link 5 can be adjusted by rotating the control arm with respect to the
ground pivot OP and keeping the clutch in the adjustment mode. For the given linkage, the free end of the control arm moves
along a circular arc that must pass through points P and D. This means that the ground pivot OP must be equidistant from
points P and D. An infinite number of locations of OP exist for the control arm and they must lie on the perpendicular bisector
of the line joining points P and D.
For purposes of illustration, the following section will present a numerical example of the kinematic analysis and the
kinematic synthesis of a variable-speed transmission mechanism. The section will address the following three problems:
(I) Given the length of the control arm, determine the angular displacement of the clutch when point P is fixed at locations
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the circular arc. These positions allow link 2 to be a crank. This problem is investigated by fixing the
ground pivot P at a location along the circular arc and using Eqs. (3) to solve for the unknown angular positions. The method
is repeated for several locations of the ground pivot for the input link to be a crank. If a specific configuration of the linkage is
not possible due to the dimensional constraints then Eq. (3) does not converge to a solution. (II) Given the length of the con-
trol arm (i.e., the control arm is locked at point P which is location 1 in Fig. 1), determine the radius of curvature and the
center of curvature of the path traced by a coupler point for a complete rotation of the crank, see Eqs. (21), (28), and
(30). (III) For the given six-bar linkage, select the location of the ground pivot OP and the length of the control arm that will
ensure the clutch to remain stationary for a complete rotation of the crank. Due to design tolerances the clutch is allowed to

Fig. 6. (a) The input–output relationship. (b) The angular positions of links 4 and 5 against the input crank position.
 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323 317

have a small change in angular displacement (i.e., <0.01°). Therefore, a point close to pin D is considered as the center of cur-
vature of the path traced by point B; i.e., the control arm must be redesigned such the ground pin P will be close to the pin D.
Also, the angular displacement of the clutch, when point P is fixed on the circular arc for the input link 2 to be a crank, is
investigated.

Fig. 7. (a) The radius and (b) center of curvature of the path traced by point B.

Table 2
The angular variation of the clutch

Angular position of control arm, h7 (deg) Angular variation of clutch, h6 (deg)

130 80.30
135 51.76
140 39.83
145 30.66
150 22.61
155 14.89
160 6.84
318 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323

5. Numerical example

(I) Kinematic analysis. The dimensions of a variable-speed transmission mechanism, with the notation shown in Fig. 3, are
presented in Table 1.
The angle \CDB = b = 15° and the ground links O2O5, O5O6 and O2O6 make angles of 178°, 251°, and 210°, respectively,
with the horizontal X-axis. The location of the fixed ground pivot O5 (or pin P) is O2 O5 = R15 = 55 cm, and the ground pivot
OP is located 40 cm at an angle of 239° from the ground pivot O2. The length of the control arm is 50 cm and the angle the arm
makes with the X-axis is 133°.
Three problems are addressed here, namely: (i) the variation in the angular position of clutch link for a complete revo-
lution of the input crank and the angular variations of links 4 and 5 for a complete revolution of the input crank; (ii) the
radius of curvature and the center of curvature of the path traced by point B; and (iii) for the given control arm and location
of the control arm: (a) the angle of the control arm such that input is a crank; and (b) the angular variation of the clutch for
the fixed ground pivot P positioned along the arc. The procedure to solve problem (i) is to determine the angular position of
links 3, 4, 5 and 6, see Eqs. (3), from the Newton–Raphson iterative technique. The procedure to solve problem (ii) is to deter-
mine the radius of curvature and the center of curvature of path traced by point B from Eqs. (28) and (30). Finally, the pro-
cedure to solve problem (iii) is to repeat problem (i) for different positions of the fixed pivot P. If the geometry of the
mechanism does not permit the input link to be a crank then Eqs. (3) will not converge and a solution will not exist.
Solution to problem (i). A plot of the angular position of the clutch against the position of the input crank is shown in
Fig. 6a. The plot shows that the clutch oscillates from h6 = 236.5° to h6 = 293°; i.e., a total angular variation D h6 = 56.5°,
for one rotation of the input crank.
Plots of the angular positions of links 4 and 5 against the position of the input crank are shown in Fig. 6b. Since the angular
positions of links 4 and 5 are not the same then the determinant in Eq. (33a) cannot be zero.
Solution to problem (ii). Substituting the given data into Eqs. (10) and (13) and the results into Eqs. (14)–(17) gives the
kinematic coefficients. Then substituting the known values into Eqs. (19)–(28) gives the radius of curvature of the path
traced by point B, see Fig. 7a. Note that the radius of curvature varies from 12.8 cm at the crank position h2 = 228° to
45.2 cm at crank position h2 = 137°. The discontinuities, which occur at the crank positions h2 = 57° and h2 = 228°, are due
to a change in the direction of rotation of the coupler link 4 at the two toggle positions given by Eqs. (31b). Finally, substi-
tuting the known values into Eqs. (30) gives the center of curvature of the path traced by point B, see Fig. 7b.
Solution to problem (iii). The procedure is to position the control arm from 0° 6 h7 6 360° with differentials of Dh7 = 5° and
repeat problem (i). The position of the control arm where the input is the crank and the corresponding angular variation of
clutch is presented in Table 2. The input link is a crank for the control arm positions 130° 6 h7 6 160°.
(II) Kinematic synthesis. The problem is to redesign the control arm so as to maintain the angular change of the clutch to a
tolerance within 0.01°. The dimensions of links 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and the location of the ground pivots of links 2 and 6 are as
given in Table 1.
Recall that Section 4 showed that the clutch will dwell when the angle of links 4 and 5 are the same. The first condition
given by Eq. (33b) is used here to satisfy the objective that the clutch will remain stationary for a complete rotation of the
input crank. This is possible when the fixed pivot P coincides with point D as shown in Fig. 5b. The redesigned mechanism is
shown in Fig. 8. In this case, the length of the control arm is 16.78 cm and the location of the ground pivot OP is 48.612 cm at
an angle of 195.3° from the fixed X-axis.

Fig. 8. The redesigned mechanism.

 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323 319

The length and the location of the control arm are chosen arbitrarily based on the constraints defined above. One con-
straint is that the arm must pass through point D, in order for the clutch to remain stationary, and through point P (there
are an infinite number of arcs that join these two points). Another constraint is that as point P moves along the arc, the mech-
anism should avoid a configuration that is not physically possible. In order for the input to be a crank that satisfies these
constraints, the length and location of the control arm were designed manually.
The angular change of link 3 for the entire rotation of the input crank is shown in Fig. 9a. The figure also shows dashed
lines corresponding to the positions h3 = h2 + 180° and h3 = h2, see Eq. (31b). The points of intersection of the dashed lines
with the contour representing the angular variation of link 3 are the two toggle positions discussed in Section 3.1. The
two toggle positions correspond to the input crank positions h2 = 49° and h2 = 242°, as shown in Fig. 9a.
The angular change of links 4 and 5 for a complete revolution of the input crank, when the ground pivot P is close to point
D, is shown in Fig. 9b. The angular positions of links 4 and 5 are identical (to the second decimal place) for a complete rota-
tion of the input crank. Comparing Fig. 9b with Fig. 6b, the conclusion is that the condition given by Eq. (33b) is satisfied by
positioning the ground pivot P close to point D.

Fig. 9. (a) The angular position of (a) link 3 and (b) links 4 and 5 against the input crank position.
320 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323

Fig. 10. (a) The radius and (b) center of curvature of the path traced by point B.

Table 3
The angular variation of the clutch

Angular position of control arm, h7 (deg) Angular variation of clutch, h6 (deg)

100 83.23
115 60.07
130 47.14
145 36.66
160 27.40
175 18.80
190 10.67
205 3.19
212.26 0.003
220 2.86
235 5.73
250 2.19
 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323 321

The radius of curvature of the path traced by point B, for a complete rotation of the input crank, is shown in Fig. 10a. The
radius of curvature, unlike Fig. 7a, is a constant 45 cm indicating that the coupler link 4 rotates about a fixed point on a cir-
cular path.
The discontinuities in the radius of curvature occur at the crank positions h2 = 49° and h2 = 242° which are the toggle posi-
tions. The direction of rotation of the coupler link 4 will change at these positions.
The center of curvature of the path traced by point B, for a complete rotation of the input crank, for the redesigned mech-
anism is shown in Fig. 10b. Comparing this figure with the center of curvature of the path traced by point B for the existing
mechanism, see Fig 7(b), the center of curvature for the redesigned linkage is constant and is in close proximity to the pivot
point D.
The change in the angular position of the clutch, when the ground pivot P is coincident with point D, varies from
h6 = 245.820° to h6 = 245.823°; i.e., a total angular variation D h6 = 0.003°, for one rotation of the input crank. In the original
linkage, the clutch oscillates from h6 = 236.5° to h6 = 293°; i.e., a total angular variation of D h6 = 56.5°. Table 3 shows that the

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

-10
-35 -30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5

Fig. 11. Polar diagram representation of the oscillation of the clutch.

Fig. 12. The angular variation of the clutch versus the position of the control arm.
322 G.R. Pennock, A. Israr / Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 306–323

angular variation of the clutch as the ground pivot P is moved along the circular arc from h7 = 100° to h7 = 250° in increments
of Dh7 = 15°. The table also includes the angular position of the control arm at which the angular variation of the clutch is
Dh6 = 0.003° (i.e., h7 = 212.26°).
For illustration purposes, the data presented in Table 3 is plotted in Fig. 11 as a polar diagram where each line represents a
vector. The magnitude of the vector is the angle of oscillation of the clutch and the direction of the vector is the angle of the
control arm. This diagram represents the oscillation of the clutch with the control arm at the fixed ground pivot P. Note that
the maximum angular variation (or oscillation) of the clutch is approximately 86° (approximately one quarter of a revolu-
tion) at h7 = 99.6°.
The data presented in Tables 2 and 3 can be directly compared by plotting the angular variation of the clutch against
the position of the control arm (for the original mechanism and the redesigned mechanism), see Fig. 12. The abscissa is
the angle of the control arm h7 and the ordinate is the angular variation of the clutch Dh6. Note that in the actual mech-
anism, the input link is a crank for 130° 6 h7 6 160°. In the redesigned mechanism, the input link is a crank for
100° 6 h7 6 250°. The maximum angular variation of the clutch is approximately 86° (approximately one quarter of a rev-
olution) when h7 = 99.6°.

6. Conclusions

This paper presents a kinematic analysis and a kinematic synthesis of an adjustable six-bar linkage which is proposed as a
variable-speed transmission mechanism. The rotation of the input crank is converted into the oscillation of an overrunning
clutch mounted on the output shaft. The angle through which the clutch oscillates, for each revolution of the input crank, can
be varied by changing the position of a fixed ground pivot along a circular arc. The paper shows how to determine this angle
for a specified position of this ground pivot. The paper includes a novel technique to decouple a 4  4 matrix into two 2  2
matrices using an independent variable other than the input position and presents inversion expressions in order to convert
variables back in term of the input variable. The conditions for the clutch to dwell can be obtained from the determinants of
these two matrices. One determinant provides the configuration of the mechanism in the extreme positions of the clutch.
The other determinant specifies a condition for the clutch to remain stationary for a complete rotation of the crank. The pa-
per also provides relationships between kinematic coefficients relative to an independent variable and kinematic coefficients
relative to the input variable. The paper also investigates the geometry of a coupler point and determines the relations for the
velocity and acceleration of a coupler point, the radius of curvature and the center of curvature of the path traced by this
coupler point. These relations determine if the clutch dwells in a toggle position or during a complete rotation of the crank.
Finally, the paper shows how to design a control arm where a fixed pivot can be temporarily released and moved on a cir-
cular arc about a permanent ground point. The authors believe that the work presented in this paper provides geometrical
insight into the kinematic analysis and synthesis of an adjustable six-bar linkage, in particular, and planar single-degree-of
freedom mechanisms, in general.

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