Subject: theory of

machines
Topic : cam &
followers

Concept & definition of cam followers

A cam is rotating a machine element which gives reciprocating or

oscillating motion to the another element know as follower.

The cam & follower has a point or line contact constitute a higher
pair.

According to surface contact

1 . Knife edged follower

According to motion of the follower

According to the path of motion of the followers

Offset follower

1 radial cam
2 cylindrical cam
3 wedge cam

Cylindrical cam

Wedge cam

1 .The most well known use of cams is in car engines. The Cam
operated valve system can be found in modern car engines and
incorporates a number of cams; the valves are opened by cams, fourand six-lobed cams govern the spark distribution and many car petrol
oil pumps are cam driven.

2 . These are used in wall clock

3 . These are used in feed mechanism
In automatic lathe machine

4. These are used in paper cutting

machine.

5 . It is use in textile machine

Cam terminology
The cam terminology used for drawing
cam profile & displacement diagram .
First we know the terms .
Base circle: It is the smallest circle
can be drawn to the cam profile.
Trance point: It is the reference point
of the follower & is used to generate a
pitch curve .

 Pressure

angle : It represent include the

angle at any point on the pitch curve
between line or motion of the follower &
normal to that point on the cam profile .
Pitch point : It is the point on the pitch
curve having maximum pressure angle
Pitch circle : It is a circle drawn from the
center of the cam through the pitch
point.
Prime circle : it is the smallest circle can
be drawn from center of the cam &
tangent to pitch curve .

 Cam

angle : it is the angle of rotation of the

cam for a definite displacement of the
followers
Cam profile : it is the actual working surface
of the cam with which the surface of the
follower is always in contact it transmit the
required motion to the follower.

Types of motion of the

follower
1.

Uniform velocity or uniform motion.

2.

simple harmonic motion.

3.

uniform acceleration & retardation.

1. Uniform

motion.

velocity or uniform

simple harmonic
motion

uniform acceleration & retard

Prob

1: draw the profile of disc cam

to given uniform velocity motion to
the knife edged follower during
outstroke of 60mm during 1st half
revolution. The follower again turns
to its original position with velocity
during next half of three revolution .
The minimum radius of the cam is
50mm & diameter of the cam shaft
is 35mm. The axis of follower passes
through the axis of the cam.

Given data:
out stroke of follower (s)=60mm
Minimum radius of the cam =50mm
diameter of

the cam shaft = 35mm

Angle of outstroke=180
angle of return stroke=180