THE FOUR BAR CHAIN

INTRODUCTION:

 A FOUR BAR LINKAGE IS THE SIMPLEST MOVABLE CLOSED CHAIN LINKAGE.IT

CONSISTS OF FOUR BODIES,CALLED BARS OR LINKS, CONNECTED IN A LOOP BY FOUR
JOINTS.

 GENERALLY,THE JOINTS ARE CONFIGUERED SO THE LINKS MOVE IN PARALLEL

PLANES,& THE ASSEMBLY IS CALLED A PLANAR FOUR-BAR LINKAGE.
 When one of the link is fixed, it is known as a linkage or mechanism. A link that makes
complete revolution is called the crank, the link opposite to the fixed link is called the
coupler, and the fourth link is called a lever or rocker if it oscillates or another crank, if it
rotates.

 Necessary conditions for the link a to be the

crank is :

the shortest link is fixed

 the sum of shortest and longest links is less
than the sum of the other two links
Crank Crank Mechanism:

• If both a and c is to rotate through full circles, b also

makes one complete revolution relative to the fixed link
d.

• Ex :Coupling rod of a locomotive

Crank Rocker Mechanism:
 If link adjacent to the shortest links is
fixed, the chain will act as crank-rocker
mechanism in which shortest link will
revolve and the link adjacent to the fixed
link will oscillate.
 Ex :Beam engine
Double Rocker Mechanism:
 If link opposite to the shortest links is
fixed, the chain will act as double-rocker
mechanism in which link adjacent to the
fixed link will oscillate.
 Ex :Watt’s indicator mechanism
Grashof’s Law:
 A linkage in which the sum of the lengths of the longest and the shortest links is less
than the sum of the lengths of the other two links, is known as a Class – 1,four- bar
linkage.
 When the sum of the lengths of the largest and shortest links is more than the sum of
lengths of the other two links, the linkage is known as a Class- 2, four bar linkage. In
such a linkage, fixing of any of the links always results in rocker-rocker mechanism.
In other words, the mechanism and its inversions give the same type of motion.
 The above observations are summarised in the Grashof’s law which states that a four
bar mechanism has at least one revolving link if the sum of the lengths of the largest
and the shortest links is less than the sum of lengths of the other two links.
 A few special cases arise when equalities exist, i.e. when the sum of the lengths of the
largest and the shorted link is equal to the sum of lengths of the other two links. For
example, parallel-crank four bar linkage and deltoid linkage.
Parallel Crank Four Bar Linkage:
 If in a four bar linkage, two opposite links are parallel and equal in length, then any of
the links can be made fixed. The two links adjacent to the fixed links will always act
as two cranks. The four links from a parallelogram in all the positions of the cranks,
provided the cranks rotate in the same sense.

 The use of such a mechanism is made in coupled wheels of locomotive in which the
rotary motion of one wheel is transmitted to the other wheel.
MECHANICAL APPLICATIONS :

PUMPJACK :
[ROTARY TO RECIPROCAL]
 IN AREAS WHERE UNDERGROUND OIL IS NOT
UNDER ENOUGH PRESSURE TO DRIVE IT ALL
THE WAY TO THE SURFACE,IT’S NECESSARY
FOR OIL WELLS TO ACTIVELY PUMP UP THE
OIL.
SUSPENSION SYSTEMS :
[CONSTRAINED MOTION]

 IT CONSISTS OF 2 LONG NEAR PARALLEL

LINKS & A SMALL FLOATING LINK BETWEEN
THEM.
 ALSO KNOWN AS WATT’S LINKAGE