ME2012D Kinematics of Mechanisms

Lecture-3 Mobility
Dr. Ashesh Saha
Assistant Professor
Email: ashesh@nitc.ac.in
Department of Mechanical Engineering
National Institute of Technology Calicut
 Degree of Freedom

 The number of co-ordinates that are needed to describe the relative

movement permitted in a kinematics pair is called the degree of freedom
(DOF).

 In every kinematic pair there is some relative movement. To describe the

relative movement we need some coordinate. The number of such
independent coordinated necessary to completely specify the relative
movement is called DOF.

 Pair Variable: The coordinated that are used to describe this relative
movement is called pair variable (s)
 Terminology and Definitions

 Pair variables: Variable parameter (s) assigned for measuring or calculating

the relative motion permitted in each of the pairs
– A pair variable of a pinned joint is a single angle measured between
reference lines fixed in the adjacent links
 Kinematic pairs are divided into:
 Higher pairs – Have line or point contact between the elemental surfaces
• Eg: Connection between a cam and its follower
 Lower pairs – Have surface contact between the pair elements
• Eg: A pin joint
 The Six Lower Pairs
 Turning pair or revolute:
 Permits only relative rotation
 One degree of freedom. Pin joint

 Prismatic pair:
 Permits only a relative sliding motion
 One degree of freedom. Sliding joint
 The Six Lower Pairs
 Screw Pair or helical pair:
 Sliding and rotational motions are
related by the helix angle of the thread
 One degree of freedom
 Reverts to a revolute if the helix angle is zero
 Becomes a prismatic pair if the helix angle is 90º

 Cylindrical pair: Permits both angular rotation

and an independent sliding motion
 Two degrees of freedom
 The Six Lower Pairs
 Globular or spheric pair:
 Ball-and-socket joint
 Three degrees of freedom

 Flat pair or planar pair:

 Three degrees of freedom

 All other joint types are called higher pairs

The Six Lower Pairs
 Limit and Disguise of Revolute Pairs

⇒
 The curved slider connection between links 1 and 4 is a revolute pair
 Limit and Disguise of Revolute Pairs

⇒
 The curved slider connection between links 1 and 4 is a revolute pair
 The relative movement between 1 and 4 is still an angle
 Limit and Disguise of Revolute Pairs

 A slider crank mechanism is obtained as the limit of a 4R planar linkage

when one revolute pair moves to infinity.
 Equivalent Linkages

 Higher-pair
mechanism and
instantaneous
equivalent lower pair
⇒ linkage.

 The higher pair allows simultaneous rolling and sliding motion between
links 2 and 3.
 The higher pair is replaced by two revolute pairs at A and B.
 Mobility (or Degrees of Freedom)
 Kutzbach criterion for the mobility m of a planar n-link mechanism:
• m = 3(n – 1) – 2 j – h,
• j denotes the number of simple R (or P) pairs (number of single-
degree-of-freedom pairs)
• h denotes the number of higher pairs (number of two-degree-of-
freedom pairs)
• If m > 0, the mechanism has m degrees of freedom
• If m = 1, the mechanism can be driven by a single input motion
• If m = 2, two separate input motions are necessary to produce constrained
motion
• If m = 0, the mechanism forms a structure
• If m = –1 or less, a statically indeterminate structure results
Lect 2: 04.01.2023
 Mobility (or Degrees of Freedom)
 Kutzbach criterion for the mobility m of a planar n-link mechanism:
• m = 3(n – 1) – 2 j – h,
• j = j(1) + 2 j(2) + 3 j(3) + … +i j(i)
• j(i) → number of R pairs, each of which connects (i + 1) links
• j(1) → number of simple R pairs
• j(2) → equivalent to two R pairs
• j(i) → i number of simple R pairs
Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion
Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion
Application of Kutzback mobility criterion
Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion
 Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion

1 2
Note: if slipping is completely prevented, the joint is counted as one-
degree-of-freedom pair
 Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion

 If a link can be moved without causing any movement in the rest of the
mechanism, then the link is said to have a redundant degree-of-freedom.
 Mobility with redundant degree-of-freedom (Fr)
m = 3(n – 1) – 2 j – h – Fr
Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion
 Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion

 P pairs are not parallel

Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion
Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion
 Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion

 A statically indeterminate structure.

Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion
Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion
Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion

Lect 3: 05.01.2023
Application of Kutzback mobility criterion
Application of Kutzbach mobility criterion
 Grübler’s criterion
 Applies to mechanisms with only single-degree-of-freedom joints where the
overall mobility of the mechanism is unity
 Kutzbach Equation: m = 3(n – 1) – 2 j – h
 Substituting h = 0 and m = 1, for planar mechanisms: 2 j – 3 n – 4 = 0
 Such a mechanism cannot have odd number of links
 Simplest possible mechanism of this type with all binary links can have
n=j=4
 This is the reason why four-bar linkages and slider-crank mechanisms
are so common in applications
 Spatial mechanisms

 Each unconnected link has six degrees of freedom

 Each revolute pair provides five constraints
 3D form of Kutzbach criterion is: m = 6 (n – 1) – 5 j1 – 4 j2 – 3 j3 – 2 j4 – j5
 Corresponding Grübler criterion is: 6n – 5 j1 – 7 = 0
 Spatial mechanism with all single-degree-of-freedom pairs and mobility 1
 Simplest possible mechanism of this type with all binary links can have
n = j1 = 7
 Grübler’s criterion

 Different Integer Solutions of 2 j – 3 n – 4 = 0 for Mobility of One

 With the increase in the number of links, the number of excess turning
pairs goes on increasing.
 Grübler’s criterion

 Solutions of the planar mobility equation for m = 1 when n = 2 and n = 4.

 Getting the required number of turning pairs from the required number of
binary links is not possible for n > 4.
 The excess or the additional pairs or joints can be obtained only from the
links having more than two joining points, i.e., ternary or quaternary links.