A Unified Analysis and Implementation of Four Multiply Separated Position Synthesis of Four-Bar Linkages

Author(s):  
P. Srikrishna ◽  
Kenneth J. Waldron

Abstract The objective of this paper is to derive analytically the circle-point and center-point curve equations for the synthesis of four-bar linkages for rigid body guidance through four multiply separated design positions. A unified approach is evolved to deal with the different combinations of four finitely and infinitesimally separated design position, namely the PP-P-P, PP-PP and PPP-P cases. The design procedure incorporates the rectification procedures developed by Waldron (1977) to eliminate the branch and order problems and is implemented in the interactive synthesis package RECSYN.

Author(s):  
J. A. Schaaf ◽  
J. A. Lammers

Abstract In this paper we develop a method of characterizing the center-point curves for planar four-position synthesis. We predict the five characteristic shapes of the center-point curve using the kinematic classification of the compatibility linkage obtained from a complex number formulation for planar four-position synthesis. This classification scheme is more extensive than the conventional Grashof and non-Grashof classifications in that the separate classes of change point compatibility linkages are also included. A non-Grashof compatibility linkage generates a unicursal form of the center-point curve; a Grashof compatibility linkage generates a bicursal form; a single change point compatibility linkage generates a double point form; and a double or triple change point compatibility linkage generates a circular-degenerate or a hyperbolic-degenerate form.


1993 ◽  
Vol 115 (3) ◽  
pp. 547-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. McCarthy

Given four positions of a rigid body in space, there is a congruence of lines that can be used as the central axes of cylindric cranks to guide the body through the four positions. This “central axis congruence” is a generalization of the center point curve of planar kinematics. It is known that this congruence is identical to the screw congruence which arises in the study of complementary screw quadrilateral. It is less well-known that the screw congruence is the “screw surface” of the 4C linkage formed by the complementary screw quadrilateral, and it is this relationship that we use to obtain a parameterization for the screw congruence and in turn, the central axis congruence. This parameterization should facilitate the use of this congruence in computer based design of spatial mechanisms.


Author(s):  
David H. Myszka ◽  
Andrew P. Murray

The fixed pivots of a planar 4R linkage that can achieve four design positions are constrained to a center-point curve. The curve is a circular cubic function and plots can take one of five different forms. The center-point curve can be generated with a compatibility linkage obtained from an opposite pole quadrilateral of the four design positions. This paper presents a method to identify design positions that generate distinctive shapes of the center-point curves. The form of the center-point curve is dependent on whether the shape of the opposite pole quadrilateral is an open or closed form of a rhombus, kite, parallelogram, or when the sum of two sides equals the other two. Interesting cases of three and five position synthesis are also explored. Four and five position cases are generated that have center points at infinity allowing a PR dyad with line of slide in any direction to achieve the design positions. Further, a center-point curve for five specific design positions is revealed.


2008 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Myszka ◽  
Andrew P. Murray ◽  
James P. Schmiedeler

Several established methods determine if an RR dyad will pass through a set of finitely separated positions in order. The new method presented herein utilizes only the displacement poles in the fixed frame to assess whether a selected fixed pivot location will yield an ordered dyad solution. A line passing through the selected fixed pivot is rotated one-half revolution about the fixed pivot, in a manner similar to a propeller with infinitely long blades, to sweep the entire plane. Order is established by tracking the sequence of displacement poles intersected. With four or five positions, fixed pivot locations corresponding to dyads having any specified order are readily found. Five-position problems can be directly evaluated to determine if any ordered solutions exist. Additionally, degenerate four-position cases for which the set of fixed pivots corresponding to ordered dyads that collapse to a single point on the center point curve can be identified.


1997 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Murray ◽  
J. Michael McCarthy

A circular cubic curve called a center-point curve is central to kinematic synthesis of a planar 4R linkage that moves a rigid body through four specified planar positions. In this paper, we show the set of circle-point curves is a non-linear subset of the set of circular cubics. In general, seven arbitrary points define a circular cubic curve; in contrast, we find that a center-point curve is defined by six arbitrary points. Furthermore, as many as three different center-point curves may pass through these six points. Having defined the curve without identifying any positions, we then show how to determine sets of four positions that generate the given center-point curve.


Author(s):  
Ronald A. Zimmerman

A graphical four bar linkage synthesis method for planar rigid body guidance is presented. This method, capable of synthesis for up to five specified coupler positions, uses the poles and rotation angles, which are constraints, to define guiding links. Faster and simpler than traditional graphical synthesis methods, this method, allows the designer to see and consider most or all the possible solutions within a few seconds before making any free choices. All of the guiding links satisfying five specified coupler positions can be obtained graphically within 30 minutes without plotting any Burmester curves and without any mechanism design software. For four positions, both the circle and center point curves are simultaneously traced by corresponding circle-center point pairs using three poles having a common subscript and the corresponding rotation angles without any additional construction. This method eliminates the iterative construction required in previous methods which were based on free choices rather than constraints. The tedious plotting of Burmester curves graphically using pole quadrilaterals is also eliminated. The simplicity of the method makes four and five position synthesis practical to do graphically. A corresponding analytical solution is presented which provides a simpler formulation than the previous solution method. This new method requires two fewer equations and provides a new way to plot Burmester curves analytically.


1997 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qizheng Liao ◽  
J. Michael McCarthy

This paper builds on Innocenti’s polynomial solution for the 5-SS platform that generates a one-degree of freedom movement through seven specified spatial positions of a rigid body. We show that his 60×60 resultant can be reduced to one that is 10×10. We then actuate the linkage using a prismatic joint on the sixth leg and determine the trajectory of the reference point through the specified positions. The singularity submanifold of this associated 6-SS platform provides information about the movement characteristics of the 5-SS linkage.


Author(s):  
Pierre Larochelle ◽  
J. Michael McCarthy

Abstract In this paper we present a technique for using a bi-invariant metric in the image space of spherical displacements for designing planar mechanisms for n (> 5) position rigid body guidance. The goal is to perform the dimensional synthesis of the mechanism such that the distance between the position and orientation of the guided body to each of the n goal positions is minimized. Rather than measure these distances in the plane, we introduce an approximating sphere and identify rotations which are equivalent to the planar displacements to a specified tolerance. We then measure distances between the rigid body and the goal positions using a bi-invariant metric on the image space of SO(3). The optimal linkage is obtained by minimizing this distance over all of the n goal positions. The paper proceeds as follows. First, we approximate planar rigid body displacements with spherical displacements and show that the error induced by such an approximation is of order 1/R2, where R is the radius of the approximating sphere. Second, we use a bi-invariant metric in the image space of spherical displacements to synthesize an optimal spherical 4R mechanism. Finally, we identify the planar 4R mechanism associated with the optimal spherical solution. The result is a planar 4R mechanism that has been optimized for n position rigid body guidance using an approximate bi-invariant metric with an error dependent only upon the radius of the approximating sphere. Numerical results for ten position synthesis of a planar 4R mechanism are presented.


Author(s):  
Andrew P. Murray ◽  
J. Michael McCarthy

Abstract This paper presents a new technique for determining the fixed axes of spatial CC dyads for rigid body guidance through five finitely separated positions. A CC dyad is a kinematic chain consisting of a floating link connected by a cylindric joint to a crank which in turn is connected to ground by a second cylindric joint. The lines that can be axes of the fixed joint are shown to be obtained from a “compatibility platform” constructed from selected relative screw axes associated with the five specified displacements. We show that the screw axis of the displacement of this platform is a fixed axis of a CC dyad compatible with the five positions. Roth’s original example is presented to verify the calculations. The specialization of this procedure to planar and spherical five position synthesis is also presented.


Author(s):  
Chintien Huang ◽  
Chenning Hung ◽  
Kuenming Tien

This paper investigates the numerical solutions of equations for the eight-position rigid-body guidance of the cylindrical-spherical (C-S) dyad. We seek to determine the number of finite solutions by using the numerical continuation method. We derive the design equations using the geometric constraints of the C-S dyad and obtain seven quartic polynomial equations and one quadratic equation. We then solve the system of equations by using the software package Bertini. After examining various specifications, including those with random complex numbers, we conclude that there are 804 finite solutions of the C-S dyad for guiding a body through eight prescribed positions. When designing spatial dyads for rigid-body guidance, the C-S dyad is one of the four dyads that result in systems of equal numbers of equations and unknowns if the maximum number of allowable positions is specified. The numbers of finite solutions in the syntheses of the other three dyads have been obtained previously, and this paper provides the computational kinematic result of the last unsolved problem, the eight-position synthesis of the C-S dyad.


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