ALGEBRAIC METHODS OF SYNTHESIS USING DISPLACEMENT EQUATIONS 10-1 DISPLACEMENT EQUATION OF THE FOUR-BAR LINKAGE Consider a planar four-bar linkage O4A BO, (Fig. 10-1). This linkage is characterized by having four revolutes with parallel axes, the distances between successive axes being the parameters 1, dy, a3, as. The synthesis of four-bar linkages, or the deter- mination of the four parameters that will yield an approximation to a desired function between the input (crank) and output (fol- lower) angles, has been approached in the last chapters by geo- metric methods. In this chapter, algebraic methods for the synthesis of four-bar linkages as well as other planar mechanisms will be considered. Such methods of synthesis are based on dis- placement equations, ie., equations relating the input and output variables of a mechanism in terms of its fixed parameters. The displacement equation of the four-bar linkage may be obtained by considering a rectangular-coordinate system Ogzy (Fig. 10-1) with respect to which the coordinates of A and B may be written as follows:296 KINEMATIC SYNTHESIS OF LINKAGES. For A: Tz = a COS yo = asing For B: ay = —a, + a, cosy ys = assiny Since the distance AB is fixed and equal to a2, application of Pythagoras’ theorem yields (@2 = 23)? + (ya — ys)? = a2? or (a: cos ¢ + as — as cos py)? — (ai sin ¢ — assin y)? = a, After trigonometric simplifications this may be written Asiny + Beosy = C (10-1) where! ay? — as? + as° + ay? a Equation (10-1) may be solved for a displacement analysis of the four-bar linkage; that is, y is found explicitly as a function of ¢ and the parameters ay, a2, a3, a4. Such a solution is obtained by expressing sin ¥ and cos ¥ in terms of tan (¥/2), 2 tan (Y/2) T+ tant W/2) °S* = iF tan? YQ) and substituting those values in Bq. (10-1) to get A=sing B=%+eo8¢ C=“cospt ay ay sin y = 1 = ten’ ¥/2) 2A tan$ + (1 ~ tan’ $) - e(1 + tant) or (B+ ©) tonr¥ — 24 ton¥—- B+ C=0 from which tand = For each value of ¢ the quantities A, B, C’ may be obtained and 1 Do not confuse the quantities A, B, and C’ with the points A and B (Fig 10-1). FIGURE 10-1 Planar four-bar linkage; coordinates of A and B.ALGEBRAIC METHODS—DISPLACEMENT EQUATIONS 297 Biory* Figure 10-2 Two solutions of the equation of the four-bar linkage. two distinet values of ¥ found as A? + BRP yt = 2aretan 4+ vere ae A-VLEO ¥ = 2aretan 42> vat (10-2) These two values correspond to the two ways in which a four-bar linkage may be closed (Fig. 10-2). THESIS: 10-2 CRANK AND FOLLOWER SY THREE ACCURACY POINTS Consider the problem of designing a planar four-bar linkage such that: to three given positions of the crank, defined by angles ¢, $2, and $5, there correspond three prescribed positions of the follower, #1, ¥2, and ¥:. The solution consists in finding the proper values of a:, as, a3, and a for three related pairs (#1, ¥1), (¢2 ¥2), and (¢s, ¥s). The procedure is based on the displacement equation’ K, cos ¢ — K, cosy + Kz = cos (@ — ¥) (10-3) , 2 ast tag + ay? with Oe s Ke = 2 K,=% nae tae This equation was deduced from Eq. (10-1) by rearranging the terms. When written for three pairs of values, (41, ¥1), (2, ¥2), (bs, ¥s), this equa~ tion yields a system of three equations linear with respect to Ki, Kz, K;, Ky cos g; — Kz 008 fr + Ks = 008 (1 — yu) Ky cos ¢: — Kz cos $2 + Ks = cos ($2 — pe) Ki cos ¢; — Kz: cos ps + K3 = cos (3 — ya) . 1 This is also known as the Freudenstein equation (see first reference in Bibliography at the end of this chapter).