A Direct Method for Analyzing Accelerations in Complex Mechanisms

Complex mechanism containing four-bar loops may be treated as simpler compound mechanisms in acceleration analysis by introducing the relative center of curvature of the relative path of a certain point on one link with respect to the opposite link. By means of a new method of acceleration analysis recently suggested by the author, together with the relative center of curvature, it is possible to analyze accelerations of complex mechanisms in a simple and direct way. Results thus obtained are obviously more accurate than those found by using the conventional acceleration diagram method.