Synthesis of Harmonic Motion Generating Linkages—Part II: Path and Motion Generation

This paper, a sequel to a companion paper on function generation, discusses the path and motion generation problems in the synthesis of linkages with relatively small input cranks. The point on the floating link (i.e., the coupler of a crank-rocker linkage or the connecting rod in a slider-crank linkage) traces an approximate ellipse. This fact serves as a major distinction between the method described herein and the conventional, more general, synthesis techniques. In other words, only elliptical paths may be generated by the path (or coupler) points in the synthesis of linkages with small cranks. Higher-order path and motion generation, in which velocity, acceleration, slope and the rate of change of slope of the coupler path may be specified, are also addressed in this paper.