Student ID Number: 901471236

Analysis of a Vise-Grip
Kyle Collins AME 40423 Mechanisms and Machines September 22, 2010
Abstract
The purpose of this project was to analyze a vise-grip clamping device and determine the relationship between the input force and the output (clamping) force. A skeleton diagram was created for the mechanism, which is a coupler-driven four-bar mechanism. Equilibrium equations were derived from free body diagrams, and the system of equations was solved for the mathematical relation between input and output. It was found that maximum, in fact infinite, mechanical advantage is gained when the coupler is in-line with the ground link. This configuration forms the basis of the mechanisms clamping ability: when the mechanism is over center, in this configuration, only a minimal amount of force is needed to maintain clamping pressure. Finally, it was determined that the adjustable sliding joint is useful in obtaining a wide range of clamping angles.

Engineering Analysis

A vise-grip clamping tool was analyzed in this project. A vise-grip is an example of a couplerdriven four-bar mechanism. In order to analyze the relationship between the input force and the clamping force, a skeleton diagram was first constructed to study the kinematics of the mechanism. Second, a force-balance analysis was conducted on the links of the vise-grip in order to derive a mathematical equation relating input force and clamping force.

1.1

Skeleton Diagram

A skeleton diagram of a vise-grip is shown on the following page in Figure 1. The joint between links 1 and 2 is an adjustable sliding joint. The dimension r1 can be varied by changing the location of the grounded joint 1-2 along the indicated axis x. For the purposes of later forcebalance analysis, this sliding joint will be modeled as a conventional pin-joint. The force Fd is the driving (input) force, and the force Fl is the clamping (output) force.

Figure 1: Skeleton diagram for a vise-grip

1.2

Force-balance Analysis

In order to analyze the relationship between the input force and the clamping force, free body diagrams were constructed for each of the non-ground links of the mechanisms. These diagrams are shown in Figure 2 on the following page. Because link 2 experiences no external torques, it was identified as a two-force member. Assuming static equilibrium, and taking advantage of trigonometric co-function identities, link 3 gives:

M F

and
y

= Fd L F4 y r3 = 0 ,

(1) (2) (3)

= Fd + F2 sin F4 y = 0 , = F2 cos F4 x = 0 .
2

Figure 2: Free body diagrams for the links of a vise-grip

The static-equilibrium conditions for link 4 give:

= Fl M r4 ( F4 x sin ) + r4 ( F4 y cos ) = 0 .

(4)

Equations (1) through (4) are four equations in five unknowns: F2 , F4x , F4y , Fd , and Fl . To solve the system for the desired input-output relationship, the expression Fl M can be taken as a (4) becomes: known value. Equation

Fl M = r4 ( F4 x sin ) r4 ( F4 y cos )

(4.1)

The system of equations (1), (2), (3), and (4.1) can be solved by using matrix form and applying Cramers rule. Writing the system on matrix form gives:

 0 sin cos 0

0 r3 L F2 0 0 1 1 F4 x 0 = 1 0 0 F 4 y 0 . r4 sin r4 cos 0 Fd Fl M

(5)

Applying Cramers rule to equation (5) to solve for Fd gives:

Fd = Fl M

r3 sin r4 [ r3 cos sin + L sin( + )] .

(6)

Full hand calculations for the computation of the equilibrium equations and the application of Cramers rule can be found in Appendix 1.

Results

Equation (6) gives a relationship between the input force Fd and the output torque of link 4, Fl M; however, in order to best explain the vise-grips ability to function as a clamp, the mechanical advantage of the mechanism was calculated. The adjustable nature of the joint linking bodies 1 and 2 was also found to increase the versatility of the tool.

2.1

Clamping Ability

Defining the mechanical advantage of the vise-grip offers insight into the tools clamping ability. In a standard four-bar mechanism, the mechanical advantage is defined as the ratio of the output torque to the input torque. Because the vise-grip is a coupler-driven four-bar mechanism, the mechanical advantage Ma can be defined as the ratio of the output (clamping) torque to the input force. By rearranging equation (6),

Ma =

torqueoutput Fl M r4 [ r3 cos sin + L sin( + )] = = . forceinput Fd r3 sin

(7)

The mechanical advantage is the amount by which the input force Fd is amplified into the clamping torque. When links 2 and 3 are in overlapping or in line, = 0 or 180. In these two as the limit positions of the mechanism, sin = 0. With its denominator equal scenarios, known to zero, Ma is infinite, and the mechanism is said to have infinite mechanical advantage. For the vise-grip, infinite mechanical advantage corresponds to when links 2 and 3 are inline; in this position, the mechanism is said to be over center and only the smallest possible force applied torque. In practice, links 2 and 3 of the to link 3 is required to resist an infinitely high clamping vise-grip continue to rotate slightly past the limit position and are prevented from further rotation by a metal stopper on link 2. This lends stability to the fully clamped position. A small lever applies a minimal force between links 2 and 3 to disengage the mechanism from the clamped and locked position.

2.2

Adjustability

The lateral adjustability of the virtual-pin joint linking bodies 1 and 2 provides an important feature to the vise-grip. As shown below in Figure 3, changing the location of this pin joint also changes the position of link 4 when the mechanism is in the limit position. The different clamping angles , , and shown in Figure 3 correspond to the pin locations x, x, and x. The adjustable joint allows the vise-grip to clamp a wide range of objects with various thicknesses or diameters while maintaining maximum mechanical advantage.

Figure 3: Various pin-joint locations and corresponding clamping angles

Appendix 1
Hand Calculations for the Force Balance Analysis