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# 1. Engineering curves
(Reference: Chapter #5, 6, 7, N.D. Bhatt)
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Geometrical Construction
Bisection of line
Methodcanbeappliedtodrawperpendicular toaline
fromapoint onit or fromapoint outsidetheline
Todrawparallel line at agivenpoint toagivenline
N=2
90
o
A B
P
Q C D
o AD = BC
o PC = PD
P
r
D C
Q
o CD = r
o PC = QD
To divide line into "N>2" equal parts
o RR
1
= R
1
R
2
= R
2
R
3
= R
3
R
4
= R
4
R
5
o SR
5
|| R
4
Q
4
|| R
3
Q
3
|| R
2
Q
2
|| R
1
Q
1
R S
R
1
R
2
R
3
R
4
R
5
Q
1
Q
2
Q
3
Q
4
N=5
To divide circle into into "N" equal parts
o BB
1
= BB
2
= AB/2
o Same for points A, C and D
A B
C
D
B
1
B
2
D
2
D
1
A
1
A
2
C
2
C
1
90
o
N=12
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Bisect an angle
o BQ
1
= BQ
2
o RQ
1
= RQ
2
B
A
Q
1
C
Q
2
R
Regular polygon
For a regular polygon of "n" sides:
External angle :=2/n
Internal angle :=(1-2/n)
A B
C
2/n
Regular polygon construction given the side
Method # 1
Method # 2
1
2
E
D
C
A
B C
1. Drawasemi-circlewithradiusAB=sideof polygon
2. Dividethesemi-circleinto "n" sidesusingprotractor
3. Then"A2" isonesideof thepolygon
4. ExtendlinesA3, A4,
5. Usingruler, locatepoints E, D, C,
n =6, Hexagon
1. Draw

bisector "P" of AB (sideof polygon)

2. Draw a line through A inclined to AB at 45
o
and a
line through B inclined at 60
o
to intersect the

bisector at "4" & "6" respectively
3. Pts. "4" and"6" arethecentreof thecirclecontaining
squareandhexagon
4. Centre"5" for pentagonisthemidpoint of "46
5. "7" isgivenby"76"="56" =45"
A B
P
4
5
6
3
4
5
4
Inscribe circles in a given polygon
Intersection of angle bisectors of consecutive internal
angles
Lengthof theperpendicular fromthecentretoany of the
sidesof thepolygongivestheradius
A
1
A
2
A
3
A
4
A
5
O
r
Tangent to the circle
U
V
O
U
1
B
W
For point on the circle (e.g. U)
1. J oinOU andextendit toU
1
suchthat OU=UU
1
2. Perpendicular toOU
1
at U isthetangent
For point outside the circle (e.g. V)
1. J oinOV andfinditsmid-pointB
2. With OB as the radius and B as the centre,
drawanarcintersectingthegivencircleatW
3. VWisthetangent
For other methods and constructions, please refer Chapter #5, N.D. Bhatt
Curves used in Engineering
Conics: Sectionsobtainedbytheintersectionof aright circular conewithplaneat different inclination
withrespect totheaxisof thecone
Alternate definition:
directrix from distance
focus from distance
= e
5
= 1 parabola
< 1 ellipse
> 1 hyperbola
e
Ellipse
Method1
Input: Focus, directrix& eccentricityaregiven
Output: Todrawellipse, tangentandnormal totheellipseat agivenpoint
Source: Engineering Drawing
by Shah & Rana
Property of conics: If atangent toaconic isextendedtomeet thedirectrix, thenthelinejoiningthe
focustothemeetingpointisperpendicular tothelinejoiningfocustothepointof contact
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Method2
Input: Major andminor axisaregiven
Output: Todrawellipse
Property of ellipse:
Locus of pointssuchthat itssumof distancefromtwofixedpointsisconstant andequal tothe
lengthof major axis
Normal bisectstheangleformedbyjoiningthefoci tothepointof interest onellipse
Parametric representation:
Reading assignment: Oblongmethod. Useful toinscribeellipseinarectangleor parallelogram
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Source: Engineering Drawing by Shah & Rana
cos a x =
sin b y =
Arcsof circle
Concentriccircles
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Parabola
Input: Focus& directrixaregiven
Output: Todrawparabola, tangent andnormal totheparabolaat agivenpoint
Source:
Shah &
Rana
Property of conics:
If a tangent to a conic is extended to meet the directrix, then the line joining the focus to the
meetingpointisperpendicular tothelinejoiningfocustothepointof contact
Vertexisthemidpoint of thelinejoiningthex-intercept of tangent tothex-axisprojectionof point
of interest
Rectangleor parallelogrammethod
Hyperbola
Input: Focus, directrix& eccentricityaregiven
Output: Todrawhyperbola, tangent andnormal tothehyperbolaat agivenpoint
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Source: Engineering Drawing
by Shah & Rana
Property of hyperbola:
Locus of points such that its difference of distance fromtwo
fixedpointsisconstantandequal tothelengthof major axis
Tangent bisectstheangleformedbyjoiningthefoci tothepoint
of interest onhyperbola
Reading assignment: Todrawhyperbola, whenfoci andvertices
aregiven
Rectangular hyperbola:
A xy =
Input: Givenapoint
Output: Todrawrectangular hyperbola
(x
*
,y
*
)
(x
*
, y
*
)
Cycloidal curves
Thesearegeneratedby afixedpoint onthecircumferenceof acircle, whichrolls without slippingona
straight lineor acircle. Rollingcircleis calledgenerating curve andthestraight line/circleis calledthe
directing line/circle.
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Cycloid: Circlerollsonastraight line. For acircleof radiusa, theparametricequationare
Source: N.D. Bhatt
Fixed point
( ) sin = a x ( ) cos 1 = a y
Normal & tangent to cycloid at point Q:
1. Findthelocationof centreC
Q
correspondingtotimeinstantwhenpointQ isonthecycloid
2. Findthecorrespondingpoint of contact Q
3. QQ istherequisitenormal
Reading assignment:
Trochoid: Curve generated by a fixed point located inside (inferior) or outside (superior) the
circumferenceof acirclerollingwithout slippingonastraight line
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Source: N.D. Bhatt
Fixed point
Epicycloid: Circlerolls without slippingontheoutsideof another circle. If therollinganddirecting
circleradii areaandbrespectively, thentheparametricequationis:
( )
( )
|
.
|

\
| +
+ =
a
b a
a b a x cos cos
Normal & tangent to epicycloid at a
given point:
Method similar to cycloid has to be
adopted
( )
( )
|
.
|

\
| +
+ =
a
b a
a b a y sin sin
Hypocycloid: Circlerolls without slippingontheinsideof another circle. If therollinganddirecting
circleradii areaandbrespectively, thentheparametricequationis:
( )
( )
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
a
a b
a a b x cos cos ( )
( )
|
.
|

\
|
=
a
a b
a a b y sin sin
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Involute
Thesearethecurves tracedout by anendpoint of apieceof threadunwoundfromacircleor polygon,
thethreadbeingkept tight. It is also definedas thecurvetracedout by apoint onastraight linewhich
rollswithout slippingalongacircleor polygon.
Source: Engineering Drawing by
Shah & Rana
Involute of a circle:
Normal PNtoinvoluteat pointPisthetangent tothegeneratingcircle
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Spiral
If alinerotates inaplaneabout oneof theendpoint andat thesametime, apoint moves alongthe
linecontinuouslyinonedirection, thecurvetracedout bythemovingpointiscalledSpiral
Eachcompleterevolutionof thelineiscalledconvolution
Source: Shah & Rana
Archemedian spiral: If themovement alongthelineisuniform. Inpolar co-ordinates:
K r r + =
0

a r =
Reading assignment:
Logarithmic spiral: Ratio of lengths of consecutive radius vectors enclosing equal angles is always
constant. Inpolar co-ordinates:
Cam is machinepart whichwhilerotatingat
uniformvelocity imparts reciprocating linear
or oscillating motion another machine-part
calledafollower
Motion of the follower can be uniform or
variable
For uniform linear motion, Archemedian
spiral isused
Application: Printing press, internal
combustion engine
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Helix
Curve generated by a point moving around the surface of a cylinder or cone such that its axial
advancei.e. itsmovement alongtheaxial directionisuniformwithitsmovement aroundthesurface
of cylinder or cone
Axial advanceof thepoint duringonecompleterevolutioniscalledpitch (p) of thehelix
Source: N.D. Bhatt
Helical curve on cylinder:
Applications: Helical springs, Screw threads, conical springs, screw conveyors, staircases
Helix angle =tan
-1
(pitch/[D])
Helical curve on a cone
circular cross-section square cross-section
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4-bar mechanism:
Applicationsinlocomotive, steeringmechanism, pantograph, straight-linemechanism
Limiting positions of C?
Locusof apointsonthelinkBC suchasP are
calledcoupler curves
crank
connecting rod
rocker
A
B
C
D
locus of B
locus of C
C
1
B
1
P
Limiting positions of C?
Slider-crank mechanism:
Applicationsininternal combustionengines, sewingmachines, printingpress
crank
connecting rod
slider
A
B
locus of B
locus of C
B
1
C C
1
P
Simple slider crank mechanism
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Offset slider crank mechanism: Theslider movesinguideswhichareoffset w.r.t theaxisof thecrank
Source: N.D. Bhatt
Source: Shah & Rana
Variation of slider-crank mechanism
Intheadjoiningfigure, crankAB rotatesaboutthefixedpointA
ConnectingrodBCisconstrainedtoslidefreely throughtheguideD
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