Lab Report Four Bar Chain

1
INTRODUCTION
The sole intention of this experiment is to gain in-depth details of a four bar chain mechanism.
The four bar chain is a very important mechanism where relative motion can occur between
adjoining links. This mechanism is widely used in real life applications due to the fact that lot
of variations could be obtained by altering the lengths of the link.
A four bar linkage consists of four rigid members on which the input motion is applied is
known as the crank. The output motion link is known as the follower and the middle link
which connects both follower and crank is known as the coupler. The fourth link is known as
a frame which is fixed. Also it was identified from the Grueblers equation that it has a degree
of freedom of one.
According to the arrangements of the links, four bar linkages could be divided into different
types of groups. There are four main types of link arrangements such as the, Parallelogram
linkage, crank rocker linkage, drag linkage and double rocker linkage. Each of it has different
characteristics of its own and has its own style of coupler curves. In parallelogram linkage the
crank and the follower are of the same length and, coupler and the frame are of the same
length.
In the crank rocker linkage, crank can rotate through 360 but due to the length of the
follower it can only rock or oscillate. The drag linkage is formed when both crank and the
follower could rotate through 360. An important characteristic of this mechanism is that the
follower has variable angular velocity for constant angular velocity of the crank. Finally in the
double rocker linkage, neither the crank nor the follower can make a full rotation.
OBJECTIVE
Main objectives of this experiment are to investigate a four bar chain and to find the linkages
that ensure same input output relationship or coupler curve geometry. Also to come to an
understanding of the times taken for the outstroke and in stroke via drawing graphs.
EN 13 5180 42
Mechanics of Machines
Dahlan A.A.S.
SUMMARY
A four bar chain was analyzed and the readings were recorder in a table as shown in Table 1.
It was an easy experiment to understand but there were lot of readings to be taken. Initially a
rocker length had to be set and the lengths of each component of the mechanism had to be
measured using a ruler. Then by changing the crank angle by 10 intervals, its corresponding
position of the rocker was measured. Then the distance O AD was measured using the extra
link with the scale. VB was measured using the equation,
Where VA was assumed to be 1.

This process was repeated until crank angle reached 360.
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RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS

Table 1 - Readings from the experiment
OAD (mm)
VB (mm/s)
69
20
0.5
10
71
24
0.6
20
74
28
0.7
30
77
32
0.8
40
81
35
0.875
50
85
38
0.95
60
89
40
70
93
42
1.05
80
97
44
1.1
90
102
46
1.15
100
107
44
1.1
110
112
42
1.05
120
116
39
0.975
130
120
33
0.825
140
123
25
0.625
150
125
15
0.375
160
126
170
125
15
0.375
180
123
35
0.875
190
119
45
1.125
200
113
62
1.55
210
107
65
1.625
220
100
65
1.625
230
94
62
1.55
240
87
55
1.375
250
81
47
1.175
260
77
42
1.05
270
74
32
0.82
280
71
27
0.675
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290
69
20
0.5
300
66
14
0.35
310
65
0.2
320
65
330
65
0.125
340
66
0.225
350
67
14
0.35
360
69
19
0.475
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Velocity vs Crank angle

1.8
1.625
1.6
1.4
Velocity (mm/s)
1.2
1.15
0.8
0.6
0.5
0.475
0.4
0.2
0
0
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360
Crank Angle ()
VB (mm/s)
Figure 1 - Velocity vs Crank Angle
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Dahlan A.A.S.
vs Crank Angle
160
150
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360
Crank Angle ()
Figure 2 - vs Crank Angle
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Dahlan A.A.S.
Velocity vs
1.8
1.7
1.6
1.5
1.4
1.3
Velocity (mm/s)
1.2
1.1
1.15
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60 0 70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
Y-Values
Figure 3 - Velocity vs
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Dahlan A.A.S.
From VB vs graph it could be found that the,
VB has a maximum instroke value of 1.15 mm/s at 90
VB has a maximum outstroke value of 1.625 mm/s at 220
VB has zero velocity at both 160 and 320
Dead centre is the position of the mechanism when the rocker is at a limit position.
Hence in this case the dead centre occurs when is at 160
Time ratio is usually calculated using the equation, TR = /360-. Hence from the VB vs graph it
was identified that,
Time ratio for instroke as 0.395
Time ratio for outstroke as 0.423
TR = 0.423/0.395 = 1.07
DISCUSSION
As you can see the graph in figure 1 has the shape of a polynomial function. The initial
velocity of B is at 0.5 mm/s and it reaches gradually upto 1.15 mm/s when the angle is at 90
then it slowly decreases to 0 mm/s when at the dead centre. Then when the rocker starts to
move in opposite direction again the same process happens with a maximum velocity of 1.625
mm/s at 200 and it goes to 0 and again climbs up to 0.475 mm/s when the angle is 360.
Graph in figure 3 has two quadratic shaped curves with maximum velocities at 1.15 mm/s and
1.625 mm/s. There are two identical curves is because of instoke and outstroke. There are few
errors in the graphs such as velocity not coming to 0.5 mm/s in figure 1 and the maximum
value for outsroke is at two points on the graph. These errors could be due to the mistakes
made while taking readings off the scales in the four bar chain. Also there could be few
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Dahlan A.A.S.
machine errors. Even though the readings may not be that accurate we could come to a
conclusion and get an idea on how the four bar chain mechanism works.
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Dahlan A.A.S.
10
REFERENCE
World Wide Web
Four Bar Mechanism, C.S. Kumar, Accessed March 04, 2014.
http://vlabs.iitkgp.ernet.in/
Mechanism Basics, MIT class 6.S080, Accessed March 02, 2014.
http://courses.csail.mit.edu/
Four Bar Mechanism, OCW press, Accessed March 02, 2014.
http://ocw.metu.edu.tr/
EN 13 5180 42
Dahlan A.A.S.

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1

Where VA was assumed to be 1.

RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS

Velocity vs Crank angle

Figure 1 - Velocity vs Crank Angle

Figure 2 - vs Crank Angle

From VB vs graph it could be found that the,

VB has a maximum instroke value of 1.15 mm/s at 90

VB has a maximum outstroke value of 1.625 mm/s at 220

VB has zero velocity at both 160 and 320

was identified that,

Time ratio for instroke as 0.395

Time ratio for outstroke as 0.423

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