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Our modern world contains lots of mechanisms. Simple items such as scissors and
windows are all based on mechanisms, while more complicated objects such as a
car or the human body, may contain hundreds of mechanisms. The followings are Next
working principles of the most common mechanisms.
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Pulleys 1 Rotary cams 1 Gears 2

Pulleys are Multiple gears
used to Rotary cams can be
transfer change rotary connected
rotating motion into together to
motion, via reciprocating form a gear
a belt train

Pulleys 2 Linear cams Gear trains

If the belt is Linear cams In a gear train,
crossed, then the very high or very
change the low gear ratios
driven pulley will direction (and
rotate in the can be achieved
magnitude) of by combining very
opposite
direction to the reciprocating large and very
driving pulley. motion. small gears
 Eccentrics
a circular
cam rotating
about a point
offset from
its center

Crank & slider Rack & pinion

A crank and slider The rack and
mechanism pinion gear is
changes rotary to used to convert
reciprocal motion between rotary
or vice versa,e.g. and linear
in the car engine. motion

Quick return Glossary

Mechanisms
quick return
mechanism LINEAR MOTION
ROTARY MOTION
converts rotary
RECIPROCATING MOTION
motion into OSCILLATING MOTION
reciprocating EQUILIBRIUM
motion Exit Revisions FULCRUM Back
LINKAGES
 Mechanisms:
Pulleys

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Pulleys are used to transfer rotating motion, via a belt, from one shaft to
another. The vacuum cleaner uses a pulley to transmit power from the electric
motor to the rotating brushes. If both pulleys are the same diameter, then they
will both rotate at the same speed. If one pulley is larger than another then
mechanical advantage and velocity ratio are introduced. A large drive pulley will
cause a smaller driven pulley to rotate faster.
 Mechanisms:
Pulleys

Back

If the belt is crossed, then the driven pulley will rotate in the opposite direction to the driving pulley.
The velocity ratio of a pulley system is given by dividing the diameter of the driven pulley by the
diameter of the driving pulley. Sometimes the pulleys and the belt are toothed to help prevent
slippage. The sprocket and chain arrangement (as found on bicycles) is effectively a pulley system
that can withstand very high loads without slippage.
 Mechanisms:
Crank and Slider

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A crank and slider mechanism changes rotary to reciprocal motion or vice versa.
In the car engine (illustrated) the reciprocating motion of the piston caused by
exploding fuel is converted into rotary motion as the con-rod moves the
crankshaft around. An air compressor uses this principal in reverse - an electric
motor turns the crankshaft and the piston moves up and down to compress the
air
 Mechanisms: Quick
return mechanism

Back

The 'Whitworth' quick return mechanism converts rotary motion into reciprocating motion,
but unlike the crank and slider, the forward reciprocating motion is at a different rate to
the backward stroke. At the bottom of the slotted arm, the peg only has to move through
a few degrees to sweep the arm from left to right, but it takes the remainder of the
revolution to bring the arm back. This mechanism is most commonly seen as the drive
for a shaping machine.
 Mechanisms:
Rotary Cams

Back

There are several different types of cam but most of these can be placed into two groups
- rotary and linear. Rotary cams change rotary motion into reciprocating (backwards and
forwards) motion. As the cam rotates, the follower moves accordingly. The exact
distance it moves depends on the shape of the cam.
 Mechanisms:
Rotary Cams

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The protrusions on a cam are called lobes. The cams in a car engine have a single lobe - they will
move the follower up and down only once per revolution. The square cam illustrated has four lobes,
and hence lifts the follower four times per revolution.
 Mechanisms:
Eccentrics

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Cams with complicated profiles (the technical term for the shape of a cam) can be complicated to
manufacture, particularly with the type of equipment available in the school workshop. However, if
all you want to do is produce a single up and down motion for every revolution on the cam, a
circular cam rotating about a point offset from its centre (an eccentric), will often suffice. Note that
the cam follower need not just move up and down - it can be a lever as illustrated.
 Mechanisms:
Linear Cams

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Linear cams change the direction (and magnitude) of reciprocating motion. Unlike rotary
cams, the linear cam moves backwards and forwards in a reciprocating motion and the
shape of the surface of the cam determines how far the follower moves.
 Mechanisms:
Gears

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Multiple gears can be connected together to form a gear train. If there are an odd number of gears,
the output rotation will be the same direction as the input. If there are an even number, the output
will rotate in the opposite direction to the input. Note that for the simple type of gear train shown,
the number of teeth on the intermediate gears does not affect the overall velocity ratio which is
governed purely by the number of teeth on the first and last cog.
 Mechanisms:
Gear trains

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In a simple gear train, very high or very low gear ratios can only be acheived by
combining very large and very small cogs. More complex 'compound' gear trains can be
used to achieve high and low gear ratios in a compact space by coupling large and small
cogs on the same axle - in this way, gear ratios of adjacent cogs can be multiplied
through the gear train.
 Mechanisms:
Rack and Pinion

Back
The rack and pinion gear is used to convert between rotary and linear motion. Often the pinion
rotates in a fixed position and the rack is free to move - this arrangement is used in the steering
mechanism of most cars. Alternatively, the rack may be fixed and the pinion rotates moving up and
down the rack. This latter arrangement (illustrated) is used as the drive mechanism for funicular
r a i l w a y s ( s t e e p r a i l w a y s u p t h e s i d e o f h i l l s ) .
 Mechanisms: Glossary

LINEAR MOTION - motion in a straight line eg. the motion of a train Next
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ROTARY MOTION - circular motion eg. the motion of a bicycle wheel

RECIPROCATING MOTION - repeating backwards and forwards motion

eg. the motion of a piston in a car engine

OSCILLATING MOTION - repeating forwards and backwards circular

motion eg. the motion of a clock pendulum

EQUILIBRIUM - a state of balance when both sides are equal

FULCRUM - pivot, a point about which things rotate

Back
LINKAGES - two or more levers connected to produce a desired motion

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 Revision Back

Q.1 Cam rotates while ___________ moves accordingly.

A. follower B. screw
Q.2 Driven pulley rotates in opposite direction to
driving pulley in _________________ system.

A. Crossed belt B. pump

Q.3 In a three-gear-train, the output rotation is in
____________ direction to the input.
A. same B. opposite
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References : animation & image from http://www.dtonline.org
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