ME 452 Machine Design II Professor G. R.

Pennock
Homework 3 Friday, September 10th, 2021

Consider the given posture of the input crank 2 of the inverted slider-crank linkage shown in

Figure P3.15, see page 169, that is, the input angle θ2 = 150o.

(i) Using trigonometry (that is, the law of sines and the law of cosines), determine the posture of
the coupler link 3 and the distance between pin A and the ground pin O 4 .

(ii) Using a vector loop equation, Cramer’s rule, and the determinant of the coefficient matrix,
determine the first-order kinematic coefficients of the inverted slider-crank linkage.
(iii) Using a scaled drawing of the linkage, determine the location of the instantaneous center of
velocity of the coupler link 3. Then using the method of instantaneous centers determine the
first-order kinematic coefficient of link 3. Compare your answer with the answer from Part (ii).
A suitable scale for the linkage is either one-half full size (that is, 1 mm = 2 mm) or one-third
full size (that is, 1 mm = 3 mm).
If the angular velocity of the input crank 2 is ω2 = 60 rad/s counterclockwise then:

(iv) determine the angular velocity of link 3 using the first-order kinematic coefficient of link 3
that you obtained in Part (ii); and
(v) determine the velocity of point B using the instantaneous center of velocity of link 3 that you
obtained in Part (iii). Show the magnitude and direction of the velocity of point B on the scaled
drawing of the linkage.

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Solution to Homework 3.
(i) Consider the triangle O 2 AO 4 . The distance from pin A (the pin connecting links 2 and 3) to
the ground pin O 4 can be written from the law of cosines as

2
R 34 = R12 + R 22 − 2 R1 R 2 cos θ2 (1)

where the known link lengths and angles are R1 = 125 mm, R 2 = 75 mm, θ1 = 0o , and the input
angle θ2 = 150o. Substituting the given numerical data into this equation gives

2
R 34 = (125 mm)2 + (75 mm)2 − 2 (125 mm )( 75 mm ) cos 150° (2a)

Therefore, the distance between pin A and the ground pin O 4 is

R 34 = 193.62 mm (2b)

Using the law of sines gives

R1 R 34
= (3a)
sin ∠O 2 AO4 sin ∠O4O 2 A

Rearranging this equation and substituting in the numerical data gives

R sin ∠O 4O2 A (125 mm) sin150°
sin ∠O2 AO4 = 1 = (3b)
R 34 193.62 mm

Therefore, the angles are

∠O 2 AO4 = 18.83° (3c)

and θ3 = θ34 = − (30° − 18.83°) = − 11.17° or 348.83° (3d)

(ii) A suitable choice of vectors for the inverted slider-crank linkage are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Vectors for the kinematic analysis of the linkage.

The vector loop equation (VLE) for the linkage, see Figure 1, can be written as

√I ?? √√
R 2 + R 34 − R1 = 0 (4)

2
Since the angle θ34 = θ3 , see Eq. (3d), then the X and Y components of Eq. (4) can be written as

R2 cos θ 2 + R34 cos θ3 − R1 cos θ1 = 0 (5a)

and
R2 sin θ 2 + R34 sin θ3 − R1 sin θ1 = 0 (5b)

Differentiating Eqs. (5a) and (5b) with respect to the input position θ2 gives

− R2 sin θ 2 − R34 sin θ3θ3′ + R34

′ cos θ3 = 0 (6a)
and
R2 cos θ 2 + R34 cos θ3θ3′ + R34
′ sin θ3 = 0 (6b)

Recall that the angle θ34 = θ3 , therefore, the first-order kinematic coefficient of link 3 is

θ′3 = θ′34

Then writing Eqs. (6) in matrix form gives

 − R34 sin θ3 cos θ3   θ3′   R2 sin θ 2 

 R cos θ = (7)
 34 3 sin θ3   R34
′   − R2 cos θ 2 

The determinant of the coefficient matrix can be written as

− R34 sin θ3 cos θ3

DET = = − R34 = − 193.62 mm (8)
R34 cos θ3 sin θ3

Using Cramer’s rule, the first-order kinematic coefficient of link 3 can be written as

R2 sin θ 2 cos θ3
− R2 cos θ 2 sin θ3
θ3′ = (9a)
DET
which can be written as
R2 cos (θ 2 − θ3 )
θ3′ = (9b)
− R34

Substituting Eqs. (2b) and (3d) and the known data into Eq. (9b), the first-order kinematic
coefficient of link 3 is
(75 mm) cos (150° + 11.17°)
θ3′ = = + 0.367 mm/mm (9c)
− 193.62 mm

Sign Convention: The positive sign indicates that link 3 is rotating in the same as the direction as
the input link 2, that is, counterclockwise.
Similarly, the first-order kinematic coefficient of links 3 and 4 can be written as

− R34 sin θ3 R2 sin θ 2

R cos θ3 − R2 cos θ 2
′ = 34
R34 (10a)
DET

3
which can be written as
R2 R34 sin (θ3 − θ 2 )
′ =
R34 (10b)
− R34

Substituting Eqs. (2b) and (3d) and the known data into Eq. (10b), the first-order kinematic
coefficient of links 3 and 4 is

′ = − (75 mm) sin (− 11.17° − 150°) = + 24.21 mm 2 / mm

R34 (10c)

Sign Convention: The positive sign indicates that the length of the vector R34 is increasing with
a counterclockwise rotation of the input link 2 (or the length of the vector R34 is decreasing with
a clockwise rotation of the input link 2).
The angular velocity of link 3 can be written, from the chain rule, as

ω3 = θ3′ ω2 (11a)

Substituting Eq. (9c) and the input angular velocity ω2 = 60 rad/s counterclockwise into Eq.
(11a), the angular velocity of link 3 is

ω3 = (+ 0.367 mm/mm) × (+ 60 rad/sec) = + 22 rad/sec (11b)

Sign Convention: The positive sign indicates that the direction of the angular velocity of link 3 is
counterclockwise (that is, the same direction as the angular velocity of the input link 2).
The angular velocity of link 4 must be the same as the angular velocity of link 3, that is

ω4 = + 22 rad/sec (11c)

Aside: The relative velocity between links 3 and 4 can be written as

V34 = R34 = R34

′ ω2 (12a)

Substituting Eq. (10b) and the input angular velocity ω2 = 60 rad/s counterclockwise into Eq.
(12a), the relative velocity between links 3 and 4 is

V34 = (+ 24.21 mm 2 /mm) × (+ 60 rad/sec) = + 1452.6 mm/sec (12b)

Sign Convention: The positive sign indicates that the velocity of point A (fixed in link 3) relative
to the fixed pin O4 is directed along link 3 away from pin O4 for a counterclockwise rotation of
the input link 2.
(iii) The number of instant centers in a planar mechanism with n links can be written as
n ( n − 1)
N= (13a)
2
Since the number of links is n = 4 then the number of instant centers is

4x3
N= =6 (13b)
2

4
There are four primary instant centers and two secondary instant centers. The four primary
instant centers are I12, I23, I34 and I41 (as indicated by the solid lines on the Kennedy circle in
Figure 2a) and the two secondary instant centers are I13 and I24 (as indicated by the dashed lines
on the Kennedy circle).

Figure 2a. The Kennedy Circle.

The locations of the instant centers are shown on Figure 2b (Scale: 1 mm on the figure is 3 mm
of the linkage).

Figure 2b. The locations of the instant centers.

(iv) The instant center of links 2 and 3 is coincident with pin A. Therefore, the velocity of point
A fixed in link 3 is equal to the velocity of point A fixed in link 2, that is
VA3 = VA2 (14a)

Equation (14a) can be written in terms of the instant centers as

( I13 I 23 ) ω3 = ( I12 I 23 ) ω2 (14b)

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Rearranging Eq. (14b), the first-order kinematic coefficient of link 3 can be written as
ω3 I I
θ3′ = = 12 23 (15a)
ω2 I13 I 23

The length of link 2, that is, the distance I12 I 23 = 75 mm and from the scaled drawing, see
Figure 2b, the distance I13 I 23 = 204.57 mm. Therefore, the first-order kinematic coefficient of
link 3, from Eq. (15a), is
75 mm
θ3′ = + = + 0.367 mm/mm (15b)
204.57 mm

Sign Convention: The sign is positive because the relative instant center I 23 lies outside the two
absolute instant centers I12 and I13 (that is, the relative instant center does not lie between the
two absolute instant centers).
The angular velocity of link 3 is the same as the angular velocity of link 4 and can be written
from Eq. (11a) as
ω3 = ω4 = θ3′ ω2 (16a)

Substituting the angular velocity ω2 = 60 rad/sec counterclockwise and Eq. (15b) into Eq. (16a),
the angular velocity of links 3 and 4 is

ω3 = ω4 = (+ 0.367 mm/mm) × (+ 60 rad/sec) = + 22 rad/sec (16b)

Sign Convention: The positive sign indicates that the directions of the angular velocity of links 3
and 4 are the same as the direction of the angular velocity of the input link 2 which is
counterclockwise.
(v) The velocity of point B, using the instantaneous centers of velocity, can be written as
VB = ( I13 B ) ω3 (17a)

Measuring the scaled drawing of the linkage, the distance I13 B = 218 mm. Substituting this
measurement and Eq. (16b) into Eq. (17a), the velocity of point B is
VB = (218 mm) 22 rad/ sec = 4.8 m / sec (17b)

To determine the direction of the velocity of point B on the scaled drawing of the linkage draw a
line from the instantaneous center of velocity I13 to point B. The direction of the velocity of

point B is perpendicular to the line I13 B. Therefore, on the scaled drawing the direction of the

velocity vector VB is measured as 96° counterclockwise from the X-axis.