PULLEYS

DR.SUMAIYA ASIF
 MECHANICAL PRINCIPLES

 Angle of pull

 Pulleys & its types

 Pendulums

 Elasticity

 Springs
 ANGLE OF PULL
Definition:

 A force is most effective when it is applied at right angles to a lever.

Mechanical Efficiency of a Muscle
 Mechanically, the pull is most efficient when the muscle is inserted at right angles to
the bone.
 This efficiency is decreased as the angle of pull is reduced; because some of the force
is used in pulling the bone of insertion towards the joint representing the fulcrum.
 This approximation of articular surfaces has a stabilizing effect upon the joint which is
greatest when the direction of the pull of the muscle is longitudinal,i.e. in the long axis of the
bone of attachment.
 The mechanical efficiency of the muscle pull is also reduced when the angle of insertion
is increased from the right angle.
 In this case the joint becomes less stable as the angle increases.
 PULLEY

 A pulley is a grooved wheel which is rotated about a fixed axis by a rope which
passes round it. The axis is supported by a framework or block, and the whole structure
may be used either as a fixed pulley or movable pulley.

A. FIXED PULLEY:
 This is used to alter the direction of a force, and enables traction or resistance to
be applied at any angle.
 The pulley block is fixed to some suitable support and the rope which passes
around the wheel is attached to the weight at one end and the effort applied at the
other.
 Some time the same pulley system is used in human body by some muscles allow
them to inserted at a more advantageous angle,e.g. Digastric and omohyoid muscles
pull round fibrous loop, and obturator internus muscle turns at a right angle and
glides on a ridged groove to its insertion.
 PULLEY
B. MOVABLE PULLEY

 This device is used to gain a mechanical advantage when lifting heavy

weights.
 One simple combination is in common use for lifting the trunk for suspension
exercises.
 The upper pulley is fixed to an over head support, to which one end of the
rope is attached.
 The rope is then wound round the movable pulley, to which the weight is
attached, and round the fixed pulley, the effort being applied at the free end.
 If double pulleys are used the effort required can gain can be reduced by
half.
 PENDULUM
Definition:
 A simple pendulum is a heavy particle, suspended by a
weightless thread and free to move to and fro.
 When the pendulum is at rest, the thread is vertical, but then
released, the pendulum will swing to and fro.
 One complete swing in each direction is called an oscillation,
and the extent of the swing to anyone side from the vertical
is the amplitude.
 The time taken for each oscillations is determined by the length
of the pendulum and the acceleration due to gravity.
 PENDULAR MOVEMENT
 Pendular movements in the body occur chiefly at the shoulder and hip
joints when the muscles are relaxed and the limb distal to the joints
swings loosely to and fro.
 Muscular contraction may be used to initiate the movement and to
maintain or increase the amplitude of the oscillations, but it is minimal
compared with that required to perform the same movement at any speed
greater or lesser than that of the pendular swing.

FOR EXAMPLE:

 The leg is carried forward by a pendular swing of the leg from the hip
joint during slow easy walking and the same type of movement occurs to
some extent at the knee.
 Arm swinging exercises at natural speed can also be done in cases of
marked muscular weakness without fatigue, when low or rapid movement
is impossible.
 MOVEMENT IN AXIAL SUSPENSION
 A limb, supported by ropes suspended from a point vertically above the joint
to be moved, is said to be in axial suspension. i.e., the point of suspension is
vertically above the axis of movement.
 When the limb is relaxed, it will rest with the joint in the neutral position and,
when movement is initiated, it will swing freely to either side of this resting
position on a plane which is horizontal.
 The arc of movement forms a segment of the base of a cone, the radius of
which is equal to the length of the limb and the height of which is equal to the
perpendicular distance b/w the joint and the point of suspension.
 This support which makes the limb gravity free and therefore weightless, aids
relaxation during passive movement and relieves the physiotherapists from the
necessity of supporting a heavy part of the body, thus freeing her hands for a
more accurate performance of the movement.
 Rhythmical active movements in suspension at a suitable speed is pendular in
character and he muscle work required to maintain it is minimal, the effect
being to promote reciprocal relaxation and to increase the circulation in the
region of the joint which is moved.
 MOVEMENT IN PENDULAR SUSPENSION
 This type of suspension represents a lateral or medial displacement
of the point of suspension from the position which it occupies in axial
suspension.
 In these conditions the limb no longer rests in the neutral position of
the joint, but falls to a new resting position which lies towards a
vertical plane containing the new point of suspension and the joint.
 Movement on either side of this resting position cause the centre of
gravity of the limb to rise, making possible pendular movement.
 Thus, in comparison with axial suspension, the muscle work required to
produce movement away from the resting position is increased, but none
is required for the return movement.
 MOVEMENT IN PENDULAR
SUSPENSION
Example:

 In case of hip joint suspension of the limb from a hip vertically

above the hip joint (Axial suspension) rests it in alignment with
the trunk, and movement into abduction or adduction takes place
in a horizontal plane.
 When the point of suspension is moved medially(pendular
suspension) the limb falls to rest in adduction, and movement
into abduction requires effort and is accompanied by some
flexion as the centre of gravity of the limb is raised from the
resting position.
 If the limb is released it will fall passively into adduction.
 ELASTICITY
Definition:

 Elasticity is the property of a body which enables it to regain its

original form after it has been distorted by the application of a
force.
 The change in length per unit area is called as stress.
 The change in size or shape by original size is called as strain.

HOOK’S LAW: The strain is proportional to the stress producing it(so

long as the strain is not too great, for once the so-called ‘elastic limit’ is
passed, permanent deformation occurs).

 EXAMPLES: Springs, rubber elastic and sorbo rubber all possess the
property of elasticity, and are in common use in physiotherapy.
 SPRINGS
 The spiral springs used either to resist or to assist the force of muscular contraction,
or to produce passive movement of joints, consist of a uniform coil of wire which
is extensible.

THE EXTENSIBILITY OF A SPRING:

 A spring can be elongated by a force applied at one end of it in the direction of its
long axis, the other end of the spring being fixed.
 The increase in the length of the spring is directly proportional to the magnitude of the
applied force used to stretch it.
THE WEIGHT OF A SPRING:
 The standard springs which are used are still graded in pounds, acc.
 To the poundage which must be applied to them to stretch them to a predetermined length.
The stretch is indicated by a tape inserted with in the coils of the spring, the tape
becoming taut when the maximum length is reached.
 The tape also serves to prevent the spring being overstretched and consequently damaged.
The weight of the spring is determined by a material and thickness of the wire from
which it is made and the average diameter of its coils.
 SPRINGS
THE RECOIL OF A SPRING:
 When the applied force which stretches a spring is removed and the spring
returns to its original length the potential energy stored in it during extension is
released as kinetic energy, and almost all of this appears ultimately as heat in the
coils of the a spring.
 Oscillatory movement produced by a spring: if a weight applied to stretch a
vertical spring is raised and then released again an oscillatory movement is
produced by the spring, the amplitude of which decreases progressively until the
spring comes to rest in equilibrium.
 Springs used in parallel: When a spring of a specific weight is not available two
equal springs of half the required weight may be used in parallel to produce the
same result.
 SPRINGS
 Springs used in series: The weight of two equal springs arranged in
series is the same as that of a single spring, but the amount by which they
must be extended in order to reach the limit of extension is doubled that
required for a single spring.
 Rubber elastic: Rubber elastic of different thickness may be used in place
of springs, and in many ways it is more suitable for providing light
assistance or resistance.
 Sorbo rubber: This material is both compressible and extensible and is
useful for providing light resistance for gripping movements of the hand.