Cam Mechanisms

• The transformation of one of the simple

motions, such as rotation, into any other
motions is often conveniently accomplished
by means of a cam mechanism
• A cam mechanism usually consists of two
moving elements, the cam and the
follower, mounted on a fixed frame. 
• Cam devices are versatile, and almost any
arbitrarily-specified motion can be
obtained. In some instances, they offer the
simplest and most compact way to
transform motions.
• A cam may be defined as a machine
element having a curved outline or a
curved groove, which, by its oscillation or
rotation motion, gives a predetermined
specified motion to another element called
the follower .
• The cam has a very important function in
the operation of many classes of
machines, especially those of the
automatic type, such as textile machinery,
printing presses, shoe machinery, gear-
cutting machines, and screw machines.
• The possible applications of cams are
unlimited
Classification of Cam Mechanisms
• We can classify cam mechanisms by the
modes of input/output motion, the
configuration and arrangement of the
follower, and the shape of the cam. 
• We can also classify cams by the different
types of motion events of the follower and
by means of a great variety of the motion
characteristics of the cam profile.
Disk or plate cam with translating
roller follower
Translating or wedge cam with
translating roller follower
Cylindrical cam with translating roller
follower
Conical cam with translating roller
follower
Face cam with oscillating follower
Globoidal cam with oscillating follower
 Types of Cams and Followers
The following are the most widely used
cams.
• Disk, Plate or Radial Cam:
• Translation Cam:
• Cylinder Cam:
Cam Nomenclature
 Displacement, Velocity and
Acceleration of the Follower
For many commonly used cams, the
rise of the follower is
• parabolic,
• harmonic, or
• cycloidal
Lift h of the cam takes place during a
rotation . The rise y for a rotation 
can be found by substitution in the
equation of the table.
Type of cam Displacement Velocity Acceleration

Parabolic or For /  0.5, y = 2h2 dy = 4h d2y = 4h2/2

Constant 2 dt 2 dt2
acceleration dy = 4h (1-/) d2y = - 4h2/2
For /  0.5, dt  dt2
y = h  1-2(1-/)2 

Harmonic y = h/2 (1-cos  / ) dy = h sin  d2y = 2h2 cos 

dt 2  dt2 22 

Cyclidal y =h(/-½sin2/) dy = h (1-cos 2 ) d2y = 2h2 sin 2

dt   dt2 2 
 Pressure angle: The angle at any
point between the normal to the pitch
curve and the instantaneous direction
of the follower motion. This angle is
important in cam design because it
represents the steepness of the cam
profile.
• The pressure angle  or  can be
obtained by the following equation.
tan  = 1 / r x dy / dt
• where r is the distance between the
centres for cam and roller.
Follower displacement
• Design of cam profile
• Shedding tappet construction
• Given data
• Weave: ½ twill weave
• Treadle lever directly connected to the heald shaft.
• Down position of bowl corresponds to the down
position of the heald shaft.
• Lifting carried out by springs at the top.
• Nearest distance between bowl and tappet
centres: 9 cm
• Lift of tappet: 5 cm
• Diameter of anti-friction bowl: 7.5 cm
• Duration of dwell: pick
• Shaft movement: S.H.M. 1
3

• Lift line assumed to be straight and passes

through the tappet centre.
• Construction Procedure
• The weave repeats on three picks;
therefore the loom crankshaft will make
three revolutions for each revolution of the
tappet. The tappet has to be mounted on
a shaft running at 1/3rd the speed of the
crankshaft.
• Let A be the point, which is the tappet
centre. Through A, three straight lines are
drawn so that each line makes 120º with
each other - 3 segments of the tappet -
mark pick 1,2, and 3.
• Dwell is 1/3 pick; so divide each segment
into three parts. Two parts for change and
one part for dwell. i.e. Each segment is
120º and change is 80º and dwell is 40º.
Mark change, dwell for each segment.
• With A as centre, draw circles of radii 9 cm
and 14 cm. At some point on these circles,
the minimum and maximum separations,
respectively, of tappet and bowl centres
will occur. (9 cm is the nearest distance
between tappet and bowl centre and
(9+5) = 14 cm where 5 denotes the lift as
given in the data).
• Select a reference line 'AB' - which
separates a dwell period from the change
period.
• On this reference line AB, construct a
circle of diameter equal to lift. This circle
(‘lift circle’) should just touch the already
drawn circles, as shown in the diagram.
• Divide the lift circle into 12 equal
segments - six on each side of the
reference line. Divide the change period
of Pick 1 into six equal segments - i.e.,
(80/6 =) 13.3º each. With centre A, draw
a series of six arcs, projecting the lift
from the lift circle to cut the segment
lines drawn from the centre A at C, D, E,
F, G, H and I (Refer the diagram). The lift
distance has been divided into
proportions equivalent to S.H.M.
• From points C, D, E, F, G, H and I draw
circles of radius equal to the radius of
anti-friction bowl (7.5/2 = 3.75cm).The
outline of the tappet is drawn by a
smooth curve touching all the circles.