ENGINEERING

CURVES
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PROBLEM1:

Construct an ellipse with a

distance of the focus from
the directrix as 60 mm and
eccentricity is 2/3.
 6’
A
GUIDE LINE 5’
4’
3’
2’
G 1’
a3 a4
a2 a5
a1 a6

F 45
C V °
V
1 2 3 4 5 6

b1
b2 b b b6
3 4 b5
G
1’
2’
3’
GUIDE LINE
4’
5’
B
6’
Procedure - Ellipse
1) Draw the axis CD and the directrix AB at right angles to it.
2) Mark the focus F on the axis at 60mm.
3) Divide EF into equal parts using geometrical construction and
locate the vertex V on the fourth division from E. Now
VF/VC = 2/3

4) Draw a perpendicular VG at V such that VG=VF. Join C and G.

In the triangle VCG,
VG/VC = VF/VC = 2/3

5) Mark an arbitrary point 1 on the axis and draw a perpendicular

through 1 to meet CG produced at 1’.
6) With F as center 1-1’ as radius, draw arcs to cut the
perpendicular through 1 at points a1,b1.
7) In the same way, mark points 2,3,4,etc. on the axis and repeat
the same construction to obtain points a2,b2 and a3,b3, etc.
8) Draw a smooth curve through these points to get the required
ellipse which is a closed curve.
 ELLIPSE
TO DRAW TANGENT & NORMAL TANGENT & NORMAL
TO THE CURVE
FROM A GIVEN POINT ( Q ) ELLIPSE
A
1.JOIN POINT Q TO F.

DIRECTRIX
2.CONSTRUCT 900 ANGLE WITH
THIS LINE AT POINT F
3.EXTEND THE LINE TO MEET DIRECTRIX T
AT T
4. JOIN THIS POINT TO Q AND EXTEND. THIS IS
TANGENT TO ELLIPSE FROM Q
5.TO THIS TANGENT DRAW PERPENDICULAR
LINE FROM Q. IT IS NORMAL TO CURVE.
(vertex) V
F ( focus)
900
N

Q
N

T
PROBLEM2:
Construct a parabola with
the distance between the
focus and the directrix is
50mm
A 6’
5’
4’
3’
a 5 a6
2’ a4
a3
G 1’
a2
a1

C V F
1 2 3 4 5 6

G b1
1’ b2
b3
b4
2’ b5
b6
3’
4’
5’
6’

B
Procedure - Parabola

1) Draw a line AB as the directrix.

2) Draw the axis through any point C on AB.
3) Fix the focus F on the axis so that CF=60mm. Since the
eccentricity of parabola=1, the vertex V can be located at the
mid point of CF. i.e., VF/VC = 1
4) Mark points 1,2,3, etc. on the axis arbitrarily and draw
parallels to the directrix through these points.
5) With F as centre and E1 as radius, draw arcs to cut the
parallel through 1 at two points marked 1’.
6) With F as centre and E2 as radius, draw arcs to cut the
parallel through 2 at two points marked 2’.
7) In the same way, obtain points 3’,4’, etc. on both sides of the
axis.
8) Join these points by a smooth curve to get the required
parabola
 PARABOLA
TANGENT & NORMAL
TO DRAW TANGENT & NORMAL
TO THE CURVE T PARABOLA
FROM A GIVEN POINT ( Q )
A

1.JOIN POINT Q TO F.
2.CONSTRUCT 900 ANGLE WITH
THIS LINE AT POINT F
3.EXTEND THE LINE TO MEET DIRECTRIX
AT T
4. JOIN THIS POINT TO Q AND EXTEND. THIS IS VERTEX V
TANGENT TO THE CURVE FROM Q 900
F
5.TO THIS TANGENT DRAW PERPENDICULAR ( focus)
LINE FROM Q. IT IS NORMAL TO CURVE.
N

Q
B N

T
PROBLEM3:
Construct a hyperbola with the
distance between the focus
and the directrix is 50mm and
eccentricity is 3/2
 4’
3’ a4
A a3
2’
a2
1’

G a1

C
V 1 2 3 4 F

G b1

1’ b2
2’ b3
b4
3’
B
4’
Procedure - Hyperbola
1) Let AB be the directrix. Draw the axis CD perpendicular to AB.
2) Locate the focus F on the axis at 50mm from C. fix the vertex V
on the axis at 20mm from C. so that eccentricity=
VF/VC=30/20=3/2=1.5
3) Draw a line perpendicular to CD at V. mark a point G on this
perpendicular such that VG=VF. Join C and G and produce.
4) Draw perpendicular at points 1,2, etc. on the axis (arbitary
points) to cut the line CG- produced at 1’,2’,etc.
5) With F as center and radius equal o 1-1’, draw arcs cutting the
perpendicular through a1 and b1. with F as centre and radius
equal to 2-2’, draw arcs cutting the perpendicular through 2 at
a2,b2.
6) Repeat the construction for points 3,4, etc., and obtain a3 and b3,
a4 and b4.
7) Draw a smooth curve through these points. This curve is the
required hyperbola.
 HYPERBOLA
TANGENT & NORMAL
TO DRAW TANGENT & NORMAL
TO THE CURVE
FROM A GIVEN POINT ( Q ) A

1.JOIN POINT Q TO F.
2.CONSTRUCT 900 ANGLE WITH THIS LINE AT
POINT F T
3.EXTEND THE LINE TO MEET DIRECTRIX AT T
4. JOIN THIS POINT TO Q AND EXTEND. THIS IS
TANGENT TO CURVE FROM Q
(vertex)
V
F ( focus)
5.TO THIS TANGENT DRAW PERPENDICULAR 900
LINE FROM Q. IT IS NORMAL TO CURVE.
N

N Q

T
 ENGINEERING CURVES
Part-II
(Point undergoing two types of displacements)

INVOLUTE CYCLOID SPIRAL HELIX

1. General Cycloid
1. Involute of a circle
2. Epicycloid
2. Involute of a Polygon
3. Hypocycloid

Methods of Drawing
AND Tangent & Normal
To These Curves.
PROBLEM4:
DRAW LOCUS OF A POINT ON THE
PERIPHERY OF A CIRCLE WHICH
ROLLS ON STRAIGHT LINE PATH.

Take Circle diameter as 50 mm

 CYCLOID
p4
4
p3 p5
3 5

C p2 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 p6 C
8
2 6

p1
p7
1 7
P p8

D

Solution Steps:
1)      From center C draw a horizontal line equal to D distance.
2)      Divide D distance into 8 number of equal parts and name them C1, C2, C3__ etc.
3)      Divide the circle also into 8 number of equal parts and in clock wise direction, after P name
1, 2, 3 up to 8.
4)      From all these points on circle draw horizontal lines. (parallel to locus of C)
5)      With a fixed distance C-P in compass, C1 as center, mark a point on horizontal line from 1. Name it P.
6)      Repeat this procedure from C2, C3, C4 upto C8 as centers. Mark points P2, P3, P4, P5 up to P8 on the
horizontal lines drawn from 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 respectively.
7)      Join all these points by curve. It is Cycloid.
STEPS:
CYCLOID
DRAW CYCLOID AS USUAL.
MARK POINT Q ON IT AS DIRECTED.
Method of Drawing
Tangent & Normal
WITH CP DISTANCE, FROM Q. CUT THE
POINT ON LOCUS OF C AND JOIN IT TO Q.

FROM THIS POINT DROP A PERPENDICULAR

ON GROUND LINE AND NAME IT N

JOIN N WITH Q.THIS WILL BE NORMAL TO

CYCLOID.

DRAW A LINE AT RIGHT ANGLE TO

al
THIS LINE FROM Q.

Norm
IT WILL BE TANGENT TO CYCLOID. CYCLOID

Q
Tang
en t

CP
C C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8

P N
D
PROBLEM5:
DRAW LOCUS OF A POINT ON THE
PERIPHERY OF A CIRCLE WHICH
ROLLS ON A CURVED PATH.

Take diameter of rolling Circle 50 mm

And radius of directing circle i.e. curved
path, 75 mm.
Solution Steps:
1)  When smaller circle will roll on

EPI CYCLOID
larger circle for one revolution it will
cover  D distance on arc and it will
be decided by included arc angle .
2)  Calculate  by formula  = (r/R) x
360o.
3)  Construct angle  with radius OC
and draw an arc by taking O as
Generating/
center OC as radius and form sector
Rolling Circle
of angle . 4 5
4)  Divide this sector into 8 number C2 C3
of equal angular parts. And from C C1 C4
3 6
onward name them C1, C2, C3 up to C C
C8. 5

5)  Divide smaller circle (Generating 7

2

C6
circle) also in 8 number of equal
parts. And next to P in clockwise 1
direction name those 1, 2, 3, up to 8. r = CP P

C7
6)  With O as center, O-1 as radius
draw an arc in the sector. Take O-2,
O-3, O-4, O-5 up to O-8 distances Directing Circle
with center O, draw all concentric R C
8
arcs in sector. Take fixed distance C-
P in compass, C1 center, cut arc of 1 = r 3600
+

at P1. R
Repeat procedure and locate P2, P3, O
P4, P5 unto P8 (as in cycloid) and
join them by smooth curve. This is
EPI – CYCLOID.
1) With P as centre and r as radius, draw an arc to cut of centers at E.
2) Draw a line through E and O intersecting the director circle at N.
3) Draw a line through N an P. this line through N and P is the
required normal. The line PM drawn perpendicular to PN through P
is the tangent to the curve at P.
EPI CYCLOID :
P M
Generating/
Rolling Circle
4 5
C2 C3 r
C1 C4
3 6
C C
5
7
2

C6
1 2 3 N
4
1 P 5
r = CP
6

C7
Directing Circle
7
R C
8 8

r 3600
=
+

R
O
PROBLEM6:
DRAW LOCUS OF A POINT ON THE
PERIPHERY OF A CIRCLE WHICH ROLLS
FROM THE INSIDE OF A CURVED PATH.

Take diameter of rolling circle 50 mm and

radius of directing circle (curved path)
75 mm.
 HYPO CYCLOID

Solution Steps:
1)  Smaller circle is
rolling here, inside the
larger circle. It has to
rotate anticlockwise to P 7
move ahead.
2)  Same steps should P1
6
be taken as in case of
EPI – CYCLOID. Only 1 P2 C2
C1 C3
change is in numbering C4
direction of 8 number of C C
P3 5 5
equal parts on the
2 C
smaller circle. 6
3)  From next to P in
4 P4 C
anticlockwise direction, 3 7
name 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. P8
P5
4)  Further all steps are P6 P7
that of epi – cycloid.

C8
This is called
HYPOCYCLOID. r
= 3600
+

R
O

OC = R ( Radius of Directing Circle)

CP = r (Radius of Generating Circle)
 STEPS: HYPO CYCLOID

1) With P as centre and

r as a radius, draw
an arc to cut the arc
of centre E. Draw a
line joining E to O N
intersecting circle at
N. Draw a line P 7
through N to P P1
2) This line through N 6

CE
and P required 1 P2
C 2 C3
normal. Through P, 1 C4
draw a line PM C r C
P3 5 5
perpendicular to PN . 2 C
6
This line PM tangent
4 P P4
to the curve at P. 3 C
M 7
P8
P5
P6 P7

C8
r
= 3600
+

R
O

OC = R ( Radius of Directing Circle)

CP = r (Radius of Generating Circle)
 Involute :
Involute is the curve traced out by the end point of a string
unwound from a circle or polygon. String is kept tight so that it will
remain tangent to the circle or co-linear to the side of polygon.
PROBLEM7:

Draw Involute of a circle.

String length is equal to the
circumference of circle
 INVOLUTE OF A CIRCLE

Solution Steps:
1) Point or end P of string AP is
exactly D distance away from A.
Means if this string is wound
round the circle, it will completely
P2
cover given circle. B will meet A
after winding.
2) Divide D (AP) distance into 8 P3
number of equal parts. P1
3)  Divide circle also into 8

2 to p
number of equal parts. 3
to
4)  Name after A, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. up p
to 8 on D line AP as well as on

op
circle (in anticlockwise direction).

1t
5)  To radius C-1, C-2, C-3 up to C-
8 draw tangents (from 1,2,3,4,etc 4 to p
to circle). P4
4
6)  Take distance 1 to P in 3
compass and mark it on tangent 5
from point 1 on circle (means one 2
division less than distance AP). 6
p
o
5t

7)  Name this point P1 1

8)  Take 2-B distance in compass 7 A 8
6 to p

7
and mark it on the tangent from P5 to P
point 2. Name it point P2.
p P8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9)  Similarly take 3 to P, 4 to P, 5 P7
to P up to 7 to P distance in P6 D
compass and mark on respective
tangents and locate P3, P4, P5 up
to P8 (i.e. A) points and join them
in smooth curve it is an INVOLUTE
of a given circle.
STEPS:
Involute
DRAW INVOLUTE AS USUAL.
Method of Drawing
MARK POINT Q ON IT AS DIRECTED. Tangent & Normal
JOIN Q TO THE CENTER OF CIRCLE C.
CONSIDERING CQ DIAMETER, DRAW
A SEMICIRCLE AS SHOWN.
INVOLUTE OF A CIRCLE

al
rm
MARK POINT OF INTERSECTION OF

No
THIS SEMICIRCLE AND POLE CIRCLE Q
AND JOIN IT TO Q.

THIS WILL BE NORMAL TO INVOLUTE.

Ta
n ge
nt
DRAW A LINE AT RIGHT ANGLE TO
THIS LINE FROM Q.

IT WILL BE TANGENT TO INVOLUTE.

4
3
5
C 2
6
1
7
8
P
P8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

D
PROBLEM8:

Draw Involute of a Pentagon of

25 m side
THANK YOU