BASIC CONCEPTS OF A

MECHANISM
Kinematic element, is that part of a rigid body which is used to connect it to another rigid body
such that the relative motion between the two rigid bodies can occur
• Link with one Node : Unary Link
• Link with two Nodes : Binary Link (a)
• Link with three Nodes : Ternary Link (b)
• Link with four Nodes : Quaternary Link (c)
 BASIC CONCEPTS OF MECHANISMS
Kinematic pair (joint)
The main characteristics of a mechanism is not the rigid bodies (links) but the
kinematic pairs that join these rigid bodies. It is this idea that has lent itself to
modern mechanisms study.
Kinematic pair or simply joint, ) is the joining of two kinematic elements. It is
Combination of two links kept in permanent contact permitting particular
kind(s) of relative motion(s) between them.

Note:
The main characteristics of a mechanism are determined by the types of
kinematic pairs and their distribution within the mechanism dete
 Classification of Pairs
1 - BASED ON NATURE OF CONTACT BETWEEN LINKS:

a. Lower Pairs -- Surface Contact

b. Higher Pairs – Point or Line Contact
2 - BASED ON HOW THE CONTACT IS MAINTAINED:

a. Self / Form Closed Pairs – Shape/Form of the links

maintain the contact. No external force.

b. Force Closed Pairs – External forces like

gravitational force, spring force etc., required to maintain the
contact.
• Completely Constrained Pair

• Successfully
Unconstrained Pair Constrained Pair
•Kinematic Chain – Combination / Assembly of links and
pairs such that each link has minimum two pairs,
permitting controlled definite output motion for a specified
input motion.

•Mechanism – A kinematic chain with one link fixed /

stationary.

•Machine – A device, which has one or more mechanisms,

transferring / transforming motion and energy to do
required useful work easily.
 KINEMATIC CHAIN
• Kinematic Chain – Combination /
Assembly of links and pairs such that each
link has minimum two pairs, permitting
controlled definite output motion for a
specified input motion.
 One Link Fixed

KINEMATIC CHAIN MECHANISM

 MECHANISM

• A kinematic chain with one link fixed /

stationary
 Classification of
Chains/mechanisms
• Based on the connection of the output
member

 Open chain/mechanism
 Closed chain/mechanism
 Open Mechanism
• Output member not connected to the fixed
link / frame

• Robot arms
• Arms of earth movers
 Closed Mechanism

• Output member connected to the frame.

• Four-bar mechanism
• Slider-crank mechanism
• Cam follower mechanism
KINEMATIC
DIAGRAMS
• A kinematic diagram reduces machine components to a skeleton diagram that
emphasises the joints and reduces the links to simple geometric elements.
Two Stroke Engine
 Kinematic (stick or skeleton) Diagrams
A striped-down (simplified) drawing showing the essentials needed for
kinematics analysis. All links are numbered while the joints are lettered.

Mechanism to open and close a window Kinematic diagram

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 21

 Kinematic (stick or skeleton) Diagrams

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 22

 Kinematic (stick or skeleton) Diagrams

plate

Hydraulic
actuator
Indicating
a fixed
angle

Indicating a
rigid link

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 23

 LINK / ELEMENT

KINEMATIC PAIR / JOINT

KINEMATIC CHAIN

MECHANISM

MACHINE
 Planar Mechanisms

While all mechanisms in a mechanical system are three-

dimensional, they can be analysed using plane geometry if the
movement of the individual components is constrained so that
all point trajectories are parallel or in a series connection to a
plane.
In this case the system is called a planar mechanism.
A body in the plane has three degrees of freedom (x, y, )
Most analysis in MEC2202 is on planar mechanisms
25
 Spatial mechanisms

A mechanism in which a body moves through a general spatial

movement is called a spatial mechanism

26
DEGREES OF FREEDOM

27
INTRODUCTION
• Degree of Freedom is defined as the minimum number of
independent variables required to define the position of a rigid
body in space.
• In other words, DOF defines the number of directions a body can
move.
• The degree of freedom concept is used in kinematics to calculate
the dynamics of a body (Wikipedia)
• Degrees of Freedom can be determined by analysis of motion of
the concerned body or by determining the number of coordinates
required to specify position of the body.
 Degrees of Freedom
An object in space has six degrees of freedom.
• Translation – movement along X, Y, and Z
axis (three degrees of freedom)
• Rotation – rotate about X, Y, and Z axis
(three degrees of freedom)

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 29

 Degrees of Freedom (DOF)
Planar (2D) mechanisms

Degrees of Freedom – number

of independent coordinates
required to completely specify
the position of the link
Three independent coordinates
needed to specify the location of
the link AB, xA, yA, and angle 

An unconstrained link in the plane has three degrees of

freedom, mechanism with L links has 3L degrees of freedom

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 30

 Degrees of Freedom of Kinematic Pairs
When two bodies connect with each other to form
a joint, one body can move in a number of ways
relative to the other and may be constrained in
other ways. DoF of a kinematic joint is the number
of ways in which one member of the joint can
move relative to the other member.

Lower Pairs – motion is transmitted through an

area contact, pin and slider joints.

Higher Pairs – motion is transmitted through a

line or a point contact; gears, rollers, and
spherical joints.

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 31

 Degrees of Freedom (DOF) – Type of Joints, Lower Pairs

Each pin connection removes two

degrees of freedom of relative motion
between two successive links.

Two degrees of freedom joints are

sometimes called a half a joint (Norton).

A slider is constrained against moving in

the vertical direction as well as being
constrained from rotating in the plane.

A spheric pair is a ball and socket joint,

3 DOF.

The helical pair has the sliding and

rotational motion related by the helix
angle of the screw.

Planar pair is seldom used

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 32

• Degrees of Freedom of Pairs

Name of Pair Letter Symbol D.O.F

1. Revolute / Turning Pair R 1
2. Prismatic / Sliding Pair P 1
3. Helical / Screw Pair H 1
4. Cylindrical Pair C 2
5. Spherical / Globular Pair S (or) G 3
6. Flat / Planar Pair E 3
7. Cylindric Plane Pair Cp 4
8. Spheric Plane Pair Sp 5
 Degrees of Freedom (DOF) – Type of Joints,
Higher Pairs
Roll-slide contact, 2 DOF Rolling contact (no sliding), 1 DOF

Gears – sliding and rotation motion between two teeth, 2 DOF

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 34

 Degrees of Freedom (DOF) – Type of Joints,
Higher Pairs
Belt and pulley (no sliding) or chain and sprocket – 1 DOF

Spring – no effect on mechanism DOF

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 35

 Degrees of freedom of a mechanism
• The DoF for a mechanism is defined as the number of
coordinates or variables required to be specified such that
the position and orientation of all the members of the
mechanism can be stated as a function of time.
• For determining the DoF for a mechanism we will start
with assuming all the members of the mechanism free in
plane and thus having three DoF each. Then we will apply
constraints and DoF will reduce as the members are
joined together to form mechanism.
Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 36
 Derivation of DOF
• Take the mechanism to be composed of ‘L’ members or links. Initially each
link is assumed to be free and thus the mechanism has 3L DoF. One of the
members is to be a base or frame link thus have zero DoF or it lost its all
three DoF. The DoF left in the mechanism at this stage is 3L-3 or 3(L-1).

• When the pairs of links form joints they will loose DoF according to the type
of joint. If it is 1 DOoF, two are lost and if it is 2 DoF the 1 is lost.

• The resulting formula is called Kutzbach’s (modified Groubler) equation

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 37

 Degrees of Freedom (DOF)
Kutzbach’s (modified Groubler) equation

DOF = 3(L – 1) – 2J1 – J2

DOF = degree of freedom or mobility

L = number of links, including ground link
J1 = number of 1 DOF joints (full joints)

J2 = number of 2 DOF joints (half joints)

DOF ≤ 0 structure

DOF > 0 mechanism

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 38

Examples

39
• DETERMINATION OF D.O.F

• L=3
• J1 = 3
• J2 = 0
• F=3 x(3 – 1) – 2 x2 – 1x 0
• =6–6–0=0
•

• This is a STRUCTURE
•
• L=4
• J1= 4
• J2= 0
• F = 3x(4 – 1) – 2x4 – 1x0
• =9–8–0
• =1

• This is a Constrained Mechanism.

• (One variable required to be specified such that the
position and orientation of all the members of the
mechanism can be stated as a function of time.)
 Four Bar mechanism
L = 4 , J1 = 4 pin connections, J2 = 0

DOF = 3(L – 1) – 2J1 – J2

DOF = 3(4 – 1) – 2(4) – (0) = 1

Slider crank mechanism

L = 4 , J1 = 3 pin connections + 1 slider = 4
J2 = 0
DOF = 3(4 – 1) – 2(4) – (0) = 1

1 DOF means only one input

(power source) is needed to
control the mechanism
Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 42
•
• L =5
• J1= 5
• J2= 0
• F =3 x (5 – 1) – 2x5 – 1x0
• = 12 – 10 – 0
• =2

• This is an Unconstrained Mechanism.

• (Two variables required to be specified such that the
position and orientation of all the members of the
mechanism can be stated as a function of time.)
• n =6
• P1= 7
• P2= 0
• F =3 x (6 – 1) – 2x7– 1x0
• = 15– 14 – 0
• =1

• This is a Constrained Mechanism.

• (One variable required to be specified such that the
position and orientation of all the members of the
mechanism can be stated as a function of time.)
•

• n =6
• P1= 7
• P2= 0
• F =3 x (6 – 1) – 2x7 – 1x0
• = 15 – 14 – 0
• =1

• This is a Constrained Mechanism.

• n = 11
• P1= 15
• P2= 0
• F =3 x (11 – 1) – 2x15 – 1x0
• = 30 – 30 – 0
• =0
• There are two pairs between Links (2,4,5); (3,4,6);
• (5,7,8); (8,10,11)

• This is a Structure.
 Degrees of Freedom (DOF) – trench hoe
Number of links, L = 12, Number of one DOF joints, J1 = 12 (pins) + 3 (slider) = 15,
10 11 11, 12
12 9 Number of two DOF joints, J2 = 0
8
10

9 7
8
7

5 6
6
5

4
DOF = 3(L – 1) – 2J1 – J2 = 3(12-1) -2(15) = 3
4
3
3 hydraulics are used to control the
position of the bucket. 3

1
1
2

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 47

 Degree of Freedom (DOF) - example
Number of links, L = 7,
Number of one DOF joints, J1 = 6 (pins) + 1 (slider) = 7,
Number of two DOF joints, J2 = 1 (fork joint)

DOF = 3(L – 1) – 2J1 – J2 = 3(7-1) – 2(7) – 1 = 3

Three input sources are needed to Fork Joint

control the mechanism
1

4
3
2

Spring 5
6 Slider
1

Ken Youssefi Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept., SJSU 48