Replacement in a Plane Geared Linkage of High Kinematic Pairs with Lower Pairs

Abstract

The analysis of constraints in plane mechanisms is an urgent problem in the theory of machines and mechanisms. Although kinematic pairs’ classification has been known for a long time, the issue of the conjugation of links, being at the heart of the analysis and synthesis of mechanisms and machines, is of considerable theoretical and practical interest and continues to attract scientists. One of the tasks that are solved in the process of analysis and synthesis of the structures of mechanisms is the re-placement of higher kinematic pairs by lower ones. As a rule, such a replacement is made to identify kinematic chains of zero mobility, Assur's structural groups, in a mechanism. The replacement may also aim at obtaining the necessary kinematic relations. That is because specific computational difficulties hamper the kinematic analysis of chains with higher kinematic pairs due to the relative sliding and shape irregularity of mating surfaces. Yet, the use of replacements to obtain kinematic and transmission functions is difficult due to nonisomorphism of the equivalent mechanism. Simultaneously, for mixed-type mechanisms, which include geared linkages, the equivalent replacement will allow unifying the kinematic analysis methods. The paper suggests the technology of replacing higher kinematic pairs with links with lower pairs as applied to a plane geared linkage. The technology is based on the properties of the involute of a circumference. The paper proved the structural and kinematic equivalence of such a replacement. The isomorphism of the equivalent linkage will enhance the kinematic analysis, make it possible using kinematic functions, and applying methods based on the instantaneous relative rotations of links, in particular, the Aronhold-Kennedy theorem. Another application of the replacement method presented in the paper will be the expansion of opportunities for identifying idle constraints in the mechanism.