Kinematics of the RRR, RRT (Passive) and RRRR, RRRT (Active) Linkage-Mechanism Building Blocks With Applications and Reporting of New Findings

Abstract

Abstract Closed-form equations for the analyses of the RRR and RRT (passive) and of the RRRR and RRRT (active) kinematic building blocks are presented in the paper. Implementations of these equations in computer subroutine are then discussed. Applications chosen to illustrate the usefulness of these subroutines include optimum synthesis of a function-generating mechanism, deployable structures, radial engines, a tire-curing press, and the concomitant simulation of four-bar and crank-slider coupler cognates. For the latter, properties not yet reported have been revealed through numerical experimentations.