1

Chair of Mechanics
Kinematics of multi-loop mechanisms
2
Chair of Mechanics
multibody system
Multibody system:
l
Z
j
Z
i
Z
: Z
j
rigid body coordinates
open
1

:
i
auxiliary parameters
(natural
joint coordinates)
closed
3
Chair of Mechanics
constraint equations
Constraint equations:
3
z
2
z
1
z
z
z d
z 0 = ) ; ( y
q

) (

open:
q

0
closed:
) ; ( g q
0 = ) ; ( g q

.
4
Chair of Mechanics
block diagrams I
Example:
transmission element four-bar mechanism
nonlinear transmission function
) ( =
r

s
d

kinematical transformer

5
Chair of Mechanics
block diagrams II
Coupling
connected leavers A B
B A
2

Block diagram
2

1
+ =
linear coupling relation
nonlinear linear nonlinear
1

6
Chair of Mechanics
block diagrams III
Branching:
+ =
+ =
+ =
4

Block diagram:
1

7
Chair of Mechanics
block diagrams IV
General spatial transmission chain with branching points
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Chair of Mechanics
block diagrams V
Block diagram
The oriented block diagram represents: - solution flow (numerical)
- kinematical structure (construction)
Advantages: - global relationships are visualized independently of construction details
- clear graphical representation for quick overview
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Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms I
Example:
2
L
1
L
1
L
2
L
preferable bad choice
2 5 7 n
7 n
5 n
L
G
B
= =
=
=
indeed independent!
choice of independent loops as small as possible!
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Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms II
Example:
3
L
1
L
1
L
2
L
2
L
3
L
3 7 10 n
10 n
7 n
L
G
B
= =
=
=
wrong correct
1
L
3
L
2
L " " " " + =
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Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms III
Examples of independent loops:
all loops are planar four-bar mechanisms
a) number of bodies
number of joints (joint C has to be counted twice)
number of loops
4 9 13 n
13 n
9 n
L
G
B
= =
=
=
4
L
3
L
2
L
1
L
C
B
A
degrees of freedom: per loop 1 f
i L
=
12
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms IV
b) number of bodies
number of joints (all joints are to be counted twice!)
number of loops
5 11 16 n
16 n
11 n
L
G
B
= =
=
=
degrees of freedom: per loop 1 f
i L
=
all loops are planar four-bar mechanisms
D
C
B
A
5
L
4
L
3
L
2
L
1
L
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Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms V
number of bodies
number of joints
(Hooke joints and spherical joints are treated as single joints)
number of loops
2 5 7 n
7 n
5 n
L
G
B
= =
=
=
T
S S
T
R
P
R
s
2

1
L
2
L
swashplate
degrees of freedom: per loop
2 6 8 f
i L
= =
c) control mechanism for a swashplate of a helicopter
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Chair of Mechanics
toplogical analysis of mechanisms VI
number of bodies:
number of joints:
(spherical joints are not decomposed!)
number of loops:
4 6 10 n
10 n
6 n
L
G
B
= =
=
=
4
L
3
L
2
L
1
L
degrees of freedom:
per loop:
with isolated DOF:
without isolated DOF:
4 6 10 f
6 6 12 f
i L
i L
= =
= =
d) five-link wheel supsension
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Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms VII
Linear relationships for couplings:
1. spatial revolute joint:
3

1
const = + +
1
L
1
L
2
L
2
L
3
L
3
L
3

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Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms VIII
2. spatial prismatic joint:
3

1
const = + +
2

1
L
2
L
3
L
3

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Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms IX
General relationship between joint coordinates for the spatial prismatic joint:
3

1
L
2
L
3
L
j i
2 3
1 2
1
.
.
.

k
2
1
.
.
.

3
2
1
.
.
.

= 0
= +
= +
= +
P = +

matrix P:
[ ] ) G ( n 1 ) G ( n
B L
+
rank r = n
B
( G )
) G ( n 1 ) G ( n p
B L i
+ =
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Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms X
Application of the coupling relationships:
1) single revolute joint:
2
L
2
K
1
K
1
L
1

number of bodies:
number of loops:
number of couplings:
coupling equation:
= +
= + =
=
=
1 1 n n p
2 n
2 n
B L
L
B
1

2
const

360
2) multiple joint with single coupling:
3
K
2
K
1
K
1
L
2
L
3
L
1

number of bodies:
number of loops:
number of couplings:
coupling equation:
= + +
= + =
=
=
1 1 n n p
3 n
3 n
B L
L
B
3

const

360
19
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms XI
3) general case:
3
K
2
K
1
K
3
L
4
L
4

2
L
2

1
L
1

number of bodies:
number of loops:
number of couplings:
coupling equations:
=
= + + +
= + =
=
=
2 1 n n p
4 n
3 n
B L
L
B
3

const
const

360

0
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Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms XII
typical coupling:
13

13

21

21

13

21
const = + +
21
Chair of Mechanics
Basic building blocks for structuring constraint equations
I Loops nonlinear relationships (locally)
four-bar mechanism in general case:
planar transformer
spatial transformer
2 i

4 i

4 i

3 i

3 i

2 i

1 i

1 i

6 outputs
3 outputs
inputs
inputs
L
i
f
L
i
f
topological analysis of
mechanisms XIII
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Chair of Mechanics
II knots between loops linear relationships (global)
binary:

360
general case:
L
i
f inputs 1 outputs

.
.
.
counting rule:
per joint G
i
1 ) ( d ) ( d p
B L
+ =
i
i
bodies
loops
independent, linear equations
topological analysis of
mechanisms XIV
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Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XV
C
B
A
L
4
L
1
L
3
L
2
a) 4 independent loops
3 couplings (joints A, B, C)
4 ., . , 1 i ; 1 f
i L
= =
3 , 2 , 1 i ; 1 p
i
= =
overall DOF:
in general:
or GRBLER - formula
1 3 1 4 f = =

=
i i L
p f f
Examples of kinematical networks
C
A
L
4
L
3
L
2
1 f
l
=
L
1
B
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
= 1 f
l
=
block diagram:
24
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XVI
b) 5 independent loops
4 couplings (joints A, B, C, D)
L
5
L
4
L
3
L
2
L
1
overall DOF:
1 4 1 5 f = =
B
L
4
L
1
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
A
L
2
1 f
l
=
D
C
L
3
block diagram
L
5
25
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XVII
c) SAR satellite-antenna with pantographs
10 independent loops
10 couplings (joints A, B: p
i
= 2 ; C, D, E, F, G, H: p
i
= 1)
L
10
L
9
L
8
L
7
L
6
L
5
L
4
L
1
L
2
L
3
joint A:
26
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XIII
overall DOF:
one constraint is redundant due to symmetry!
) (! 0 10 1 10 f = =
Block diagram:
A
2
A
1
C
F
G B
1
E
H
L
8
L
9
L
10
L
4
L
5
L
6
L
7
L
1
L
3
L
2
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
B
2
D
27
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms XIX
d) mechanism for unloading a tipping waggon
3
2
1
3
1
2
A A B
B
C
C D
D
E
E
F
F
G G
H H
M
M
N
N
K
K
L
L
3
2
1
B
D
C
E
F
G
H
K
L
M
N
A
L
4
L
3
L
2
L
1
L
5
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Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of mechanisms XX
Block diagram:
5 independent loops
4 couplings
(joint A: p
i
= 3
joints F, K: p
i
= 1)
overall DOF:
1 4 1 5 f = =
A
3
A
2
A
1
F
K
L
4
L
3
L
1
L
2
L
5
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
2 f
l
=
29
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XXI
e) spatial mechanism (swashplate of a helicopter)
2 independent loops (degrees of freedom f
Li
= 2)
3 couplings
H
S
S
H
R
P
R
s
2

1
L
2
L
swashplate
L
2
s
L
1
2 f
L
= 2 f
L
=
2

block diagram:
overall DOF:
1 3 2 2 f = =
30
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XXII
Structure of kinematic solution flow
a) decomposable mechanisms
C
B
A
L
4
L
2
L
1
L
3
f = 1
q
oriented block diagram (variant 1):
L
1
L
2
L
4
1 f
l
= 1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
A
B
C
L
3
q
31
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XXIII
Structure of kinematic solution flow
a) decomposable mechanisms
C
B
A
L
4
L
2
L
1
L
3
f = 1
q
orientend block diagram (variant 2):
L
1
L
2
L
4
1 f
l
= 1 f
l
= 1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
A
B
C
L
3
q
32
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XXIV
Structure of kinematic solution flow
a) decomposable mechanisms
C
B
A
L
4
L
2
L
1
L
3
f = 1
q
q
~
kinematic flow can not be found,
solution: pseudo input
(e.g. at L
1
)
q
~
iterative determination of
q
~
oriented block diagram (variant 3):
L
1
L
2
L
4
1 f
l
= 1 f
l
= 1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
A
B
C
L
3
q
q
~
33
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XXV
Structure of the system of equations (recursive) for input at L
1
(variant 1):

x x x x
x x x
x x
1 1 1
x x x x
x x x
x x
1 1
x x x x
x x x
x x
1 1
x x x x
x x x
x x
1
g
J
L
1
L
2
L
3
L
4
L
4
C
L
3
B
L
2
A
L
1
q

Jacobian
34
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XXVI
b) non-decomposable mechanisms
L
1
L
5
L
4
L
3 L
2
oriented block diagram:
L
5
L
2 L
3
L
4
L
1
A
B
C
D
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
q
q
solution flow can not be determined.
solution: pseudo input
(e.g. at L
2
)
q
~
q
~
q
~
iterative determination of q
~
35
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XXVII
Solution with
pseudo input:
L
1
L
4
L
3
L
2
L
5
oriented block
diagram:
q
~
pseudo input
L
2
L
1
L
3
L
4
L
5
A
B
C
D
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
36
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XXVIII

x x x x
x x x
x x
1 1 1
x x x x
x x x
x x
1 1 1
x x x x
x x x
x x
1 1 1
x x x x
x x x
x x
1
x x x x
x x x
x x
1
J
L
1
L
2
L
3
L
4
L
5
q
L
1
L
2
L
3
L
4
L
5
D
C
B
A
q
~
iteratively
solved
equations
) 1 . . . , 0 , 1 . . . , 0 , 1 . . . , 0 ( h
T
=
Structure of the system
of equations:
37
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XXIX
circular solution flow:
L
2
L
3
L
4
L
5
L
1
oriented block diagram:
L
2
L
1
L
4
L
3
L
5
q
B
A
C
D
circle !
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
1 f
l
=
38
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XXX
Structure of the system of equations:

x x x x
x x x
x x
1 1 1
x x x x
x x x
x x
1 1 1
x x x x
x x x
x x
1 1 1
x x x x
x x x
x x
1 1 1
x x x x
x x x
x x
1
g
J
L
1
L
3
L
4
L
5
L
2
L
2
D
L
5
C
L
4
B
L
3
A
L
1
q
domain of
iteration

Jacobian
39
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XXXI
H
S
S
H
R
P
R
s
2

1
L
2
L
swashplate
1

2 f
L
= 2 f
L
=
1
L
2
L
s
Examples of kinematic solution flows:
a) swashplate of a helicopter:
not kinematically decomposeable solution with pseudo input
( degrees of freedom) 1 f =
s q=
solution flow can not be determined:
one additional input per loop is missing
q
~
pseudo input for and
2
q
~
=
1
L
2
L
iterative determination of q
~
40
Chair of Mechanics
topological analysis of
mechanisms XXXII
Possible structures of equations for different choices of pseudo inputs
large iteration domain small iteration domain
q
~
preferable
1
q
~
2
q
~
nested iteration domains local iteration domains
2
q
~
1
q
~
q
~