Direct Analytic Synthesis of Four-Bar Function Generators With Optimal Structural Error

Abstract

This paper is a departure from the usual procedure for obtaining the optimal dimensions of a four bar function generator by iteration. In the usual procedure, the accuracy points are first chosen by means of Chebishev spacing or some other means. Using these accuracy points, a four bar linkage is synthesized and the error calculated. Freudenstein’s respacing formula may then be used to respace the accuracy points so as to minimize the errors. After the respacing of the accuracy points is calculated, a new mechanism is synthesized. The process is repeated until the magnitudes of the extreme errors occurring between accuracy points are equalized. The procedure adopted in this paper is to immediately force the extreme errors between accuracy points to be equal in magnitude by imposing additional constraints upon the problem. These constraints eliminate the arbitrary choice of the first set of accuracy points. This procedure results in a more extensive set of equations to be solved than the conventional method. However, once the equations are solved, they lead directly to equalized (and thus minimized) extrema of the magnitude of structural errors between the precision points. Thus there is no need to perform the iterative steps of conventional optimization. The proposed method is illustrated with an example.