MECHANICS OF MACHINES:

LINK:-
 Also known as kinematic link or element (resistant bodies).
 Member or combination of members of a mechanism, connecting
other members and having motion relative to them.

Binary Ternary Quaternary

PAIR:-
 A kinematic pair is a joint of two links having relative motion between
them.
 Types of Kinematic Pairs
 According to Nature of contact

1. Lower Pair: A pair of links having surface or area contact.

Eg: Nut turning on a screw, Shaft rotating in a bearing, Slider
crank mechanism, universal joint, etc..

2. Higher pair: Point or line contact between the links.

Eg: Wheel rolling on a surface, cam and follower, tooth gears,
Ball and roller bearings, etc.
 Nature of Mechanical constraint:-

1. Closed Pair: Elements of a pair are held mechanically. The

contact can be broken only by destruction of at least one of the
members. All lower pairs and some of the higher pairs are
closed pairs.
Eg: Cam and follower, Screw pair.

2. Unclosed Pair: Two links of a pair are either in contact due to

force of gravity or spring action.
Eg: Cam and follower of another type.
 Nature of Relative motion:-
1. Sliding pair: Sliding motion relative to each other.

Eg; A rectangular rod in a rectangular hole in a prism.

2. Turning pair: Turning or revolving motion relative to each

other.

Eg; A circular shaft revolving inside a bearing.

3. Rolling pair: Rolling motion relative to each other.

Eg; Ball and shaft constitute one rolling pair whereas ball and
the bearing is the second rolling pair.
 4. Screw pair (Helical pair): Turning as well as sliding motion.
Achieved by cutting machining threads.

Eg; Lead screw and nut of a lathe.

5. Spherical pair: One link in the form of a sphere inside another

link.

Eg; The ball and socket joint is a spherical pair.

Chain:
 A kinematic chain is an assembly of links in which the relative
motions of the links is possible and the motion of each relative to the
others is definite.
 A redundant chain does not allow any motion of link relative to each
other.
Degrees of Freedom:
 Number of independent relative motions, both translational and
rotational, a pair can have.
 Degrees of freedom = 6 – Number of restraints.
 A body in space has six degrees of freedom.
Mechanism:
 If motion of each link results in definite motions of the others, the
linkage is known as mechanism.
Machine structure:
 If one of the links of a redundant chain is fixed, it is known as a
structure. A structure with negative degrees of freedom is known as a
superstructure.

Inversions:
 Different mechanisms obtained by fixing different links of a kinematic
chain are known as its inversions. A slider crank mechanism has the
following inversions
 First Inversion: Link 1 is fixed and links 2 & 4 are made crank and
slider respectively.
Applications: Reciprocating engine, reciprocating compressor.
 Second inversion: Fixing link 2 of slider crank chain results in second
inversion.
Applications: Whitworth quick-return mechanism, Rotary engine.