LEVER

SCREW MECHANISM

MINI PROJECT REPORT

Submitted in partial fulfilment for the requirement of the course
Analysis and Design of Machine Components (ME251)

Submitted by:

Shaswata Bose (Project Lead)- 17ME167
Abhay Kumar – 17ME101
Aditi Pravin Marathe – 17ME104
Alok S Potdar – 17ME107
Ameya Rajhans Shende – 17ME108
Arpitha Yoga Narasimha – 17ME113
Brij Raj Singh – 17ME117
Farid Danish – 17ME123
Pradeep Kumar Modi – 17ME152

Under the guidance of
Dr Sharnappa Joladarashi & Dr. Subhas Chandra Kattimani

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY KARNATAKA, SURATHKAL
SRINIVASANAGAR, KARNATAKA, INDIA - 575025

st
1 April 2019

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 Acknowledgements

The team would like to thank Dr Sharnappa Joladarashi and Dr Subhas Chandra Kattimani,
Department of Mechanical Engineering NITK Surathkal. We thank them for their invaluable
guidance provided through the course of this mini project as well as providing us with an
opportunity to implement the skills and knowledge acquired during the course: Analysis
and Design of Machine Components (ME251) towards the automobile industry.

We also like express our gratitude to everyone who has guided and supported us
throughout the course of this project.

We would also like to thank the Department of Mechanical Engineering for providing the
opportunity to embark on this endeavor.

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 Contents
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... 2
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 4
Background to Lever-Screw Mechanism ......................................................................................... 5

Lever-Screw Mechanism for Belt Tensioning ...................................................................... 6
Mechanism of Lever-Screw ......................................................................................................... 6
Applications ............................................................................................................................... 6

Overview of Procedure ...................................................................................................... 8
Objectives .................................................................................................................................. 8
Order of Work ............................................................................................................................ 8
Software Used ............................................................................................................................ 8

Components required for the Model ................................................................................. 9

Automobile Sector of India – An Overview ...................................................................... 12

Proposed Model .............................................................................................................. 13

Calculations ..................................................................................................................... 16

Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 22

References ...................................................................................................................... 24

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Abstract

Belt drives are used as a means of providing power transmission over a considerable
distance. In this project, we aim to use belt drives as a method of diverting the shaft power
from tyres to auxiliary mechanisms. While most mechanisms require their power source and
equipment, this lever-screw mechanism ensures that there is an efficient distribution of the
available power.


While the principles of the functioning of automobiles remain the same throughout history,
improvements are made for better performance. Applications of the lever screw mechanism
can be used in automobiles such as adjusting the belt tension of engine drive belt.
Moreover, it can be used to transfer the power transmitted to other systems of an
automobile.

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 1. Background to Lever-Screw Mechanism

The lever-screw mechanism is a very comprehensive mechanism that has a broad scope for
several applications. It is a straightforward, but powerful mechanism. The applications range
from belt tensioning, simulating inversions of four-bar mechanisms, slider, mechanical
press, clamps and much more. Essentially, most of these mechanisms are inversions of four-
bar mechanisms; however, they are actuated from the screws. Huge amounts of power are
transmitted from the screw even when there is a slight rotation of the shaft. Therefore, the
force from rotating or moving the lever is amplified for the user's requirement.

The essence of any lever-screw mechanism is to transmit the applied torque to the required
section. The movement of the lever, moves the shaft linearly through the threaded hole.
This allows for all the other links to set in motion.


Here, the movement of the
lever causes the rotation of the
threaded shaft, thereby
resulting in a sliding of the
slider and the movement of the
blue link.







Figure 1 - Lever-Screw Mechanism for Slider


Here, the rotation of the
threaded shaft through the slot
causes both the yellow slots to
move towards each other,
thereby actuating the motion
of the blue links. This in turns
causes the mechanical press to
move downwards.





Figure 2 - Lever-Screw Mechanism for press


Therefore, it can be concluded that this simple mechanism can be applicable for inversions
of this mechanism suitable for the required application.

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2. Lever Screw-Mechanism for Belt Tensioning

This mini project comprises of the implementation of the Lever Screw Mechanism for a
multifunction belt drive. This project intends to implement a simple mechanism into several
utilities of an automobile. The lever-screw mechanism can be used for engaging and
disengaging the belt drive as per user requirement. Moreover, it can be used for adjusting
the tension of the belt for efficient power transmission and distribution.


2.1 Mechanism of the Lever-Screw:

The mechanism is made up of a double-crank four-bar mechanism which is mechanically
actuated using a worm gear. The rotation of the worm gear is responsible for moving the
links which in turn engages/disengages driving/driven pulley, or it can adjust the tension of
the belt. Furthermore, the movement of the pulley is correlated to the amount that is
rotated by the worm gear.

2.2 Applications

An application of this mechanism is with the Chain Trencher - a multi-purpose vehicle. The
vehicle uses chain-driven blades to dig underground. The power used to drive this chain
transmitted using a belt drive, which can be engaged/disengaged using the Lever-Screw
Mechanism. Through this, the power can be relayed between different systems of the
vehicle. Concerning a chain trencher, the power is efficiently relayed between the
movement of the tyres and the digging mechanism.

The adjustment of belt tension is required for applications such as the wearing of a
serpentine drive belt. The serpentine belt is found in the engine of a car and is used to drive
the electrical systems and other features. As it ages, it tends to be subjected to wear and

Figure 3 - Drive Belt of the engine

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fatigue. Due to this slippage occurs which decreases the efficiency of power transmission.
Usually, the drive belt needs to be regularly checked by a mechanic, however, through a
feedback mechanism, it can be automatically readjusted.
Hence, the automatic readjustment of the belt can be achieved with the Lever-Screw
Mechanism.
Through the feedback mechanism, the tension of the belt can be continuously monitored
and maintained. Due to fatigue and creep, the tension of the belt decreases. Once the
tension has decreased to a critical point, an electrical signal must be sent to the Lever-Screw
mechanism to actuate the movement of the lever, thereby tightening the belt. This
essentially reduces human effort involved in maintaining the belt tension.

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 3. Overview of Procedure

This mini project consists of the implementation of the lever-screw mechanism in the sector
of automobile. There are various parts of that make up the mechanism such as the coupler
and the different kinds of pulleys. The 3D CAD model of the various components were
drafted and then assembled on SolidWorks.

a. Objectives
By implementing the prototype of the Lever-Screw mechanism, we aim to achieve the
following:
• Reducing human effort and manual labour
• More efficient power distribution channel
• Allowing for variety of uses within one vehicle

b. Order of Work
• Calculation of dimensions of various components used for making the prototype
model
• Designing and simulating the necessary 3D model on SOLIDWORKS
• Procurement of the individual components for the assembly of the working model
• Assembling and testing out the mechanism within the desired range for real-time
analysis

c. Software Used
• SOLIDWORKS - SolidWorks is a solid modeling Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and
Computer-Aided Engineering Software developed by the French company,
DASSAULT SYSTÈMES.
Through SolidWorks we are able to produce 3D parts, which are used for
manufacturing.

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 4. Components Required for the Model

Figure 4 – Drawing Sheet

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Figure 5 - Drawing Sheet

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Coupler

The coupler is the connecting link between the crank, the connector and the idler pulley.
The coupler is subjected to fatigue and normal stresses from the idler pulley during its
rotation.

Driving Pulley

The driving pulley is the source of power generation. The driving pulley is generally
connected to a motor, engine or a hand crank. In the case of our model, the driving pulley is
moved through a hand crank.

Driven Pulley

The driven pulley is connected to the belt that moves in reaction to the driving belt. The
driven pulley is general can rotate, divert and transmit the power to other locations and
systems. Here, the driving pulley, driven pulley and idler pulley work hand-in-hand to adjust
the belt tension for the required application.

Idler Pulley

In general, the idler pulleys are used to take up slack, change the direction of transmission
and provide the clutch action. It does not act as a source of power; it simply facilities the
power transmission through the belt.
This is one of the most important components of the system, as this is fully responsible for
the correction of tension and the channeling of transmitted power to different systems.

Crank

The crank is a connecting link between the coupler and the base and its sole purpose is the
actuate the complete motion of the mechanism. In this four-bar mechanism, the crank is
able to rotate completely, however, due to its connection to the lead screw, its rotation is
restricted.

Connector

The connector is the link between the lead-screw and the coupler. As the lead-screw
rotates, the bottom of the connector moves forward, thereby moving the idler pulley
upwards. This results in the tightening of the belt.

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 4. The Automobile Sector of India – an overview

The automotive industry in India is the 4th largest globally, with sales increasing each year
rapidly at around 9.5%. Moreover, the government aims to develop India through the
automobile sector as a global manufacturing centre, hence boosting the growth in this
sector.
Most importantly, major automobile companies from the Indian market expect to make
Indian automobile the leader in two-wheelers along with four-wheelers by 2020. Due to
this, the government is investing heavily in R&D.
The principles of the automobile industry remain the same throughout history. However,
systems can be improved with new techniques and automation.
Our project on lever screw mechanism can be used to efficiently utilise the transmitted
power and can also be used to automate belt tensioning. The uniqueness of this Lever-
Screw mechanism is that it has a wide range of uses and is extremely straightforward.
Therefore, it can be used in various systems of an automobile.

Figure 6 - Graph of number of automobiles sold over the year

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5. Proposed Model

The components that are used for building the model are as followed:

Component Number Of
Coupler 1
Idler Pulley 1
Crank 2
Connector 2
Driver Pulley 1
Driven Pulley 1
Nut (M10) 1
Adjusting Bolt (M10) 1

Figure 7 - Front view of mechanism

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 Figure 8 - Top view of mechanism

Figure 9 - Isometric View of Mechanism

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Figure 10 - Right Side

view of mechanism

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 6. Calculations

Derivation of belt tension

For our design:
- Diameter of driven pulley [D1] = 150mm
- Diameter of driver pulley [D2] = 90mm
- Diameter of idler pulley [D3] = 50mm
- µ1 = 0.20
- µ2 = 0.25
- C = 400mm
- Density of the belt material (r) = 1000kg/m3
- Breadth (b) = 20mm
- Thickness (t) = 2mm
- N = 500 RPM
- Power Transmitted = 5kW

Figure 11 - Driving Belt without Idler Pulley

Determination of angle of wrap

"#$"% #'($)(
sinb = = = 0.075
%& %(+(()
b = 4.30122

Angle of Contact of Driving Pulley
a1 = 180 + 2b
= 188.6024°
= 3.29 rad

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a2 = 180 - 2b
= 171.39756°
= 2.989936 rad

Length of Open Belt
p #
= (D1+D2) + 2C + (D1-D2)2
% +&

= 1179.24mm

Velocity of Driving Pulley (V)
p" .
= - - = 3.42 m/s
/((#((()

Mass of Belt
= rbt = 0.04 kg


Now,

µ1a1 = 0.68
µ2a2 = 0.71
\ larger pulley governs the design

0- $12 3
= 𝑒 µ- a-
03 $12 3

Subsituting
1.97 T2 – T1 = 0.60 - (1)

And power P = 5x103 kW
(T1 – T2)V = 5x103
T1 – T2 = 1275.51 - (2)

Solving equations (1) and (2) ;
T2 = 1.315 kN
T1 = 2.591 kN

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When the Idler Pulley is enabled















Figure 12 - Driving Belt with Idler Pulley

In D OAB,
𝐴𝐵 = 𝑂𝐵% − 𝑂𝐴%

= 300% − 150%



= 254.80 𝑚𝑚
In D ABC,

𝐵𝐶
tan 𝛽2 =
𝐴𝐵

𝛽2 = 10.89°

\ New Angle of Wrap
β = β1 + β2
= 15.14122°

Angle of wrap for Driving Pulley (a1)
a1 = 180 +2 β
= 210°
= 3.66 rad.


Angle of wrap for Driven Pulley (a2)
a2 = 180 – 2 β
= 149.717°
= 2.66 rad.

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µ1 α1 = 0.732
µ2 α2 = 0.652

\ the larger pulley is still the governing pulley.
𝑇1ʼ − 𝑚𝑣 %
= 𝑒 N#O#
𝑇2M − 𝑚𝑣 %


Thus, substituting appropriate values,
We get a linear equation between T1 and T2:

𝑇1’ – 0.61 = 1.84𝑇2’ – 1.22
1.84𝑇2’ – 𝑇1’ = 0.51 - (3)


From the power output equation;
P = 5 x 10^3 W
𝑇1’ – 𝑇2’ ∗ 3.92 = 5000
𝑇1’ = 𝑇2’ + 1275.57 - (4)

Solving equations (3) and (4), we get:

𝐓𝟐’ = 𝟏. 𝟓𝟏𝟗 𝐤𝐍
𝐓𝟏’ = 𝟐. 𝟕𝟗𝟒 𝐤𝐍


Thus, comparing with the previous tensions in the belt,
We get an increase in the power output.

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 Force on the idler pulley

F = 2 x T2’(sin(β))
F = 2 x 1519 x sin(15.144)

𝐅 = 𝟒𝟎𝟎. 𝟐𝟓 𝐍

According to this force, the Shear Force Diagram and the Bending Moment diagram of the
forces acting on the Coupler are:

Figure 13 - Loading Diagram

Figure 14 - Shear Force Diagram

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 Figure 15 - Bending Moment Diagram

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Conclusion

Belt-drives are a primary means of transmitting power in any machinery used in mechanical
engineering. The lever-screw mechanism for tension adjustment proves to be a very
efficient and cheap way of transmitting power. The applications of this mechanism include
Chain-Trencher, which is also used in multi-utility military trucks. Some other uses include
the drive belt used in automobiles. Using an active feedback mechanism which can be either
electronic or mechanical, we can efficiently transmit power in belt drives. This mechanism is
purely mechanical, hence proves to be an accurate and robust solution for an efficient
power distribution and transmission.

From the graph shown below, we can see that the relation between the angle of wrap (α)
and ratio of tension in the belt is exponential.
This is derived from the equation:
𝑇1
= 𝑒 NO
𝑇2

Taking the ratios of the tension (T1/T2) on the y-axis and taking the angle of wrap (α) on the
x-axis, we get the following exponential graph.

Figure 16 - Graph of Tension Ratio vs Angle of Wrap

This shows that, as the angle of wrap (α) increases, the ratio of the tensions (T1/T2) also
increases in an exponential manner.

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Thus, as the length of the belt increases in during its lifetime, the tension decreases.
Therefore, this mechanism ensures that the tension is constantly maintained and the power
is transmitted efficiently.

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 References:

[1] Mahadevan. K, Balaveera Reddy K, 2011, Design Data Hand Book (In SI & Metric Units)
For Mechanical Engineers, CBS Publishers & Distributors Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 453p.

[2] Bhandari V.B., 2013, Design of Machine Elements, Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi, 934p

[3] “How to adjust drive belts” https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-to-adjust-drive-
belts-by-spencer-clayton

[4] “Module 13 Belt Drives” https://nptel.ac.in/courses/112105125/pdf/mod13les1.pdf

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