MECG1022 Handout

Equations for Involute Curve on the Surface of the Base Circle

MECG1022, 2019-II C.G.Helguero

In this handout, the equations for the points of the involute profile on the surface of a base circle are derived
for plotting. A MATLAB M-file is also appended for computing and visual realization.

The involute curve can be traced by a string attached to the surface of the base circle, with one point (A)
at the end of the string unwrapping, as shown in Figure 1. The trajectory traced by the point as the string
is unwrapping constitutes the involute. In Figure 1, the string on the surface of the base circle has been
unwrapped in counterclockwise direction from point A to point B. At the instant shown when the tangent is
at point P with the corresponding Pi on the involute curve, the line P Pi is tangential to the radial direction
defined by OP .

P(x, y)
rb B

Pi (xi , yi)
O A

Figure 1: Illustration of involute curve on the surface of the base circle

At the point P (x, y) when the string is unwrapped at the tangent point P with an angle of θ, the slope
of the tangent line P Pi to the base circle is
x yi − y
m=− = (1)
y xi − x
where the slope of the line segment P Pi is also expressed by the ratio of difference of the coordinates of
points P and Pi . Thep
arc length of the circular arc AP is the same as the length of the section of the straight
line segment P Pi = (xi − x)2 + (yi − y)2 . Thus,
p
rb θ = (xi − x)2 + (yi − y)2 (2)

Substituting equation (1) into equation (2), we have

(rb θ)2 = (1 + m2 )(xi − x)2 (3)

1
Solving for the coordinates of the point Pi under consideration on the involute,

rb θ
xi = x + √ (4)
1 + m2
yi = y + m(xi − x) (5)

which are the x and y coordinates of the unwrapped point on the involute, Pi .

2
 MATLAB M-file which plot the involute profile:
%% draw the involute curve on the given base circle
%% r_b = radius of base circle
%% q_0:q_f = start and end angles of the involute on base circle
%%
%% 30-Aug-18 -cghelguero

% given parameters
r_b = 10; % radius of base circle
q0 = 0;
q_f = 60*pi/180; % start and end angles on the base circle
q_total = q_f - q0;

% set up the graphics for overlaying points and curve

clf
hold on
qq=0:pi/180:2*pi;
plot(r_b*cos(qq), r_b*sin(qq)); grid
axis equal

% start the calculation and plotting

q = q0;
v_x= r_b*cos(q0); v_y= r_b*sin(q0);

while (q <= q_f)

q = q + (q_total/30); % divide by 100 points between q0:q_f
% (x,y) coordinates of the current point on the base circle
x= r_b*cos(q); y= r_b*sin(q);
slope= (-x/y); % slope of the tangential string on circle
arclength= r_b*q; % arc length of the tangential string unwrapping
% coordinate of the point on the involute
inv_x= x + arclength/sqrt(1+(slope)ˆ2);
inv_y= y + slope*(inv_x - x);
% store the points on the involute
v_x=[v_x inv_x];
v_y=[v_y inv_y];

% ready to plot
plot(x,y,’.’)
plot([x, inv_x], [y, inv_y])
pause(0.5)
end

% plot the involute

plot(v_x, v_y, ’r’)

% release graphics hold

hold off