PROJECT C NOTEBOOK

Group 9: Alex Kerns, Zach Bowling, Robert Cortese, Danny McCarty

ME 371: Professor Lavagnino
April 24, 2017
The goal of our machine was to utilize a four bar linkage, cam, and gears to pry the caps off of
glass bottles.

The design goal of four-bar linkage is to operate as a lever to pry a bottle cap off of a glass
bottle. It consists of a handle, connecting link, and pry bar. The linkage is pictured in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Initial Concept of four-bar linkage where

Link A=3.25” Link B=4.25” Link C=3.061” Link D(ground)=4.903”

(see attached pages for linkage calculations)

The design goal of the the cam was to act as a door, opening and allowing cap to fall down slot
to collector bin. The design of the cam is pictured in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Initial cam design

(see attached pages for the cam development stages)

The design goal of the gear system is to move the cam, allowing for the cap to fall to the
collector bin. The initial design of the gear system is pictured in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Initial design of double gear system

(See attached pages for gear calculations)

DESIGN CHALLENGES:
-Our original design was planned to have all of the compone​nts move together. Ideally, the four-bar
linkage would operate the gears to move the cam. However, this was nearly impossible to design, as the
linkage would be moving the gear at an awkward angle and distance. This could have been accomplished
with more time, but the gear analysis/design was too difficult with the project time restraint.

-Further difficult parts of the design process were the pry bar, and bottle holder. Specifically, ensuring
that both components perfectly fit a cap and bottle to successfully accomplish the goal of prying off the
cap was challenging.

-By far the most problematic piece of the assembly for design was the pry bar part. The piece went
through 4 iterations with small changes between each, and requiring a newly printed piece for each new
iteration

-The creation and patterning of the gears also required a large section of time and development, and came
with many issues, including patterning for the teeth and determining size.

Figure 4 as well as the attached pages show the initial design concepts.

Figure 4: Early concept ideas and exploration of possible bracket shapes and pry bar release
mechanisms
The analysis seen in the attached pages was conducted in order to determine what orientation of a 4-bar
linkage would create the least jerk at the range of theta the arm would be constrained. The less jerk, the
smoother the motion. Velocity and acceleration analysis were not necessarily needed in designing our
mechanism.

MANUFACTURING CHALLENGES:
-The band saw had a dull blade our first day of manufacturing, making ½” aluminum difficult to cut
through. The next day the blade was switched and we completed our cuts much quicker and easier.
-Our machine featured oddly shaped parts that were difficult to cut out of raw aluminum. Specifically, the
diagonal cuts were much more difficult to execute than standard, perpendicular cuts.

-Challenging to ensure that the ‘twin components’ of the machine were identical and fit together.

-Some holes were difficult the drill, because they were close to the edges on oddly shaped pieces of
aluminum that were difficult to grip in the vice. For future manufacturing, possibly consider drilling the
holes first, then make cuts around them. Either way, precision and attention are required for this intricate
process. If holes were not drilled properly in the correct places, the machine components would not fit
together.

-The only stock pieces available for purchase in ½ inch aluminum was a maximum width of 4 inches,
causing it to be impossible to machine the entire part from one solid piece of material. This created a need
for a “tie plate” on the back of the mechanism.