Mech. Mach. TheoryVol. 24, No. 1, pp. 45--52, 1989 0094-114X/89 $3.00 + 0.

00
Printed in Great Britain.All rights reserved Copyright© 1989 PergamonPress pie

PATH GENERATION BY SUBDOMAIN METHOD

I. D. A K ( ~ A L I a n d G. D I T T R I C H
~ukurova University, Faculty of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department,
Balcali-Adana, Turkey and Institut fiir Getriebetechnik und Maschinendynamik,
Technische Hochschule, 51 Aachen, F.R.G.

(Received 12 October 1987; received for publication 27 July 1988)

Abstraet--A technique called subdomain method has been used in dimensioning mechanisms which are
to approximate a prescribed, continuous path. In this technique the motion domain is divided into
subregions as many times as there are parameters existing within the kinematic structure and the system
of equations, resulting from setting the integrals of a displacement function over selected subintervals
equal to zero, is solved. Here a dyad is considered as the basic structural unit upon which the whole
mechanism design is based. Solutions for 4-parameter dyad and for 4- and 5-parameter four-bars have
been shown. The effectiveness of the technique has been demonstrated on two examples.

INTRODUCTION parallelling the advent of high-speed digital ma-

In many design problems of industrial and agri-
cultural machinery, it is required that some points of
a floating member of a machine follow a portion of
a curve very nearly. J. Watt was the first to notice the
problem while in a search for transforming the
straight-line motion of a double-acting cylinder into
a wheel motion, ending in the famous steam-engine
of the 18th century. He then showed that only the
straight-line part of an 8-figure shaped coupler curve
traced by a four-bar was of interest to the solution of
the problem[l]. Indeed, problems similar in essence to
Watt's frequently arise, such as in transport mechan-
isms forwarding equally spaced articles on horizontal
straight paths, in portable posthole setters boring in
the vertical direction, in level-luffing cranes found in
seaports or in fork-lifts for moving heavy materials in
the horizontal or vertical straight-lines, respectively,
to name a few.
Efforts tackling these problems have been mostly
of graphical or empirical nature at the beginning:
Hrones-Nelson's Atlas[2] reduces the solution to
picking up a suitable mechanism, out of 7000 four-
bars contained, whose coupler curve very nearly
matches the required one. Hirschhorn[3], Hall[4],
Erdman and Turner[5] are of those who show the
applicability of this trial-and-error procedure especi-
ally in the design of single and double-dwell linkages.
Hain's point-position reduction method[3, 6] repre-
sents a quick and simple geometrical approach to
finding the dimensions of the linkage whose coupler
point is to exactly pass through a limited number of
discrete points.
Analytical investigations of coupler curves, accord-
ing to Hartenberg and Denavit[1], date back to
Prony's and Willis's times, 19th century, when they
examined the Watt curve. However, the actual and
dense development of analytical design techniques
coincides with the evolution of computing techniques
chines. A notable contribution in this area is due to
Freudenstein and Sandor[7], who, through modelling
the linkages by means of complex numbers, have
solved the problem of approximating plane curves
by mechanisms in an analytically exact manner.
Complex numbers have been a central tool in the
emergence of several synthesis efforts with numerious
variations such as[8-12]. The cubic of stationary
curvature[l,4] or circling-point curve[3], has also
been used in the synthesis of straight-line four-
bars[13]. The path generation problem has been
treated as a non-linear programming problem, too,
such as in[14, 15]. [16] adds the effects of clearances
in joints, resulting in a costly computer-aided
method. Kay and Haws[17] have tried to generate a
given path exactly by the use of cam-link mechan-
isms, in which case a measure is optimized under
equalities and constraints. Sometimes modem display
facilities are combined with the empirical method of
Hrones-Nelson to come up with solutions for specific
industrial needs, such as in[18].
Bagci and Lee[19] apply a least-squares technique
they call linear superposition, which does not involve
iteration. Heuristic design of mechanisms, as called
in[20] is another approach to path generation for the
purpose of improving the already existent solutions.
All of the approaches mentioned have certain
limitations. Graphical methods[3,6] are poor in
accuracy. Empirical methods[2, 5, 18] involve several
trials. Of the analytical methods, those based on
iteration[15, 16] do not converge to a solution for
every starting set of values. Precision-point ap-
proaches[7-11] may lead to branch problem as well to
solutions in which structural error is considerable
between precision points. Optimization technique
that does not require iteration[19] yield an optimum
for an objective function only in the local sense,
which may not be as good as desired. The quality of
a solution may be limited to the suitability of the

45
46 1. D. AK~ALI and G. DITTRICH

discrete values that make up the solution space as Elimination of coupler angle 6 from (1) and (2)
in[20] or the solution may be valid only for a small leads to the displacement equation of dyad QAC,
range of motion as in[13]. Therefore, there is still a Fig. l, as isolated from the four-bar QABM:
need for the development of new approaches.
A technique called subdomain method[21], which H(xl, x4, xs, XT, xs, G, y, x)
was applied to the function generation problem in a = y2 + x 2 _ 2x1( x cos G + y sin G)
previous paper[22] producing better results than
the classical approaches, is extended to the path -- 2XX 7 -- 2yx s + 2XlX7 COS G + 2xlx8 sin G
generation problem in this paper. Thompson[23, + x~ + x~ + x~ - x ,~ - x~ = 0. C3)
pp. 201-203], when reviewing path synthesis tech-
niques, arrives at the judgement that the most real- Since the motion of the dyad is a continuous one,
istic approach to basic path generation is that the there is a basis for using subdomain method. Under
value of the area trapped between the coupler curve definitions:
and the prescribed path assume a least value• Since in
SI = X2"~- X2 dI- X2-- X2-- X 2, $2=X7, $3=X8, (4)
subdomain method the integral or in other words the
continuous sum for all points of an implicit structural the displacement equation assumes the following
error function over the subregions of the prescribed form:
path is zero, it completes this judgement. Through the
geometrical meaning of integral and a few conditions H(st, s:, s 3, G, y, x)
that may be imposed, it embodies both the precision- =y2 + x 2 _ 2xt(x cos G + y sin G)
point and least-squares techniques[22].
From among many mechanisms, the four-bar + 2 s 2 ( - x + x, cos G)
offers suitable characteristics with its displacement
+2s3(-y+xlsinG)+sl=O. (5)
function for convenient treatment by subdomain
method. Besides, the four-bar has a well-founded Subdomain method requires that the integral of the
place in the synthesis and analysis of many multi-link displacement equation over a selected subinterval
mechanisms[4]. Thus, the method is shown on a [x~_ l, x~]of the path domain Ix0, x,] be zero:
four-bar.
If H(sl, s 2 , s 3 , G , y , x ) d x = O , i=1,2,3,4. (6)
i
APPLICATION OF SUBDOMAIN METHOD TO
PATH-GENERATING FOUR-BAR Equation (6) is a system of equations involving
(Go, sl, s2, s3) as unknowns in which Go is the initial
In applying subdomain method to the problem angle of the input link and from which the di-
of generating a desired path by means of a mensions of the dyad (XT,xs, x42+ x~, Go) are to be
four-bar, a dyad is recognized as the basic struc- obtained:
tural unit upon which the design of the whole mech-
anism is based. A dyad is a two-degree-of-freedom, li - J,(Go) + gi(Go)s2 + L/(Go)s3 + Mist = 0;
two-member mechanical arrangement• As the first i = 1,2,3,4 (7)
step in this direction, the design of a dyad has been
handled. where
Given a continuous path of the form y = f ( x )
L(G0) = J: cos G0 + J~' sin Go;
xo <~x <~x,, the coordinates of the coupler point C
are written in x-y-system of Fig. 1: Ki(Go) = - c, + dic cos Go - d~ sin Go;
x = x T + x l c o s G + x4cosfi - xssin 6 (1) Li(G0) = - e , + d~c sin Go + d~ cos Go; (8)
y = x8 + x~ sin G + x4 sin ~ + x5 cos ~i. (2)
J: = 2xl
f; i-I
(x cos G' + Y sin G ') dx;

c Jrtt = 2 x l I x :i ( - x s i n G ' + y c o s ~ O ' ) d x ;

•

X°~'~~ B
li = (y2 + x 2) dx;
Xl IIL i-I
g

im
d~, = 2x I
f; i.I
sin G' dx;

X
dir "~ 2Xl COSG' dx;
Fig. I. 4-bar parameters. dXl i]
 Path generation by subdomain method 47

with
e~-- 2 y dx;
z.=(x~+x~+x~+x92 2-x~)/2x~x2; z2=x6/2;
z3 = x6/xl; z4= tz2; z s = tz3; t = xg/x6. (13)
c~= 2
f; I.I
x dx;
If fixed pivots M and Q are located on a line
parallel to x-axis, then t = 0 and in accordance with
M~ = dx ; (9) subdomain method (14) is written:
J-I
Mizl -- A~z2 -- B,(60)z3 + F,.(60) = 0; i = 1,2,3,4,
~,=¢0+~'; ¢'=Rx(x-xo); R~=a~,/ax. (10) (14)
In (10) A ~ , A x are maximum changes in where
input link rotation and in the independent variable of
the curve, respectively. By eliminating s~, s:, s3 from B i -~ Bci cos 6 0 -- Bsi sin 60;
(7) an equation that is only a function of ~'0 is F,. = F~icos 60 - F,~ sin 60; (15)
obtained:
P(~k0) = Ds cos 5 ~'0 + (O4 + Ee sin ¢0)cos4 ~'0
+ (D3 + E3 sin ~b0)cos3 if0
Ai =
;;i-I
cos 0 dx; Ba =
f;fx,
i-1
cos 6' dx;

+ (D2 + E2 sin ~k0)cos:~b0 B~ = sin 6' dx; Fc~= cos(6' - ~,) dx;
i -I JXi-I
+ (D~ + El sin ~,0)cos ~0
+ D0 + E0 sin ~'o. (11) F,, =
f;i-I
sin(6' - O) dx; (16)

6 =6'+60; 6'(x) =

2[tan - ' ( - xs -T- x / x 24

-+x
+ x- ~ -~ (x~- ~l
- x7
c ~ - -~x ' c°s ~k)2 ) - tan - t ( - xs -T- x ~4
/ x +-'-~0
~ + x ---~-~
] - (x- -Xlx'co-~o
- x ' c°s ~b°~) ]

(17)

Coefficients Ds-Do and E4-E o are simply constants Above 60, 6' are the starting angle and the amount
that are computed through some steps from (9) and of rotation from that position of the coupler, respect-
(10) assuming a value for each of A~b and xt. The ively. Concerning ( :t: ) signs, the one associated with
roots of equation (11) are found precisely and with the dyad generating a coupler curve closer to the
assurance when 1-deg intervals in which P(~b0) given path should be taken.
changes sign are located between 0 and 360 ° and Equation set (14) is reduced to a single equation
then interpolation and Newton's method are ap- in 60:
plied[24]. With ~k0 determined, s~, s2, s3 are easily
solved from any three equations of the linear system Fcc cos 2 60 - F~s cos 60 sin 6o + F,, sin 2 60 = 0. (18)
of (7).
Once the dimensions of the dyad approximating F,.c, Fc,, F~s are computable constants through
a specified curve are obtained as such, four-bars equations (16), (17). Exact solution of (18) is given
constrained to move in accordance with the pre- by:
scribed dyad motion can be found by the application
of subdomain method. To accomplish this, it is _, (Fcs• ,/F~ - 4F:s,~
sufficient that the displacement function G of the
(6o)~ tan -]. (19)
four-bar be integrated over a selected subdomain
[xi_ ~, xi] of [:Co,x,] and be set equal to zero as many Determination of z 1, z2, z3 follows 60 from (14).
times as there are available parameters in G. Here will x6,x2,x3,x4,x5 are found from z3,z2,zl, 60,
be shown two cases: respectively.

Four-parameter four-bar design Five-parameter four-bar design

With reference to Fig. 1, writing out x - y -
coordinates of point B in QABM loop and eliminat-
ing angle • from the equations lead to the expression
herein called displacement function, G:
G(z~, z2, z3, z4, Zs, 6, ¢ ) = z~ - z2 cos ~ - z3 cos 6
- z4 sin ~ - z5 sin 6 + cos(6 - ~k) = 0,
If the effect of parameter t is included in the
displacement function G, then the application of
subdomain method yields five equations:
M, zl -- Aiz2 - Bl(60)z3 - Diz4 - Ni(60)z5 +/7/(60) = 0
(12) i = 1,2, 3,4, 5, (20)
48 I. D. AK~ALI and G. DITTRICH

Table I. Dyad designs for generating y = (I/2)x + 3, 2 ~< x ~< 6 path with 4 par-
ameters. A~k = 60 °. Subdomains: [6.0;5.0],[5.0;4.0], [4.0;3.0],[3.0;2,0]
Design No. ¢0 xl xx/~4:
+ x~ x7 xs
I 86.5618° 1.000 11.1589 -0.5436 14.0867
I1 266.5667 ° 1.000 2 7 . 9 4 7 8 16.0515 - 19.1028

where
1
Di = ~ [cos tp(xi_ ]) - cos t# (xi)]; Yth-Yac 0

Ni(6o) = B~i sin 6 o + B,i cos 60. (21)

-1
After algebraic operations on (20), two equations
in two unknowns (60, t) result:
-2
ko(60) + k l ( 6 0 ) / + k2(60)/2 + k 3 ( 6 0 ) t 3 = 0;

1o(6o) + 11(6o)t + 12(6o)t 2 + 13(6o)t 3 = 0; (22)

where k 0 - k3 and l 0 - / 3 are cubic and quadratic
functions of 6o.
In order to solve (22) for (60, t), the difference
t,/(60)l ~< i,j ~< 3 between ti(6o) and tj(6o) roots of the
first and second equation of (22), is formed. Those
values of 60 which render t,j(60) zero between 0 and
2zr become the sought roots. Then, solutin of zl, z2, z3
easily follows from (20).
NUMERICAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Analytical thoughts developed here have been
adapted to computer programming in Fortran IV.
The programs performing synthesis and analysis of
4-parameter dyad, 4-parameter and 5-parameter
four-bars for path generation will be referred to as
TFRPT, TFORB and TFIVP, respectively. Sub-
domain method tested with these programs on a
CDC Cyber 175 Interactive Facility and Tektronix
4006-1 terminal has produced the following results on
two examples:
Example A
It is required that line y = (1/2)x + 3 2 ~<x ~< 6 be
generated in A¢ = 60 ° of input link rotation. Two
dyads have been obtained by program T F R P T in
0.26s, Table 1. When for a common abscissa, the
difference between the ordinates of the coupler (y~c)
and path (Y,h) curves is plotted, distributions in the
domain will be those shown in Fig. 2. It is seen that
maximum deviations, in magnitude, are as small as
-0.0028 (I) and as 0.0004 (II) on the boundaries.
Structural error within a large portion of the domain
is, in absolute value, no greater than 0.0008 for dyad
_32.0 . I , I J I I I i J
2.8 3,6 4,/. 5.2 6.0
x-~l~
Fig. 2. Structural error distribution for dyads generating
y = (l/2)x + 3, 2 ~<x ~<6 path with 4 parameters.
I and than 0.0001 for dyad II, Fig. 2. The sum of error
magnitudes pertaining to 21 equispaced points is
0.0137 in dyad I and 0.0020 in dyad II. Four-bars
synthesized by means of program TFORB on the
basis of the previous dyads are represented by the
values in Table 2. Each solution has required
approximately 0.76s of computer time. Figure 3
depicts the variation of the distance (e) values be-
tween path (X,h,Yth) and corresponding coupler
(xoc, Yac) points within the domain of interest for the
four-bars of Table 2. From an examination of Fig. 3,
excluding the largest values, which occur on the
boundaries and are 0.0106 (design I) and 0.0009
(design II), structural error remains below 0.0024 and
0.0003 for designs I and II, respectively. Summation
of absolute structural errors at 21 domain points
yields 0.0347 and 0.0043 in the first and in the second,
respectively. Mechanisms which program TFIVP
produces with dyads of Table i are characterized by
values given in Table 3. The corresponding structural
error distributions are shown in Figs 4--6. With
TFIVP program, computer time varying between 3s
and 4s is required on the average for every 3 sol-
utions. The largest values of the structural error in
several designs are 0.0078 (I), 0.0460 (II), 0.0166 (III),
0.0017 (IV), 0.0339 (V), 0.0018 (VI) and their total
errors are 0.2039 (I), 1.0074 (II), 0.2974 (III), 0.0418
(IV), 0.8322 (V), 0.0469 (VI). Although these results
are higher than those obtained by program TFORB,

Table 2. Four-bar designs for generating y = (l/2)x + 3, 2 <~x ~<6 path with 4 parameters. A~b = 60°. Subdomains:
[6.0; 5.0[, [5.0; 4.01, [4,0; 3.01, [3.0; 2.0]
Design
No. I,~0 t~0 xI x2 x3 x4 x5 x6 x7 x8 x9
I 86.5618" 24.8377° 1.000 3.4496 4.6068 2.0690 --10.9655 7.0950 -0.5436 14.0867 0.0000
It 266.566T~ 16.8112° 1.000 -10.5622 6.4390 -2.0158 27.8750 -5.1669 16.0515 -19.1028 0.0000
 Path generation by subdomain method 49

12,5
l xlO"~
e
10.0

1.5
!

5,0
2 N*~---
PIJ

f f N.N. .N. N ~
~
02.0 2.8 3,6 4.4 5.2 6.0 ]ll------
X .~-I~

Fig. 3. Structural error distribution for four-bars generating

y = (l/2)x + 3, 2 ~<x < 6 path with 4 parameters.
O Illl

a significant advantage of program TFIVP is that it

leads to a number of solutions. In this case, it is
possible to select one out of several designs depending
Jl
on the other criteria such as the ratio of smallest and
largest link lengths, Grashof rule, velocity and accel-
eration states, transmission angle etc. The effect of
subdomain choice on the outcome has been studied
in Table 4 and Fig. 6. A comparison of Tables 3 and
4 indicates that while design values of solutions IV
and VI are close to those of VII and VIII, respect-
ively, a reduction in total error, of about 60%
between solutions IV and VII, about 40% between
solutions VI and VIII is observed. This is to mean I
that by a suitable choice of subdomains, optimum v/
designs can be obtained. This observation accounts v/
also for the difference between the results of program (-4

TFORB and TFIVP despite the use of same dyads. I i r

+

Example B I
The path given by y = ~ l ~ < x < 4 is to be II
generated within A~, = 90 ° of rotation of input link.
Dyads synthesized by program TFRPT together with
subdomain distribution in the region of interest
are seen in Table 5. The related structural error

18
~0

O
hl.
10

[.-

I I I I I I
2,0 2,8 3.6 4.4 5,2 6.0
X ~
Fig. 4. Structural error distribution for solutions I and III
of Table 3.

MMT 24/I--D
50 I. D, AKt~ALI and G, DITTRICH

l 5
xlO "2

3
/,/~'-.._.." • °

& oooo
¢qcq

'',,\ // v/
1 "~1~ /I ..... V/ I [
¢q

02 I
VJ "F I i i i I I I
+
.0 2,8 3,6 /.,,/-., 5,2 6,0 tc~v%

Fig. 5. Structural error distribution for solutions II and V II

of Table 3.
# ¢~ oo

distributions are given in Fig. 7. M a x i m u m structural I

error and total error for each solution are 0.0226 and
0.1088 in I; - 0 . 0 1 6 8 and 0.0554 in II; - 0 . 0 6 9 6 and r-~

0.2105 in III; - 0 . 0 0 5 9 and 0.0119 in IV. The dyad ooo~

r-:.-
¢qcq
that exhibits a smooth structural error distribution I
(IV) has been taken to build up a 4-bar by means of
program T F O R B leading to the following design
i¢-~ ¢ q
values:
¢ q t'~

~b0 = 3 1 1 . 2 2 9 4 ° ; 60 = 1 7 0 . 2 7 5 0 ° ; I--

x~ = 0 . 6 0 0 0 ; x 2 = 2.3925; x3= 0.1087; tr~

¢'qoo
x 4 = 4.7843; x5 = -8.2752; x6 = - 1.8538;

x7 = 6 . 9 2 2 3 ; x8 = 6 . 5 1 3 1 ; x9 = 0.0000.
~-t'4

Structural error assumes a m a x i m u m value of e-i

0.0810, Fig. 8, and its total is 0.9954.
I I
oq
CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate that subdomain method is

a convenient and effective technique for path syn-
thesis. The outcome is largely dependent on the form o o

o~e~

I 25 u'~ ¢-4

e
20 c

%,
15 \ / s• "~N J
¢qcq

/\ .,/ ".--"
,:, \ -=
f\x,v . "== 6

0'
2.0
V,
2,8 3.6 L,,,{,, 5,2 6,0

Fig. 6. Structural error distribution for solutions IV, VI, VII

and VIII of Tables 3 and 4.
 Path generation by subdomain method 51

Table 5. Dyad designs for generating y = ~ 1 ~<x ~<4 path with 4 parameters
A~, = 90°. Subdomains: [4.0; 3.8], [3.8; 2.5], [2.5; 1.2], [1.2; 1.0]
2 2
Design No. I//0 xl ~ x7 xs
I 0.6510° 0.6000 23.1162 15.1228 -17.9283
II 52.7214° 0.6000 6.7210 0.0798 7.2274
III 76.2288° 0.6000 5.4030 1.6092 6.3297
IV 311.2294° 0.6000 9.5587 6.9923 -6.5131

3 bar involved, a path is generated while the "input

t link" of the dyad outside the four-bar is made to
move according to a prescribed function.
The technique developed and exemplified here is of
the capability to cover broader areas of applications.
Synthesis of planar mechanisms with sliding, rolling
pairs and of spherical, spatial mechanisms whose
displacement functions display suitable forms, for
/ - -
path, motion, function generation can be easily per-
formed by taking very similar steps shown in this
work. It will also be valid for cases where kinematic
properties of rigid bodies like angular position,
velocity, acceleration etc. can be represented by
1.0 1.6 2,2 2,8 3,4 /,,0 continuous functions.
X -~..P,.

Fig. 7. Structural error distribution for dyads generating Acknowledgements--This work was supported by
y = x/~ 1 ~<x ~<4 with 4 parameters. Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

of path. Free parameters such as length and rotation
of input link and subdomain choice, which are to be
found in the formulation, will provide the designer
with some means for selecting the most suitable one
of the resulting designs satisfying the criteria set other
than the structural error.
Dyads and four-bars are the building blocks for
most of the planar mechanisms. Therefore, those
planar mechanisms that are constructed by joining
four-bars and dyads whose movable end follows a
path with the other end fixed, can be synthesized for
multiple purposes with the technique shown. For
instance, Stephenson mechanism with three fixed
pivots can be designed such that in one joint of the
six-bar, simultaneously a coupler point of the four-
t 8
x16'
• 6
2 17. F. J. Kay and R. E. Haws, Trans. A S M E J. Engng
0 (1976).
1,0 1,6 2.2 2.8
Fig. 8. Structural error distribution in 4-bar generating
y = ~ 1 ~<x ~<4 with 4 parameters.
REFERENCES
1. R. S. Hartenberg and J. Denavit, Kinematic Synthesis of
Linkages. McGraw-Hill, New York (1964).
2. J. A. Hrones and G. L. Nelson, Analysis of the Four-bar
Linkage. Wiley, New York (1951).
3. J. Hirschhorn, Kinematics and Dynamics of Plane
Mechanisms. McGraw-Hill, New York (1962).
4. A. S. Hall, Kinematics and Linkage Design. Prentice-
Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. (1961).
5. A. G. Erdman and J. Turner, Proc. 4th OSU Applied
Mechanisms Conf. 2 (1975).
6. K. Hain, Applied Kinematics, (2nd edn). McGraw-Hill,
New York (1967).
7. F. Freudenstein and G. N. Sandor, Trans. ASME,
J. Engng lndust. 81B, 159 (1959).
8. A. V. M. Rao, A. G. Erdman, G. N. Sandor et al.,
Proc. 2nd OSU Applied Mechanisms Conf. 7 (1971).
9. R. Kaufman, Proc. NSF College Teachers Workshop in
Mechanisms (1973).
10. R. Loerch, A. G. Erdman, G. N. Sandor and A. Midha,
Proc. 4th OSU Applied Mechanisms Conf. 10 (1975).
11. A. G. Erdman, C. T. Tekse and D. E. Ferguson,
Proc. ~th OSU Applied Mechanisms Conf. 11 (1975).
12. A. G. Erdman and A. Midha, Proc. 4th Applied
Mechanisms Conf. 3 (1973).
13. R. G. Mitcbiner and H. H. Mabie, Trans. A S M E J.
Engng lndust. 97B, 322 (1975).
14. J. Tomas, J. Mech. 3, 199 (1968).
15. S. N. Kramer and G. N. Sandor, Trans. A S M E J.
Engng lndust. 97B, 689 (1975).
16. N. Bakthavachalam and J. T. Kimbrell, Trans. A S M E
J. Engng Indust. 97B, 314 (1975).
lndust. 97B, 702 (1975).
18. H. E. Ladd, Trans. A S M E J. Engng Indust. 98B, 1325
3.l. 4,0
X -.-.--..-!~
19. C. Bagci and I. J. Lee, Trans. A S M E J. Engng Indust.
97B, 340 (1975).
20. T. W. Lee and Freudenstein F., Trans. ASMEJ. Engng
lndust. 98B, 1277 (1976).
52 I. D. AK(~ALIand G. DITTR1CH

21. H. S. Crandall, Engineering Analysis. McGraw-Hill, 23. B. S. Thompson, Mech. Mach. Theory 10, 197
New York (1956). (1975).
22. I. Ak~;ali and J. C. Lindholm, Proc. V Wld Congr. on 24. S. D. Conte and C. de Boor, Elementary Numerical
Theory of Machines and Mechanisms (1979). Analysis. McGraw-Hill, New York (1972).

DIE VERWIRKLICHUNG VON BAHNKURVEN MIT HILFE DER

SUBDOMAIN-METHODE
Kur~L~sung--Ein Verfahren, die sogenannte Subdomain-Methode, wird zur Dimensionierung von
Mechanismen benutzt, die eine vorgeschriebene, stetige Bahn approximieren. Bei diesem Verfahren wird
der Bewegungsbereich in so viele Unterbereiche geteilt, wie Parameter in der kinematischen Struktur
existieren, und es wird das Gleichungssystem gelfst, das sich ergibt, wenn man die Integrale der
Obertragungfunktion fiber ausgew~hlte Unterbereiche gleich Null setzt. Hierbei wird ein Zweischlag als
die grundlegende Struktureinheit betrachtet, auf der die ganze Getriebesynthese basiert. Es werden
L6sungen ffir vierparametrige Zweischl/ige und vier- und ffinfparametrige Gelenkvierecke gezeigt. Die
Leistungsf'~ihigkeit der Methode wird an zwei Beispielen demonstriert.