LECTURE SLIDES

• Chapter 6
Instant Centers of
Velocity

©2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. This is proprietary material solely for
authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded,
distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
1
 Chapter 6 Contents

• 6.1 Introduction 343

• 6.2 Definition 344
• 6.3 Existence Proof 344
• 6.4 Location of an Instant Center from the Directions of Two Velocities 345
• 6.5 Instant center at a Revolute Joint 346
• 6.6 Instant Center of a Curved Slider 346
• 6.7 Instant Center of a Prismatic Joint 347
• 6.8 Instant Center of a Rolling Contact Pair 347
• 6.9 Instant Center of a General Cam-Pair Contact 348
• 6.10 Centrodes 349
• 6.11 The Kennedy-Aronholdt Theorem 351
• 6.12 Circle Diagram as a Strategy for Finding Instant Centers 354
• 6.13 Using Instant Centers, the Rotating Radius Method 356
• 6.14 Finding Instant Centers Using GCP 365

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 2

 Introduction

• Instant centers allow us to compute input-output relationships

for velocity without computing intermediate values.
• We can analyze the velocity relationship for complex
mechanisms that cannot be easily analyzed any other way.
• Procedure is much faster than velocity polygon approach.
• Instant centers give design insight on how things move.
• The procedure works for velocities only. If acceleration
information is required, do not use instant centers of velocity.

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 3

 Definition
• Given any two bodies moving in planar motion, there will be one and
only one location where the coincident points associated with the two
bodies have the same velocity.
• If one of the two rigid bodies is the frame link, then the instant center
location gives a point in the moving body with zero velocity.
• In general, the instant center of velocity will not lie within the physical
boundaries of the links. We need to treat each link as covering the
entire plane.
• If more than one instant center exists, then all points are instant
centers. That is, the two bodies are rigidly connected together and
for velocity purposes, the two rigid bodies can be treated as a single
rigid body.
• If the instant center is at infinity, the two bodies are translating
relative to each other.
• Instant centers may move with position or they can be permanent
• Let links 2 and 5 be an arbitrary set of links, and let P be the instant
center. Then
vP2 = vP5
or
v=
1
P2 / P5 v=
1
P5 / P2 0

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 4

 Existence Demonstration
• Assume that we have bodies B and R
• P and Q are points in B
vPB = vQB + ωB × rP/Q
• If Q is the instant center IBR between B and R,
vQB = 0= vI RB
vP=
B
ωB × rP/Q
ωB × vPB
rP/Q = −
ωB2

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 5

Location of an Instant Center from the Direction of Two
Velocities
• Assume that we have bodies B and C
• P and Q are points in B
• Find point in C that has zero velocity relative to B. This is location IBC

• Let IC be point in C coincident with IB in B at IBC

• Write relative velocity expression for Q and P relative to IBC

Bv
= vPC / I B
B= Bv + BvIC / I B
PC PC / IC
Bv
= vQC / I B
B= Bv + BvIC / I B
QC QC / IC

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 6

 Location of an Instant Center from the Direction of Two
Velocities Cont’d
Bv
= vPC / I B
B= Bv + BvIC / I B
PC PC / IC
Bv
= vQC / I B
B= Bv + BvIC / I B
QC QC / IC

• Because the relative velocity between the two coincident points at the
instant center is zero
Bv = vI C
B= 0
IC / I B
Bv = Bv = Bω × B r
PC / I B PC / IC C PC / IC
Bv = Bv = Bω × B r
PC / I B PC / IC C PC / IC

• Because the relative velocities must be

perpendicular to the radii between the
points and the instant center, the instant
center must be located at the intersection
of radii which are the lines that are
perpendicular to the two velocities

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 7

 Instant Center at a Revolute Joint

• At the center of a revolute joint, the two coincident points

belonging to bodies B and C are permanently coincident.
• Therefore, the center of a revolute joint is a permanent instant
center

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 8

 Instant Center on a Curved Slider

• If body B is a slider moving on a curved arc attached to body C,

the center of curvature of the arc locates two coincident points
which are momentarily stationary relative to each other.
• Therefore, the center of the arc is an instant center
• If the arc is circular, the center of the arc locates a permanent
instant center

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 9

 Instant Center for a Prismatic Joint

• If body B is a slider moving on a straight link attached to body C,

the center of curvature of the path is at infinity.
• Therefore, the two coincident points which are momentarily
stationary relative to each other are located at infinity.
• Because of the nature of infinity, the specific location of the
instant center is not known. However, we know that it is
located on any line that is perpendicular to the straight slider
path

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 10

 Instant Center of a Rolling Contact Pair

• In rolling contact, there is pure rolling at the contact point.

• Therefore, the contact point is the instant center between the
two contacting bodies.

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 11

 Instant Center of a General Cam Pair Contact

• In cam contact, the contact points cannot move into or out of the
contacting body
• The relative velocity between the coincident points can only be along
the common tangent to the two bodies at the point of contact.
• Therefore, the instant center must lie on a line through the contact point
and perpendicular to the relative velocity or to the direction of the
common tangent.
• This is also on the line that is colinear with the contact point and the
centers of curvature corresponding to the contact point.

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 12

 Instant Center Location between Two Frame-
Mounted Cams
• The instant center must lie on a line through the contact point and
perpendicular to the common tangent.
• At the instant center, the two coincident points associated with the two
bodies must have the same velocity vector (direction and magnitude)
• We know that Body 2 rotates about the fixed pivot location which is I12.
• Similarly, Body 3 rotates about the fixed pivot location which is I13.
• If points along the perpendicular line through P are explored, the only
location possible for the instant center is at the location of the
perpendicular line through P and the line through I12 and I13.

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 13

 The Kennedy-Aronhold Theorm
• Assume that we have any three rigid bodies (A, B, C). There will
be three instant centers (IAB, IAC, IBC) associated with the relative
motion of the three bodies. The three instant centers will
always be collinear.
• IAB corresponds to coincident points on A and B
• IAC corresponds to coincident points on A and C
• IBC corresponds to coincident points on B and C

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 14

 The Kennedy-Aronhold Theorm-Proof
Rv = Rv( I AB )B Rv = Rv( I BC )C Rv = Rv( I AC )C
( I AB ) A ( I BC )B ( I AC ) A

• Assume we know IAB and IAC, IBC and we want IBC .

Av = Av( I BC )C
( I BC )B

v( I AB ) A
A= v( I AB ) B
A= 0

Av = Av = Av = Aω × r
( I BC )B ( I BC )B /( I AB )A ( I BC )B /( I AB )B B I BC / I AB

Av = Av = Av Aω × r
( I BC )C ( I BC )C /( I AC )A ( I BC )C /( I AC=
)C C I BC / I AC

Aω × r Aω × r
=
C I BC / I AC B I BC / I AB

• Because the angular velocities are parallel, the r’s must also be
parallel.
• Because the r’s both include IBC, they must also be collinear
making the three instant centers be collinear.
Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 15
 The Kennedy-Aronhold Theorm-Use

• Assume we have two groups of three IC’s where two of the IC’s
are know in both groups and the third is unknown but common
to both groups.
• If we draw a line through each set of known IC’s in each group,
the intersection of the two lines will give the location of the
unknown IC common to both groups.

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 16

Example 6.1 Problem Statement

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 17

Example 6.1 Solution

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 18

 Bookkeeping when Finding IC’s
• Circle diagram is a bookkeeping method for helping to find
instant centers
• The total number of IC’s is
n(n −1)
N IC =
2
• If n is large, it can be very difficult to keep track of which IC’s
have been found and which are still unknown. For example, if
n=10, then NIC = 45.

• The circle method is based directly on the Kennedy-Aronhold

theorm

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 19

 Circle Method for Keeping Track of IC’s

• Draw mechanism to scale

• Draw circle of arbitrary radius
• Draw a tick mark for each mechanism link and label the tick
marks with the link numbers.

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 20

Circle Method for Keeping Track of IC’s-Step 2

• By inspection, identify the obvious instant centers

• Draw a cord line on the circle for each known IC. Note that the
tick marks correspond to the links and the cord lines refer to the
ICs.

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 21

Circle Method for Keeping Track of IC’s-Step 3

• Check to determine is one cord line can be drawn that will

complete two triangles. Going back to the K-A Theorem, a
triangle corresponds to a set of three links. If the cord line will
complete two triangles, it is like having two sets of three links
which have two links in common.
• Locate the IC corresponding to the cord line that completes two
triangles. Do this by drawing the lines through the ICs
corresponding to the two sides of each triangle.
• Once the new IC is determined, it can be used to find additional
ICs.
• Continue process until all ICs are found.

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 22

Example Using Circle Method

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 23

Second Example Using Circle Method

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 24

Using Instant Centers, the Rotating Radius Method

• Given any rigid body (3), it rotates momentarily about I13.

• Therefore, for velocities, we always need to find I13.
• Given any point (P) on the rigid body 3, the magnitude of the velocity
will be proportional to the distance from I13. If we double the distance,
we double the velocity.
• All points on the rigid body that are a distance of r from I13 will have the
same velocity magnitude.
• The sense for the velocities will be given by the angular velocity ω3.

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 25

 The Rotating Radius Method Cont’d

• Let S and P be any two points on arbitrary link 3.

• Let Q be the instant center of velocity relative to ground (I13)
• Assume that the angular velocity is ω3
v P3
v P3 =ω3 × rP3 /Q3 ⇒ v P3 =ω3 rP3 /Q3 ⇒ ω3 =
rP3 /Q4
v S3
v S3 =ω3 × rS3 /Q3 ⇒ v S3 =ω3 rS3 /Q3 ⇒ ω3 =
rS3 /Q3
v S '3
v S '3 =ω3 × rS '3 /Q3 ⇒ v S '3 =ω3 rS '3 /Q3 ⇒ ω3 =
rS '3 /Q3

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 26

 The Rotating Radius Method Cont’d

v P3 v S3 v P3 rP3 /Q3 rS3 /Q3

= ⇒ = ⇒ v S3 = v P3
rP3 /Q3 rS3 /Q3 v S3 rS3 /Q3 rP3 /Q3
Also
rS3 /Q3
v=
S '3 v=
S3 v P3
rP3 /Q3

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 27

 The Rotating Radius Method Cont’d

rS3 /Q3
v=
S '3 v=
S3 v P3
rP3 /Q3
• Assume the velocity of a point on link 3 and the distance of that point
from the instant center is known
• Assume we know the distance from the IC to any other point. We can
find the magnitude of the velocity of the second point by the
proportionality relationship.
• Get the direction from the sense of ω3.

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 28

 The Rotating Radius Method Example

• Assume that points A3, B3, and the instant center I13 are given as shown.
Also assume that the velocity vector for A3 is as given.
• Find the velocity of B3.

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 29

 The Rotating Radius Example Cont’d

• Draw a base line from B to I13. This is the line we will use for the base
of our proportionality relationship.
• Locate A’ which is the same distance from I13 as A is.
• A’ and A will have the same velocity magnitude.
• Get the direction of ω3 from the direction of the velocity of A3

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 30

 The Rotating Radius Method Cont’d

• Draw a proportionality line from the tip of the velocity of A’ to I13.

• Draw the velocity vector from the base line at B to the proportionality
line.
• The velocity of B is perpendicular to the base line.
• Measure the velocity of B using the same scale as was used to draw the
velocity of A.

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 31

Example 6.2 Problem Statement

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 32

Example 6.2 Solution (1/3)

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 33

Example 6.2 Solution (2/3)

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 34

Example 6.2 Solution (3/3)

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 35

Example 6.3 Problem Statement

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 36

Example 6.3 Solution (1/2)

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 37

Example 6.3 Solution (2/2)

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 38

Example 6.4 Problem Statement

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 39

Example 6.4 Solution (1/2)

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 40

Example 6.4 Solution (2/2)

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 41

Example 6.6 Problem Statement

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 42

Example 6.6 Solution

Kinematics, Design, and Dynamics of Machinery 43