Design and Experimental Research on Seedling Pick-Up Mechanism of Planetary Gear Train with Combined Non-circular Gear Transmission

Currently, transplanting mechanisms for dryland plug seedlings in China are mainly semiautomatic and have low efficiency. The rotary seedling pick-up mechanism with a planetary gear train for non-uniform intermittent transmission, and a concave and convex locking arc device, has a large rigid impact. To solve these problems, according to the design requirements for a dryland plug seedling transplanting mechanism, a rotary seedling pick-up mechanism of a planetary gear train with combined non-circular gear transmission of incomplete eccentric circular and noncircular gears was proposed. This has the characteristics of two-times greater fluctuation of the transmission ratio in a cycle, and can achieve a non-uniform continuous drive. Through analysis of the working principle of the seedling pick-up mechanism, its kinematics model was established. The human–computer interaction optimization method and self-developed computer-aided analysis and optimization software were used to obtain a set of parameters that satisfy the operation requirements of the seedling pick-up mechanism. According to the optimized parameters, the structure of the seedling pick-up mechanism was designed, a virtual prototype of the mechanism was created, and a physical prototype was manufactured. A virtual motion simulation of the mechanism was performed, high-speed photographic kinematics tests were conducted, and the kinematic properties of the physical prototype were investigated, whereby the correctness of the theoretical model and the optimized design of the mechanism were verified. Further, laboratory seedling pick-up tests were conducted. The success ratio of seedling pick-up was 93.8% when the seedling pick-up efficiency of the mechanism was 60 plants per minute per row, indicating that the mechanism has a high efficiency and success ratio for seedling pick-up and can be applied to a dryland plug seedling transplanter.

Design of Vegetable Pot Seedling Pick‑up Mechanism with Planetary Gear Train

It has been challenging to design seedling pick-up mechanism based on given key points and trajectories,because it involves dimensional synthesis and rod length optimization.In this paper,the dimensional synthesis of seedling pickup mechanism with planetary gear train was studied based on the data of given key points and the trajectory of the endpoint of seedling pick-up mechanism.Given the positions and orientations requirements of the five key points,the study first conducted a dimensional synthesis of the linkage size and center of rotation.The next steps were to select a reasonable solution and optimize the data values based on the ideal seedling trajectory.The link motion was driven by the planetary gear train of the two-stage gear.Four pitch curves of noncircular gears were obtained by calculating and distributing the transmission ratio according to the data.For the pitch curve with two convex points,the tooth profile design method of incomplete noncircular gear was applied.The seedling pick-up mechanism was tested by a virtual prototype and a physical prototype designed with the obtained parameter values.The results were consistent with the theoretical design requirements,confirming that the mechanism meets the expected requirements for picking seedlings up.This paper presents a new design method of vegetable pot seedling pick-up mechanism for an automatic vegetable transplanter.

Mathematical Model and Geometrical Model of Double Pitch ZN-type Worm Gear Set Based on Generation Mechanism

The current researches on the tooth surface mathematical equations and the theory of gearing mainly pay attention to the ordinary type worm gear set（e.g., ZN, ZA, or ZK）. The research of forming mechanism and three-dimensional modeling method for the double pitch worm gear set is not enough. So there are some difficulties in mathematical model deducing and geometry modeling of double pitch ZN-type worm gear set based on generation mechanism. In order to establish the mathematical model and the precise geometric model of double pitch ZN-type worm gear set, the structural characteristics and generation mechanism of the double pitch ZN-type worm gear set are investigated. Mathematical model of the ZN-type worm gear set is derived based on its generation mechanism and the theory of gearing. According to the mathematical model of the worm gear set which has been developed, a geometry modeling method of the double pitch ZN-type worm and worm gear is presented. Furthermore, a geometrical precision calculate method is proposed to evaluate the geometrical quality of the double pitch worm gear set. As a result, the maximum error is less than 6′10–4 mm in magnitude, thus the model of the double pitch ZN-type worm gear set is available to meet the requirements of finite element analysis and engineering application. The derived mathematical model and the proposed geometrical modeling method are helpful to guiding the design, manufacture and contact analysis of the worm gear set.

Kinematic Modeling and Characteristic Analysis of Eccentric Conjugate Non-circular Gear & Crank-Rocker & Gears Train Weft Insertion Mechanism

A novel weft insertion mechanism named eccentric conjugate non-circular gear & crank-rocker & gears train weft insertion mechanism was proposed in order to better meet the requirements of rapier loom's weft insertion mechanism as well as reduce the manufacturing difficulty. Meanwhile, based on the working principle of this mechanism, kinematical mathematic models of this mechanism were established and an aided analysis and simulation software was compiled. The influences of eccentricity ratio, deformation coefficient, and other important parameters on the kinematics characteristics of this mechanism were analyzed by using the software. A group of preferable parameters which could meet the requirements of weft insertion technology were obtained by means of human-computer interactive optimization method. The maximum velocity, maximum acceleration, and variation of acceleration of this mechanism are smaller than those of the conjugate cam weft insertion mechanism applied on TT96 rapier loom under the conditions of the same unilateral total stroke of rapier head and the same rotary speed of loom spindle; meanwhile the other demands of weaving technology can be met by this novel weft insertion mechanism.

Design and Experiment of Non-circular Combined Gear Train Beating-up Mechanism

The most important performance of a beating-up mechanism is that the dwelling time of the sley must ensure the completion of the weft insertion. To meet this requirement, a new non-circular combined gear train beating-up mechanism which is composed of two-stage planetary gear trains is proposed. The first-stage is a Fourier planetary gear train and the second-stage is a non-circular planetary gear train. For designing of this new mechanism, the ideal kinematic equations of the sley are constructed first. Then the kinematic model of the first-stage Fourier planetary gear train is established and the reverse solution for the pitch curves of the second-stage non-circular gears is deduced. With a computer-aided design program, the influences of several important parameters on the pitch curves of the second-stage non-circular gears are analyzed, and a set of preferable structural parameters are obtained. Finally, a test bed of this mechanism is developed and the experimental results show that this new beating-up mechanism can achieve the designed dwelling time, namely it can meet the requirements of beating-up process.

Reverse Design and Test of Non-circular Gear & Crank-Rocker & Gear Trains Weft Insertion Mechanism

For the purpose of obtaining satisfactory performance of the non-circular gear & crank-rocker & gear trains (NCCRG) weft insertion mechanism which was proposed in this paper, the ideal kinematic curve of this weft insertion mechanism was given, and the reverse solution models of this mechanism were established. A reverse design and simulation software was compiled based on Visual Basic 6.0 to obtain the mechanism parameters, including the pitch curves and tooth profiles of the non-circular gears. A test-bed of this mechanism was developed according to these parameters. The kinematic performance of this weft insertion mechanism was tested by high-speed video tape recorder with its corresponding video analytical software Blaster's MAS. And the test results were identical with the theoretical calculation. Compared with the conjugate cam weft insertion mechanism which is applied on TT96 rapier loom, under the condition of same weft insertion rate, the variation of acceleration of this mechanism is smaller. This novel weft insertion mechanism can meet the requirements of weft insertion on rapier looms with smooth and steady motion.

Drive Characteristic Analysis and Design of an Elliptic Gear Mechanism

One notable transmission characteristic of an elliptic gear mechanism is that the driven gear will rotate at varying speed according to a given rule when the drive gear rotates at a uniform speed, which can just meet some special requirements that a common mechanism cannot meet. It is important for the design of special mechanisms. In this paper, the transmission characteristic of an elliptic gear mechanism was analyzed and the design method was researched. The application of the elliptic gear used in the grooved gearing mechanism was designed and the validity was proved.

Dynamics of five-bar COBOT using differential mechanism

COBOT is a new kind of collaborative robot , which can work with people in a shared space. In this paper a new kind of CVT using differential mechanism is introduced, which is major parts of five-bar COBOT and based the feature of nonhlonnmic constraint. The dynamic model of differential mechanism and five-bar architecture COBOT is founded. There are two kinds of coupled mode of two CVT:serial and parallel. In this paper, we present the dynamic model of serial and parallel COBOT take five-bar COBOT as research object. From the dynamic analysis foregoing, both serial and parallel COBOT model are have the feature of nonholonomic constraint. The ending track and moving state are controlled by the force of control motor and operator. The control motor can not control the movement and ending track of COBOT without the cooperation of operator.

Topological Expression Model of Satellite Gear Mechanism

By investigation of the topological characteristics of the kinematic structure of Satellite Gear Mechanism (SGM) with graph theory, the graph model of SGM is analyzed, and a topological expression model between input and output of SGM is established based on systematic design point. Meanwhile, the mathematical expression for SGM is deduced by integrating matrix theory and graph theory; thus, the topological characteristics of the kinematic structure of SGM can be converted into a matrix model, and the topological design problem of SGM into a matrix operation problem. In addition, a brief discussion about the measures for identification of isomorphism of the graph mode is made.

Gear Drive Mechanism for Continuous Variable Valve Timing of IC Engines

Continuous variable valve actuating (CVVA) technology provides high potential in achieving high performance, low fuel consumption and pollutant reduction. To get full benefits from (CVVT) various types of mechanisms have been proposed and designed. Some of these mechanisms are in production and have shown significant benefits in improving engine performance. In this investigation a newly designed gear drive mechanism that controls the intake valve opening (IVO) and closing (IVC) angles is studied. The control scheme is based on maximizing the engine brake power (P) and specific fuel consumption (BSFC) at any engine speed by continuously varying the phase between the cam shaft angle and the crank shaft angle. A single-cylinder engine is simulated by the “LOTUS” software to find out the optimum phase angle for maximum power and minimum fuel consumption at a given engine speed. The mechanism is a planetary gear drive designed for precise and continuous control. This mechanism has a simple design and operation conditions which can change the phase angle without limitation.

Matching between mechanics and thermodynamics among 4 individual strokes in a 4-stroke engine by non-circular gear mechanism

The relationship between engine mechanics and thermo-dynamics has been investigated by means of numerical simulation.The inherent mismatching between the mechanical behaviors and the thermodynamic process in internal combustion engine is identified,which is believed to be one of the important limiting factors of energy efficiency for conventional engines available in the current market.An approach for engine efficiency improvement through optimal matching between mechanics and thermodynamics(OMBMT)is proposed.An ideal matching model is defined and the conflicts due to the constraints among the mapping strokes in a 4-stroke engine are analyzed.A novel mechanical model is built for approaching optimal matching among all 4 individual strokes in a 4-stroke spark-ignition engine,which is composed of non-circular gears(NCG)and integrated with conventional slider crank engine mechanism.By means of digital mechanical model and numerical simulation,the matching gains among all 4 strokes are defined and calculated for quantifying the NCG engine efficiency improvement by comparing with a baseline engine.The potentials with the OMBMT implemented and the enhancements made by NCG mechanism for engines in terms of overall engine efficiency are reported.Based on the results achieved,it is recommended that the feasibility studies and the experimental validations should be conducted to verify the engine matching concept and effectiveness of the NCG mechanism engine model proposed,and the engine performance and NCG design parameters should be further optimized.

A New Design Method for Realizing Accurate Track of Hybrid-driven Five-bar Mechanism

The concept of virtual slider crank mechanism is proposed and decoupled to obtain parameters of controllable five bar mechanism without any principle error for any given trajectory. The model is simple and easy to solve. This method has no convergence,flexible workspace and singularity of the mechanism problem. Through this method,we don’ t need any curve to fit the trajectory point. Using MATLAB program to calculate,the computation time can be reduced to less than 3% of the original. Finally,an example is given to illustrate the method which is meanwhile compared with the traditional five bar design method.

Optimization design and experiment of the variable differential gear train planting mechanism

In order to improve the adaptability of the planting mechanism for different plant spacings,a variable differential gear train planting mechanism based on precise pose and trajectory control was proposed by combining the open chain 2R rod group and the variable differential gear train.According to the pose requirements of receiving seedling point,transporting seedling point and planting point,three precise pose points of constrained planting trajectory were determined.Through the three-position motion generation structural synthesis method,combined with computer-aided optimization design software,a set of mechanism parameters that meet the planting requirements were optimized.Based on the optimized mechanism parameters,by only changing the coordinates of two trajectory shape control points,three planting trajectories with key point position information adapted to 300 mm,400 mm and 500 mm plant spacing were obtained by interpolation,and three pairs of total transmission ratio of three groups of variable differential gear trains were calculated.When distributing the total transmission ratio of the mechanism,the fixed axis gear train and the differential gear train are combined.The fixed axis gear train included a pair of non-circular gear pairs and a pair of positive gear pairs,which were convenient for disassembly and assembly.The former drives the sun gear at variable speed,and the latter drives the planet carrier at uniform speed.Based on this structure,the transmission ratio of the positive gear pair is-1,and the transmission ratio of the differential gear train is 0.5.The sub-transmission ratio of the single-stage non-circular gear pair was calculated and the pitch curves of three pairs of noncircular gears were solved.Three pairs of non-circular gear pairs with different transmission ratios were replaced in turn and three sets of planting mechanisms were modeled in three dimensions.The virtual prototype motion simulation was completed by ADAMS software,and the physical prototype was built for vegetable pot seedling planting test.The theoretical solution was consistent with the attitude and trajectory of the actual test.When the test sample size was 100 plants,the actual average plant spacing was measured to be 303 mm,402 mm,and 503 mm,with errors of 1.3%,1.25%,and 1.88%.The width of the moving hole was 72 mm,70 mm,and 71 mm,and the planting success rate were 94%,96%,and 95%.The test results verified the correctness of the optimization design results of the mechanism,indicating that the variable differential gear train planting mechanism can adapt to a variety of plant spacing and has good planting effect.

Design and experimental research on the sweet potato seedling transplanting mechanism of the planetary gear train with deformed elliptical gear transmission

Aiming at the lack of suitable machines for sweet potato seedling transplanting in China,and according to the agronomic requirements for the horizontal insertion method of sweet potato seedling,a new sweet potato seedling transplanting mechanism of planetary gear train was proposed based on the non-uniform transmission of deformed elliptical gear.The working principle of the transplanting mechanism was analyzed,and the kinematics modeling and analysis of the mechanism were carried out.The study established the numerical objectives of the transplanting mechanism and applied the theory of membership function to establish a mathematical model for the parameter-guided optimization design of the transplanting mechanism.The parameter-guided optimization design software was developed to obtain a set of optimal mechanism parameters that satisfied the motion trajectory of sweet potato transplanting and the posture of the transplanting arm.Based on the optimized parameters,the structure of the transplanting mechanism was designed,and a virtual prototype of the mechanism was created,whereby a virtual motion simulation of the transplanting mechanism was conducted to verify the correctness of the kinematics model and design of the mechanism.The high-speed photographic kinematics test of the mechanism prototype and sweet potato seedling transplanting tests were conducted to test the mechanism’s kinematic characteristics and transplanting performance.The test results show that the test trajectory of the mechanism and test posture of the transplanting arm are almost consistent with the theoretical and simulation trajectory,meeting the agronomic requirements of the horizontal insertion method of sweet potato seedling;And when the rotary speed of the mechanism are 20 r/min and 30 r/min,the average success ratios of sweet potato seedlings transplanting are 90%and 82%,respectively,which prove the application feasibility of the mechanism in the practical machines.

Novel Design Solutions for Fishing Reel Mechanisms

Currently, there are various reels on the market regarding the type of mechanism, which achieves the winding and unwinding of the line. The designers have the purpose of obtaining a linear transmission function, by means of a simple and small-sized mechanism. However, the present solutions are not satisfactory because of large deviations from linearity of the transmission function and complexity of mechanical schema. A novel solution for the reel spool mechanism is proposed. Its kinematic schema and synthesis method are described. The kinematic schema of the chosen mechanism is based on a noncircular gear in series with a scotch-yoke mechanism. The yoke is driven by a stud fixed on the driving noncircular gear. The drawbacks of other models regarding the effects occurring at the ends of the spool are eliminated through achieving an appropriate transmission function of the spool. The linear function approximation with curved end-arches appropriately computed to ensure mathematical continuity is very good. The experimental results on the mechanism model validate the theoretical approach. The developed mechanism solution is recorded under a reel spool mechanism patent.

A NEW METHOD OF MECHANISM SYNTHESIS FOR BIPED ROBOTS

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A New Method of Mechanism Synthesis for Biped Robots

For a biped robot,the most essential components are its joints,including hip,knee,and ankle joints.In this paper,the construction method of a new type of joint is proposed.The main feature of this joint is that a combined transmission consisting of harmonic geardrive and planet gear drive is adopted in its system,and it possesses smaller volume,greaterdriving torque,and fine-looking appearance.Using this type of joint,a practical biped robotnamed NAIWR-I was constructed.The computer simulations and experiments with NAI-WR-I robot show that the method of mechanism synthesis proposed in this paper is reason-able and feasible.

Decoding the Moon Phase Display Device over the Front Dial of the Antikythera Mechanism

The Antikythera mechanism is the most famous ancient astronomical calculator. The damaged excavation is a critical constraint for decoding the mechanism completely. By the systematic reconstruction design methodology, all feasible designs of the moon phase display device, which is one of the unclear mechanisms of the Antikythera mechanism, are reconstructed. These designs, including ordinary gear trains and epicyclic gear trains, are the simplest designs and satisfy the surviving evidence. The Antikythera mechanism and its reconstruction designs presented by LIN and YAN are introduced first. Three pointer types of the Antikythera mechanism are concluded based on their display motions and the orientation of the mechanism. In accordance with the analysis of the available interior reconstruction designs and the surviving evidence, four feasible designs of the moon phase display device are generated. All of them utilize the ball pointer with black and white that rotates around the radial axis to show cyclic moon phase. Two of these four feasible reconstruction designs are driven by one input source, and their bronze disks are fixed and rotatable respectively. Both of the remaining reconstruction designs are driven by two input sources, and their bronze disks are rotatable. Therefore, the four reconstruction designs of the moon phase display device reveal all possible display conditions of the moon phase pointers and the possible purposes of the bronze disk.

The Mesh Efficiency of the Planetary Mechanism of 2K-H[D] Style

The mesh efficiency of the planetary mechanism of 2K - H[D] style is discussed. It comes to a new formula. Usually, an approximate value is taken as the mesh efficiency of a planetary mechanism. If the formula is used, the theoretical value of mesh efficiency can be gotten. The theoretical mesh efficiency can help engineers to know the true efficiency of 2K - H[D] style when it runs. The mesh efficiency serves the transmitting efficiency of a planetary mechanism.

基于ProE的联合收割机二级齿轮减速器仿真分析

针对联合收割机二级齿轮减速器总体结构进行了设计,基于Pro/E建立了二级齿轮减速器模型并完成了产品的装配,最后利用Pro/E Mechanism仿真模块对所设计产品进行了运动仿真。结果表明:模型满足设计需求,具有较好的稳定性,对二级齿轮减速器进一步的优化设计具有一定参考作用。