Abstract
Belt drive mechanisms are alternatives to robotic actuators to obtain complex repetitive motions by simple actuation. By simply changing the dimensions of the mechanism, we can obtain different kinds of trajectories for the exit link of the mechanism. Of course the trajectory of the exit link is not smooth due to the flexibility of the belt. Hence when designing such mechanisms it is imperative to find the corrections to the base trajectory of the exit link due to the elasticity of the belt. This is the aim of the present work. In order to do this, we adopt an approximate analysis technique. First, the forces that are applied to the belt are found by neglecting the elasticity of the belt. Then we use those forces to obtain the deformation of the belt. Rather than treating the belt as infinite degrees of freedom system, we simplify the analysis further by a nonlinear extension of the method of assumed modes. Then, we assume that the deflected shape of the belt is triangular, so that the belt has only two degrees of freedom. Two coupled equations of motion for the deflections of the belt are obtained by employing the method of Lagrangian mechanics. The deflection variations with time are obtained by using the standard numerical solution procedure in Maple for the different values of the belt stiffness, mass density for different actuation speeds.
Mirzahmedov, Ganijon Ahmedovich (2001). Dynamics of mechanisms with elastic bodies. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2001 -THESIS -M575.