Design of Drag-Link Mechanisms With Optimum Transmission Angle

In this paper, a new criterion for the design of a drag-link mechanism with optimum transmission angle is established. The transmission angle, the angle between the coupler link and output link of a four-bar linkage, is considered to be optimized when its extreme values deviate equally from 90 deg. Based on this criterion, design equations and design charts are developed. It is shown that the optimum drag-link mechanism is a turning-block linkage. It is also shown that to displace the drag-link mechanism with optimum transmission angle from its minimum lag to its maximum lag position, the input link must always rotate 180 deg and the corresponding angular displacement of the output link depends only on the link-length ratio of the output link to the fixed-link.