Cam-Follower Mechanism

A cam-follower mechanism is one in which there is at least one higher pair; the links of this pair are connected either along a line or a point. This higher pair consists of a device that inputs the motion, known as cam and the other is the follower that is the output link. Unlike the approximate function generators constructed from four-bar mechanisms, the cam-follower mechanism is an exact function generator. Hence, it is extensively used as a timing device mechanism in many applications that require precise time control. One such application is the valve operating mechanism of IC engines that requires opening and closing of input and output of engine valves for a specific instant or duration as required. The other important higher pair mechanism we shall study will be the gears that were discussed in Chaps. 3 , 4 , and 5 . Similar to the planar mechanisms with lower pairs, the cam-follower mechanism can also be studied as a planar mechanism.