The Kinematic Synthesis of Spatial Six-Bar Mechanisms

The new methodology de nes the task of the linkage in terms of the movement of a spatial

three-link serial chain, which is then constrained to de ne the six-bar linkage. The focus is

on three spatial chains constructed from revolute, or hinged joints, and prismatic, or sliding,

joints. These chains are denoted as the RRR, the RPR, and the PRP spatial serial chains.

The spatial six-bar linkage is obtained by nding points in the moving links that lie on a

sphere, which means that they can be constrained by a link connecting two spherical, or ball

joints, known as an SS dyad.