ABSTRACT
A machine is usually understood to be a mechanical system consisting of various moving parts for doing some kind of useful work. More elaborate machines often have several moving parts connected together so that one kind of motion is transformed into the motion desired. One example would be the arrangement of connecting rod, crank, and piston in an automobile engine. Mechanisms are similar to trusses and frames except that the joints are truly pinned and the individual members are expected to move relative to one another. The way that the members of a mechanism move falls within the subject of kinematics. This chapter simply examines the forces transmitted from one member to another in a mechanism when it is fixed in one particular position. Under these conditions, the forces transmitted from one member to another can be determined by the conditions for static equilibrium.
