For this project, I chose to replicate the five-bar slotted slider mechanism shown in Figure 1. My goal for this project was to create a mechanism that will have varying slider velocities so that its movement will be less predictable to the user.
Figure 1. Mechanism Layout
The mechanism consists of 5 links, 5 full joints, and 1 half joint. A slider and slotted link are present in the design, hence the name. Figure 2 shows the mobility calculation of the mechanism that proves it has one degree of freedom.
Figure 2. Mobility Calculation
I wanted to make my mechanism into something unique and fun, so I decided I would make it similar to a fun carnival game that I used to play as a kid. The game consisted of a slender moving shaft that would serve as a target for rings to be thrown onto. Getting all of the rings on the moving shaft would result in a prize. I visualized the slider acting as the component that the moving shaft would rest on and the back and forth motion would keep the user on their toes when trying to toss a ring on the target.
The following sections will explain the logic and steps undertaken to design this mechanism into a moving ring toss game.
