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On the geometry of the planar 4-bar mechanism

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Abstract

The paper seeks to elucidate the geometry of a simple engineering mechanism, comprising four bars smoothly jointed together to form a movable quadrilateral with one fixed side. The configurations of this mechanism correspond to the points of an elliptic curve, to which is associated interesting geometry and Morse theory. By appropriate projection, this curve yields the 2-parameter family of plane curves described by points rigidly attached to the side of the quadrilateral opposite the fixed side: the geometry of the general projection is related to the configuration of lines on a Segre quartic surface.

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Gibson, C.G., Newstead, P.E. On the geometry of the planar 4-bar mechanism. Acta Appl Math 7, 113–135 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00051348

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