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Saturday, August 14, 2010

Complicated Mechanisms Explained in simple animations

Radial Engines

Radial engines are used in aircrafts having propeller connected to the shaft delivering power in order to produce thrust its basic mechanism is as follows

Steam engine Principle

Steam engine once used in locomotives was based on the reciprocating principle as shown below

Sewing Machine

Maltese Cross Mechanism

this type of mechanism is used in clocks to power the second hand movement.

Manual Transmission Mechanism

The mechanism also called as “stick shift” is used in cars to change gears mannually

Constant Velocity Joint

This mechanism is used in the front wheel drive cars

Torpedo-Boat destroyer System

This system is used to destroy fleet in naval military operations.

Rotary Engine

Also called as Wankel engine is a type of internal combustion engine has a unique design that converts pressure into rotating motion instead of reciprocating pistons


Posted by Maxx at 9:11 AM
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116 comments:

  1. More! More!

    This is the first time I've understood what happens in a sewing machine! Amazing! Wonderful!

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  2. Hello !

    For french visitors, here is a translation : Comment marchent les machines

    Cheers

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    Replies

    1. Good for Canadian ones too.

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  3. About that sewing machine, what's supporting the mechanism? How does the thread go both in back of and in front of the bobbin?

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  4. Sorry, but that sewing machine animation has a serious problem. If you watch it closely, you'll see that the thread loop from the needle passes completely around the bobbin on all sides. How is the lower bobbin being supported? There can't be any shaft connected to it, as that would require the thread to pass through solid metal.

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    1. There are two parts to a working hook. The hook which connects directly to the rotating shaft, and the basket which is suspended in the hook but not directly connected to it. This basket holds the bobbin and bobbin case. The hook pulls the thread around the basket.

      These are precision parts that are polished in all the right places to not catch thread and I am pretty sure there is some black magic involved, but the animation is mostly accurate.

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    2. Yes you are totally correct, I work with sewing machines, both selling and doing minor repairs... and the animation is completely correct. If one was to draw in all the extraneous parts it would simply be a distraction for the actual working of the bobbin, case, hook and race. Thanks to the site for putting this on its site.. great site btw. :-)

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  5. Thank you for posting this. This is fantastic...we should all know how things work. Especially basic machines.

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    Replies

    1. this is a great site i love how they break everything down

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  6. That radial engine character is groovin'.

    I agree with Bruce, too.

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  7. Fascinating! I'd love to see a Stirling engine.

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  8. The first one seems NSFW at first sight.

    I liked that constant velocity whatever. Nicely illustrated though I have no clue what it is.

    And who thought sewing machines had tremendous thought behind them? I didn't!

    Thanks for the wonderful illustrations.

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  9. This is excellent!I want more of these animations!

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  10. Explaining the mystery of the sewing machine:

    The bobbin does not lie in the plane of the image; the top is canted away from the viewer. The needle's thread can thus be _behind_ the bobbin's thread at 12 o'clock, yet _in_front_of_ the bobbin's thread at 9 o'clock.

    I never understood how sewing machines work until seeing this -- but now it is clear! Thank you!

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  11. Right, that constant velocity one is actually in my brain; I use it for running long distance!

    Jaybo

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  12. Regarding the sewing machine, yes, the bobbin in a sewing machine is totally unsupported. It's in a housing, but is just sitting in there so the upper thread can be pulled around it easily. Go to a sewing store and ask them for a quick demo.

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  13. That is how a sewing machine works when one is sewing a simple lock stitch. The shuttle hook is not nearly as wide as the bobbin & it passes behind the thread. Here's a better animation:

    http://home.howstuffworks.com/sewing-machine1.htm

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  14. Re: The sewing machine - the bobbin just sits in a compartment below the fabric, it's not on an axle, the thread gets dragged under it to create the loop.

    I had this thought too, my girlfriend explained how the bobbin sits loose in the machine!

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  15. About the sewing machine, it's all right, i can't explain that in english, but here is in spanish.
    La máquina de coser lleva una bobina de hilo en la parte de arriba y una canilla (bobina pequeña, que enrollas tu mismo en la parte de abajo, o acaso no se han fijado que hay costuras a máquina con dos hilos distintos?), la canilla está alojada en el canillero, estando junto a la pieza que no llega a ser totalmente circular que engancha el hilo que viene de arriba. La explicación con una imagen en tres dimensiones igual sería mejor, pero así se entiende perfectamente para la gente que sepa un poquito de máquinas de coser

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  16. There is nothing wrong with the sewing machine animation. A sewing machines pulls the thread around a free standing bobbin. The bobbin isn't attached to any axle mechanism, it rotates solely as a result of thread being pulled off of it. The bobbin case sits loose in a pocket, and is designed so that the thread can slide under it as the thread is pulled around it. The thread lifts the bobbin case slightly as this happens. (More of a "push aside" than a "lift" in real machines.)

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  17. Those are great! I love mechanics, but they can be hard to just picture.

    Rosalind
    Girls Are Geeks

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  19. To the people asking about sewing machines:

    You can't see it from this figure because it's only 2-d, but it works because the bobbin sticks out in front of the needle. That is, the needle pushes down the thread, but does so just behind the bobbin, and then the bobbin catches it in the little nook. I think howstuffworks.com has a pretty good description (I made an animation of a sewing machine for a class back in '07, and that was my main resource).

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  20. About the sewing machine:

    There are two threads. The bobbin is supported from one side, where one of the threads comes from. It's the other one that is curled around it.

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  24. Replies

    1. What has the name of an poorly made Indian Bollywood film (Maan Gaye Ustaad ) directed by Shibu Mitra got to do with these animations

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  25. really amazing selection of mechanics ... especially sewing machine is something everyone is familiar but dont know how it works.

    Gud work keep it up

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  26. Sewing machine disk is on the END of an axle. The axle and disk are canted slightly to the plane of the thread, so that rotation will accomplish the wrap around.

    This is an EXCELLENT site - creative, and with clever graphics. I'd like to meet its author!

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  27. Amazing post..! The sewing machine one, especially!

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  28. Explanation of the floating bobbin.

    http://www.wanderings.net/notebook/Main/HowSewingMachineWorksGreatIllustration

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  31. Yes, the sewing machine, great! Finally I've got a picture what's happening in its magic hole :-)

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  32. good one every body should know abt this once in life easy to understand this all abt

    really good !!!!!
    thanks for post

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  33. Your "Steam Engine Principle" is quite weird. What does an ellipsograph (pictured in your text) have to do with powering a locomotive?

    The device in the picture is used to draw an ellipse, it does not even approximate a steam engine.

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  34. What does an ellipse drawing machine have in common with the steam engine? Please explain.

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  35. I love it!!!!
    it´s a realy good work.

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  36. Hmm, would be nice if you acknowledged where your pictures are from.

    At least some are from Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Featured_pictures/Animated

    There's also lots more diagrams at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Animated_diagrams

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  37. Really good post.
    Can you share from where you got these animations, so that we can learn more.

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  38. The "Torpedo-Boat destroyer System" looks like the main battery in a WW2-era battleship, possibly also a heavy cruiser. Destroyers (aka torpedo boat destroyers) tended to have much simpler systems.

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  39. Wow... we're all fascinated with the sewing machine. Myself included! All these more hi-tech mechanics and here it is... a machine that's probably one of the oldest here. Boggling all our minds.... ;)

    -FateyP

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  40. Wow... we're all fascinated with the sewing machine. Myself included! All these more hi-tech mechanics and here it is... a machine that's probably one of the oldest here. Boggling all our minds.... ;)

    FateyP

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  41. Absolutely Amazing post - I loved all these animations!

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  42. Muy entretenida la publicación.
    Animo y continua con mas entradas interesantes.

    saludos

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  46. Fantastic. I now understand how a sewing machine works. Many thanks.

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  47. Cool! These are mesmerizing. It's so interesting to see how they work in a simple format like this.

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  48. Better sewing machine animation here: http://www.gearfuse.com/how-a-sewing-maching-works-animation-sounds-boring-but-trust-me-its-neat/

    Cheers

    cl3ft

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  50. Hearty THANKS!!!!!!!!! Many long outstanding (30-40 years old) unanswered inquisitive questions in my mind got satisfied today.

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  51. Nice try, people. Talk all you want, but you'll never get me to believe that sewing machines actually exist.

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  52. Like another anonymous said that is a battleship battery not a destroyer one.

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  53. These are like the new, digital version of Reuleaux Models. i think Cornell has the largest collection. No animations, but certainly videos of the machines/models in action.

    http://kmoddl.library.cornell.edu/model.php?m=233&movie=show

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  54. These are like the new, digital version of Reuleaux Models. i think Cornell has the largest collection. No animations, but certainly videos of the machines/models in action.
    for example:
    http://kmoddl.library.cornell.edu/model.php?m=233&movie=show

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  56. more more more please

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  57. The sewing machine has always been something that I could not figure out. This is amazingly simple.

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  58. EXCELLENT. the stick shift is NOT so clear though.

    i never knew how a sewing machine worked, that ONE gif replaced a hour long lecture! same for others.

    it doesn't look like the propeller engine is very balanced though!!!

    excellent site.

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  59. I recognize some of these from Wikipedia.

    You guys DO know you are required to attribute these, don't you?

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  60. hi there,
    thats really an amzing post, the way the sewing machine works and the clocks Second hand movement are amazing to know how it happens. thankz.

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  61. How about showing us how a woman's mind works?

    Thanks.

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  62. Are these supposed to be animated? Because they aren't for me in both FF & IE8.

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  63. It is Awesome. How do I share this post to my friends?

    I even like to have it on my blog. Will you permit me?

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  64. wow amazing!! 1st time i understood what relay goes around

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  65. Wonderful...

    Looking for more...

    Thanks for the job.

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  66. Someone sent this to me in an email and said "every man should know this stuff". How true.

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  67. Hmmm... Some animations are quite good, but not "amazing"... The problem with the Sewing Machine animation is that both threads should go in front of the bobbin...

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  69. In older projectors Maltese cross was used to advance the frames of the film. A frame had to be kept steady for a fraction of a second and then the film was quickly advanced to the next frame. Maltese cross generates these jerky movements.

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  70. Very interesting! many of these were questions within me for long! thank you very much for this!

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  71. miracle can be seen in front of us

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  72. Very well made, WELL DONE
    Hope you work hard and make thousands more such explanatory animations

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  73. I hope you realise that the gear mechanism has a non-synchromesh dog collar. That is a very archaic layout of shafts without cone connectors.

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  74. Excellent Animation . Simple & Easy to understand the Mechanism even for a lay man

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  76. Excelente! Parabéns pelo trabalho!
    Telmo, Brasil

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  77. It is really very simple to understand nonengineers also.
    I am really sad that when we were in engineering college in 75-79 , we were not knowing computer also.New generation is really Lucky & go forwardd very fast

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  78. I understand the explanations, and, I'm pleased to say I learnt something, however - some of the spelling was wrong, and, as I'm a self-confessed pedant - it irks me that web designers don't check their spelling/grammar.

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  80. It is great..... really i got what actually i was looking for...
    simple by seeing it but it is huge gift for the world especially for students who is searching ideas to develop the world more and more...!!!

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  81. Its very nice outstanding
    i have ngo net work (1245 mail readers i am going forward this animation)

    By
    Mani
    manis0123@yahoo.co.in

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  82. Really its very amazing.Its enough to understand the complicated mechanisms.

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  83. muffinNow show me what and how women work!
    Bruce

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  84. Really its was superb thought of blogging.... Every engineering student should go thro sites like this, instead of tweeting nd buzzing

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  85. wonderful ! I am grateful to all those people who worked hard to produce such a great visual explanation . God bless you.

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  86. Very well done indeed. Superb in fact. Now for the differential gear showing how rear wheel torque is affected at cornering. :)

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  87. beautifully made to understand tech..
    - ravi

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  88. Pela primeira vez vejo o cinematismo da máquina de costura na execução da costura.

    GENIAL
    www.crscalderon.blogspot.com

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  89. In the Maltese Cross example there is another use that was wide spread. It was called a Geniva Drive and was used to drive a conveyor thru multiple stations where various machines would do a specific actions on the product being acted on. these were in use for a long time but one of the drawbacks was a rapid start and stop. These were replaced with drives that had either fixed or adjustable acceleration and deceleration and finally with servo drives.They were the best available in their day. Frank

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  90. Awesome man Awesome.. We need more..

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  91. Your Sewing Mechanism Animation is excellent but it also raised several questions and answers. Perhaps you want to mdify it for better clarity:

    If I understand right, there are two separated threads, one at the top of the sewing machine and one at the bottom in the bobbin.

    So, similar to other Animations, if you color those two threads with say Red and Blue, it will help clarify this complicated mechanism considerably.

    Needless to say, ALL your Aniamtions are just wonderful.

    Many thanks for the same and looking forward to many more soon.

    Ashok v. Kulkarni
    W.P. Beach, FLORIDA

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  92. Thank You Thank You Thank You!

    This explaning of how the sewing machine works...

    I have been sort of wondering that since middle school!

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  93. I know you poor people can't seem to figure out the sewing machine thing, what with the bobbin floating in space, so I made a video and posted to my blog EXACTLY how it works - using real sewing machine parts and real thread. You should understand this much more once you watch. Here's the link -

    video demonstration and explanation

    Just so you know, the animation is perfectly accurate. It's just simplified.

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  94. The steam engine bit is nothing to do with steam engines - its a mechanism for drawing ellipses!

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  95. First time i have seen the sewing machine works like this way, Amazing, Great source of information…..Keep Continue, Thanks

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  96. First time i have seen the sewing machine works like this way, Amazing, Great source of information…..Keep Continue, Thanks

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  97. The first Animation is from an Ellipse drawing machine, you forgot to mention that, but nice job, and see this, too:

    https://sites.google.com/site/buildyourstuff/reuleaux%2Clearnfromthemasters

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  98. The constant velocity joint is used between the axle and the wheel bearing in front wheel drive cars.

    It makes for a smooth transfer of power to the wheels, regardless of the angle of the steering.

    Universal joints will also transfer rotational movement through an angle, but they aren't as smooth. They are used in rear wheel drive cars, at both ends of the driveshaft, allowing the car to bounce up and down, and still give power to the wheels.

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  100. This is the first time I've understood what happens in a sewing machine! Amazing! Wonderful!

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  101. Myself included! All these more hi-tech mechanics , so I made a video and posted to my blog .

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  103. I am going to insert a remote control radial engine inside of my body pillow.

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  104. I've read all the comments, and yes, Anonymous August 16, 2010 8:39 AM is right, the sewing machine animation is wrong. Here is a better demonstration on an actual sewing machine. Watch after 8:20, though the whole video is funny enough.

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  105. wow...all the mechanisms are quite clean to understand...!

    great.

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  106. Amazing - Now! If I can only get the washing machine to work

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  107. great good
    can you introduce more mechanism?

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  109. Love the live infographic :-)

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  110. Love the way you illustrated the mechanics - its like live infographics :-)

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