Design, simulation and evaluation of a new universal joint with intersecting angle up to 100 degrees for farm machineries

This paper introduces a new mechanism which is designed for the transmission of power between two intersecting shafts. The mechanism consists of one drive body and one driven body, six guide arms, and three connecting arms. The intersecting angle between the input body and the output body that are coupled to input and output shafts, can be varied up to 100 degrees while the velocity ratio between the two shafts remains constant. The research also includes a kinematic analysis and a simulation using Visual NASTRAN, Autodesk Inventor Dynamic and COSMOS Motion. The softwares showed that this mechanism can transmit constant velocity ratios at all angles between two shafts. By comparing the graphs of analytical analysis and simulation analysis, validity of equations was proved. Finally, by fabrication and evaluation of the mechanism it was shown that this mechanism can transmit constant velocity practically.