Movement No. 106 demonstrates how a grooved cam produces uniform reciprocating rectilinear motion from continuous rotary input. A cam with a precisely shaped groove cut into its face rotates continuously on a shaft. A follower pin, constrained to move in a straight line, rides inside the groove. As the cam rotates, the groove positively drives the follower pin back and forth — pushing it in one direction on one half of the rotation and pulling it back on the other half. Unlike a simple surface cam that relies on a spring for return, the grooved cam provides positive drive in both directions, ensuring accurate and reliable reciprocating motion. The groove profile is carefully designed so that the follower advances and retreats at a uniform speed, making this mechanism ideal for applications requiring consistent linear feed, such as in textile machinery, winding machines, and precision tooling equipment.
106 and 107. Uniform reciprocating rectilinear motion, produced by rotary motion of grooved cams.