INVERSE ANALYSIS OF A PLANAR 2-SPRING SYSTEM

In this article, a novel closed-form solution to the inverse analysis of a planar two-spring system is presented which may be extendible to the spatial three-spring system. It involves finding the six equilibri um configurations of a system of two springs connected at one end to a common pivot and at the other to a base. This formulation involves a transformation into polar coordinates where a sixth degree polynomial is obtained in terms of tan-half-angle for the rise angle of one of th e springs. The derivation and the coefficients of this polynomial are much simpler than those obtained by Pigoski and Duffy, ''An inverse fo rce analysis of a planar two-spring system,'' presented at the First A ustrian IFTOMM Symposium, Seggauberg, Austria, July 4-9, 1993, also in press Trans. ASME where a sixth degree polynomial in one of the sprin g lengths was obtained. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.