How would I create an offset cam to make horizontal and vertical movement?

miko_kubiak

I am doing an automata and need to use an offset cam to make something in my automata move horizontally and a bit up and down. The only problem is that I do not know how to create this offset cam. Can somebody please help me?

Eric_Gauthier

Can you add an image to explain what you mean? Can you find an image of a similar mechanism on the internet to show us?

jeff_buck

I'm not the op but I think I have the same question.  Here's a short video clip (not my model but shows the idea):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYcm3Ml2vr8 
A tangent mate between the cam on the left and the follower works (sometimes buggy but that seems to have resolved).
That's rotational to linear motion.
Can't figure out the rotational to rotational motion on the right.  Tried a tangent between edges.  That broke both revolute mates.  Now I'm considering not mating it but somehow driving the angle of the output revolute mate with the angle of the shaft/cam mate.

jeff_buck

OK, I may have answered my own question.  Looking through messages in an unrelated thread, I read about gear relations.  More reading in the help files and I learn there are 4 relations between mates that I did not know about.  I'm thinking a gear relation between the cam shaft's revolute mate and the revolute mate of the output shaft will do the trick but I don't have time to test it at the moment.

Sorry to take up forum space on a question it turns out I probably answered myself.  If anyone has a different idea that would work better, please let me know.

tim_hess427

I think the gear relation is what you're looking for. 

jeff_buck

Yes, it was.  Thanks for the encouragement.
I'm helping a student with an extension to an automata project our class is working on (OnShape has kept our Intro to Engineering class alive during the pandemic - Thank you!).  He could not get the gear relation to work so now I have a couple of tips for him.  I think it's fun to reach into new stuff with students.  I also don't mind letting my class see me struggle a bit and then learn something new.  Learning feels good and it's fun.  I think it helps them to see that happening.