Statics For Dummies

Chapter 21. Working with Frames and Machines

In This Chapter

• Identifying frames and machines

• Blowing apart a structure for analysis

• Looking at additional features such as pulleys, sliders, and slotted holes

The versatility of frames and machines makes them extremely useful in day-to-day life for the work and convenience that they provide. In fact, the vast majority of structural systems you encounter are classified as either frames or machines and may require you to use slightly different techniques to analyze them than the methods I outline for working with trusses (Chapter"19) and bending members (Chapter 20). The methods I present in those chapters are a whole lot simpler than the methods I present here, so you should apply the rules in this chapter only as a last resort. Though these techniques aren't difficult, they can require a lot of additional work if you're not careful. However, these techniques do allow you to solve problems that you may not otherwise be able to.

In this chapter, I show you how to identify frame and machine systems and then I tell you how to determine if you even need to use these methods in your solution. Finally, I show you the actual procedure for dealing with frame and machine systems and some of the more common components that are added to them.

Identifying a Frame and Machine System

You need to be able to identify systems quickly and efficiently. The following sections can help you to recognize that your system is a frame or machine by discussing the basic ...