TOGGLE MECHANISM


Meaning of TOGGLE MECHANISM in English

Toggle mechanism combination of solid, usually metallic links (bars), connected by pin (hinge) joints that are so arranged that a small force applied at one point can create a much larger force at another point. In the Figure, showing a toggle mechanism at work in a rock-crushing machine, the numbered links are pin-connected at A, B, C, D, and E. Rotation of link 1 about the fixed pivot A causes the block to slide back and forth. The relation between the force in link 2 acting at C and the force W exerted on the block at D, and thus on the rock, depends on the angle symbolized by the Greek letter theta, q; the smaller the angle, the greater is W in terms of F. For q equal to one degree, W is nearly 29 times F. Toggle mechanisms are used to obtain large force amplification in such applications as sheet metal punching and forming machines. See also linkage.

Britannica English vocabulary.      Английский словарь Британика.