Representation of the non-rigidity between a cam and a roller follower by a spring with a determined constant

The amount of non-rigidity that exists between a cam and a follower was investigated. A stress condition for the cam and the follower in contact was determined from the Smith-Liu equations. Then, by using the theory of elasticity the deflections caused by the interactions between the cam and the follower were determined. This amount of non-rigidity in the system was then represented by a spring with a determined spring constant.

The end result of this investigation was an expression for the spring constant representing the non-rigidity in the system. Several additional avenues for study are suggested to build upon the results achieved in this study.