mechanical cams

[saucybabe191]

Could you tell me how a mechanical cam works? Not a camera, one of those complicated mechanisms in DT. Because I'm supposed to research them for a project, but when I press search, all it comes up with 'DIGITAL CAMERAS' and 'NEW! AMAZING! LOWEST PRICES....' It's so annoying, so that's why I'm asking. I can't find anything anywhere.

[ralph1953]

Try entering "camshaft" or looking in the index of a car manual in the library

[sddsddean]

Go to this page first and look at the picture. http://www.prod.mobil.co.uk/cgi-bin/bld_frameset.c
gi?CONTENT=/automotive/p22.htm The big bit in the middle is the carrier bearing which the whole camshaft turns on. The 2 smaller bits to the sides are the cams. You can see that as the shaft rotates, the sticky out bit (the cam), will turn. When it comes into contact with something (in this case a rocker valve) it presses it. All car and truck engines have at least one cam shaft operating at least 8 valves. Although this is the commonest sort of cam, Huge ones are used in steelworks to work trip hammers. The cams lift a 1tonne+ hammer and it then drops onto whatever is beneath.Look at http://www.mechanicals.co.uk/mechanicals/projects/
2hammer.htm for a diagram. The cam is on the far right.