User:Goldy4u06

cam'
Animation showing rotating cams and cam followers producing reciprocating motion. A cam is a rotating or sliding piece in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming rotary motion into linear motion or vice versa. [1][2] It is often a part of a rotating wheel (eg. an eccentric wheel) or shaft (eg a cylinder with an irregular shape) that strikes a lever at one or more points on its circular path. The cam can be a simple tooth, as is used to deliver pulses of power to a steam hammer, for example, or an eccentric disc or other shape that produces a smooth reciprocating (back and forth) motion in the follower which is a lever making contact with the cam. The reason the cam acts as a lever is because the hole is not directly in the centre, therefore moving the cam rather than just spinning. On the other hand, some cams are made with a hole exactly in the centre and their sides act as cams to move the levers touching them to move up and down or to go back and forth. Contents [hide] 1 Overview 2 History 3 See also 4 References 5 External links