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Intermittent mechanism

Intermittent mechanism is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Intermittent mechanism rather than just read about it. In short: An intermittent mechanism or intermittent movement is a device or movement which regularly advances an object, web, or plastic film and then holds it in place. This process is commonly used in industry and manufacturing.

Intermittent mechanism — main illustration
Intermittent mechanism — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Intermittent mechanism belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Intermittent mechanism to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Intermittent mechanism from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

An intermittent mechanism or intermittent movement is a device or movement which regularly advances an object, web, or plastic film and then holds it in place. This process is commonly used in industry and manufacturing. This motion is critical to the use of film in a movie camera or movie projector, allowing for a series of still images to be recorded or projected one after the other. When combined with a shutter mechanism, the still images appear as an uninterrupted moving image, due to a phenomenon called persistence of vision.

History Intermittent mechanisms were first used in sewing machines, in order for the fabric to be fed through correctly - ensuring it is stationary as each stitch is made, while moving the required distance between stitches.

Uses

Intermittent mechanisms were important in early film technology, being used in film cameras and movie projectors. These mechanisms would control various parts of these devices, such as sprocket wheels, claws, or pins coupled to the camera or projector drive mechanism, to allow for the film material to be transported frame by frame, in relation to the shutter being open or closed. In movie cameras, a rotating shutter opens, exposing the light-sensitive film stock in the film gate to light for a split second, while registration pins hold the film still and ensures that frames are aligned with each other. Once exposed, the shutter closes, blocking light from reaching the film material. As the shutter is closed, a claw driven by an intermittent mechanism such as a cam, pulls down the next film frame into the film gate and the process begins again. A movie projector works in a similar way, in which the shutter opens when the film is motionless in the film gate, projecting an image, and closes to allow the film to move onto the next frame without the movement being visible. In movie theater projectors, the intermittent movement is often produced by a Geneva drive (Maltese cross mechanism).

See also Dwell mechanism Fast motion Slow motion Cam (mechanism)

References

External links Media related to Intermittent mechanism at Wikimedia Commons Examples of camera movements

Illustrations

Intermittent mechanism: Working principle of a Maltese cross or Geneva drive
Working principle of a Maltese cross or Geneva drive
Intermittent mechanism: Animation of a rotating shutter. The film is transported one frame when the shutter is blocking illumination of the film.
Animation of a rotating shutter. The film is transported one frame when the shutter is blocking illumination of the film.
Intermittent mechanism: Film advance mechanism in the Soviet Luch-2 8mm film projector, based on a Reuleaux triangle.
Film advance mechanism in the Soviet Luch-2 8mm film projector, based on a Reuleaux triangle.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Intermittent mechanism

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Intermittent mechanism claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Intermittent mechanism before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Intermittent mechanism ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Intermittent mechanism

In research
Intermittent mechanism appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Intermittent mechanism in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Intermittent mechanism is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Mechanical synchronization, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Intermittent mechanism outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Intermittent mechanism in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Intermittent mechanism means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Intermittent mechanism out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Intermittent mechanism in simple terms?

An intermittent mechanism or intermittent movement is a device or movement which regularly advances an object, web, or plastic film and then holds it in place. This process is commonly used in industry and manufacturing.

Why does Intermittent mechanism matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Intermittent mechanism?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Intermittent mechanism.

Tags

  • Mechanical synchronization

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