Reciprocating motion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Reciprocating motion is an up and down (or back-and-forth) motion which repeats over and over again.

As an example the explosion inside the cylinder of an internal combustion engine pushes the piston down and the connecting rod pushes the crankshaft round, which in turn drives the wheels of a car. The continuing rotation of the crankshaft drives the piston back up, ready for the next cycle.

A Crank (mechanism) can be used in two ways, to turn circular motion into reciprocating motion or turn reciprocating motion into circular motion.

In early steam engines, particularly horizontal stationary engines, and outside-cylindered steam locomotives, the reciprocating action is clearly visible as the mechanism is not usually enclosed.