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Pantograph linkage (2:1 copier)

How does a pantograph scale a drawing? · Hardware · basis: Xem Studio drawing; classic mechanism (Brown No. 246)

Also called: pantograph, pantograph mechanism, pantograph linkage 3d print, pantógrafo mecanismo, Storchschnabel Pantograph, pantographe mécanisme

Exact dimensions. True size, with no printing tolerance added.

sizes
3 in table

Notes

  • Four bars pinned as a parallelogram with the fixed pivot, tracer and pen on one straight line: pen travel = tracer travel × k (k = 2 here).
  • Moving the pivots along the arms changes k; swapping tracer and pen reduces instead of enlarges. The line pivot–tracer–pen must stay straight for the copy to be true.
  • Also used in scissor lifts, sewing-machine and engraving copiers.
  • Parts (each has its own page): pantograph-arms-200-100, pins-3mm. Brown's movement No. 246 shows it (1868).

Pantograph linkage size chart

parametervalue
scale k2 : 1
arms200 / 100 mm
pinsØ3

Where the files are

Other publishers' files are linked, not hosted. "verify" = check the license at the link before commercial use.

Henry T. Brown (1868, public domain)Five Hundred and Seven Mechanical Movements — scan on archive.orgwebPublisher's page; dimensions are facts

Free files

★ Free files 1 parts. Generated by Xem Studio from the standard; threads are plain cylinders at major diameter. CC BY 4.0. index.json

pantograph-linkage-assemblyAssembled mechanism, all parts placed (STEP keeps each part separate)STEP · STL
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Plain text: sheet.txt · JSON: /api/geometry?object=pantograph-linkage

Pantograph linkage (2:1 copier), isometric render of a generated part
Render of pantograph-linkage-assembly from the free STEP; not to scale.

Fits with

Questions

How does a pantograph scale a drawing?

Four bars pinned as a parallelogram with the fixed pivot, tracer and pen on one straight line: pen travel = tracer travel × k (k = 2 here).