Circuit rectification for four precision position synthesis of stephenson six-bar linkages

Circuit rectification ensures that a linkage may reach all precision positions without disassembly. Circuit rectification is crucial to the practical synthesis of Stephenson linkages, which have up to six circuits. Causes of circuit defects that may arise during synthesis are quantified first. A procedure is then developed to identify the segments of Burmester curves which produce mechanisms with all precision positions on the same circuit. The procedure is applicable to any Stephenson linkage.