The purpose of this handbook is to present the reader with a teachable text that includes theory and examples. Useful analytical techniques provide the student and the practitioner with powerful tools for mechanical design. This book may also serve as a reference for the designer and as a source book for the researcher. This handbook is comprehensive, convenient, detailed, and is a guide for the mechanical engineer. It covers a broad spectrum of critical engineering topics and helps the reader understand the fundamentals.

This handbook contains the fundamental laws and theories of science basic to mechanical engineering including controls and mathematics. It provides readers with a basic understanding of the subject, together with suggestions for more speci®c literature. The general approach of this book involves the presentation of a systematic explanation of the basic concepts of mechanical systems. This handbook's special features include authoritative contributions, chapters on mechanical design, useful formulas, charts, tables, and illustrations. With this handbook the reader can study and compare the available methods of analysis. The reader can also become familiar with the methods of solution and with their implementation.