Apparatus for producing pivotal movement

A variable camber airfoil, comprising:

• a first segment;
• a second segment;
• means for causing controlled, relative pivotal movement of the first and second segments, about a pivot axis, within a range extending between first and second extremes of pivotal movement, at least one means pivotally connecting the first and second segments being provided, the means for causing relative pivotal movement of the segments being spaced along the pivot axis from the means pivotally connecting the segments and comprising:
• an elongated member having a first portion, having a longitudinal axis, extending within the first segment and a second portion, having a longitudinal axis, extending within the second segment, the axes of the first and second portions of the elongated member having mutually skewed by an angle .theta. less than 90.degree.;
• first bearing means, rotatably mounting the member first portion within the first segment, for permitting rotational movement of the member about the axis of its first portion relative to the first segment but preventing yaw, and pitch, of the member relative to the first segment, the member being positioned with the junction of the axes of its first and second portions coincident with the pivot axis;
• a housing extending within the second segment, second bearing means being provided for permitting rotation of the housing within the second segment about an axis intersecting the pivot axis at its intersection with the axes of the member first and second portions and for preventing yaw, and pitch, of the housing from its rotational axis relative to the second segment, the housing having a chamber open toward the pivot axis and receiving the second portion of the member, third bearing means being provided for permitting rotation of the member within the housing chamber about the axis of the member second portion and preventing yaw, and pitch, of the member relative to the housing, the rotational axis of the member within the housing being canted from the rotational axis of the housing within the second segment by an angle equal to the angle by which the axis of the member first portion is skewed from the axis of the member second portion;
• and
• means for rotating thhe member upon the first bearing means, and for rotating the housing upon the second bearing means at an equal rotational velocity but in an opposite direction, the axes of the first and second portions of the member and the rotational axis of the housing lying in a single plane upon the first and second structures being positioned in the first and, alternatively, the second extreme of pivotal movement.

Apparatus for causing pivotal movement of first and second structures about a pivot axis, the strutures being connected by at least one means pivotally connecting the structures, the apparatus being spaced along the pivot axis from the connecting means and comprising:

• an elongated member having a first axial portion, a first bearing means positionally fixed relative to the first structure and comprising a means for receiving the member first portion, the member having a second axial portion whose axis is skewed from the axis of the first member portion by an angle .theta. less than 90.degree. and whose axis intersects the axis of the first member portion at the pivot axis of the structures;
• an axial housing, second bearing means being provided positionally fixed relative to the second structure, the second bearing means receiving and permitting axial rotation of the housing upon an axis fixed relative to the second structure and continuously intersecting the junction of the pivot axis of the two structures and the axes of the first and second member portions during relative pivotal movement of the two structures;
• the housing having a socket open toward the pivot axis for receiving the second portion of the member;
• third bearing means, positionally fixed relative to the housing and rotatably mounting the member within the socket, for permitting rotation of the member, about the axis of its second portion, relative to the housing, the rotational axis of the member within the housing being canted from the rotational axis of the housing relative to the second structure by an angle equal to the angle by which the axis of the member first portion is skewed from the axis of the member second portion;
• and
• means for rotating the member upon the first bearing means, and for rotating the housing upon the second bearing means at an equal rotational velocity but in an opposite direction, the axes of the first and second portions of the member and the rotational axis of the housing lying in a single plane upon the first and second structures being positioned in a first, and alternatively, a second extreme of pivotal movement.