Apparatus and methods for actuating rotatable members

An assembly for controlling an aircraft, comprising:

• a control surface coupled to a rotatable shaft, the shaft being rotatable about a rotation axis;
• an actuation assembly operatively coupled to the shaft, the actuation assembly including
• an extendible actuator having a first end and a second end, the actuator being extendible along an actuator axis that does not intersect the rotation axis;
• a drive member having a first portion pivotally coupled to the second end of the extendible actuator and a second portion non-pivotally coupled to the shaft, the second portion being spaced apart from the first portion, the drive member further having a third portion spaced apart from the first and second portions in a non-linear orientation;
• and
• a reaction link having an anchoring end pivotally coupled to the first end of the extendible actuator, and a driving end pivotally coupled to the third portion of the drive member.

A canard assembly for an aircraft, comprising:

• a shaft that is rotatable about a rotation axis;
• at least one control surface coupled to the shaft and adapted to be positioned external to the aircraft;
• an actuation assembly operatively coupled to the shaft, the actuation assembly including
• an extendible actuator having a first end and a second end, the actuator being extendible along an actuator axis that does not intersect the rotation axis;
• a drive member having a first portion pivotally coupled to the second end of the extendible actuator and a second portion non-pivotally coupled to the shaft, the second portion being spaced apart from the first portion, the drive member further having a third portion spaced apart from the first and second portions in a non-linear orientation;
• and
• a reaction link having an anchoring end pivotally coupled to the first end of the extendible actuator, and a driving end pivotally coupled to the third portion of the drive member.

An aircraft comprising:

• a fuselage;
• a propulsion system operatively coupled to the fuselage;
• and
• a control system operatively coupled to the fuselage and including
• a control surface coupled to a rotatable shaft, the shaft being rotatable about a rotation axis;
• an actuation assembly operatively coupled to the shaft, the actuation assembly including
• an extendible actuator having a first end and a second end, the actuator being extendible along an actuator axis that does not intersect the rotation axis;
• a drive member having a first portion pivotally coupled to the second end of the extendible actuator and a second portion non-pivotally coupled to the shaft, the second portion being spaced apart from the first portion, the drive member further having a third portion spaced apart from the first and second portions in a non-linear orientation;
• and
• a reaction link having an anchoring end pivotally coupled to the first end of the extendible actuator, and a driving end pivotally coupled to the third portion of the drive member.

A method of rotatably actuating a rotatable member about a rotation axis, comprising:

• providing a drive member having a first portion pivotally coupled to a first end of an extendible actuator and a second portion non-pivotally coupled to the rotatable member, the second portion being spaced apart from the first portion;
• providing a reaction link having a first end pivotally coupled to a third portion of the drive member, the third portion being spaced apart from the first and second portions in a non-linear orientation, the reaction link having a second end pivotally coupled to a second end of the actuator;
• and
• extending the actuator to apply a force against the first portion of the drive member and to rotate the rotatable member about the rotation axis.