Strain energy shuttle apparatus and method

A method for providing a torque to a flight control component of an airborne mobile platform to assist in moving said flight control component, the method comprising:

• coupling a torque transferring member to said flight control component to assist in moving the flight control component;
• disposing a biasing member under one of controlled amount of compression and a controlled amount of tension, relative to said torque transferring member, to exert a user adjustable preload force, via a threaded adjustment mechanism and a pivotal link, on said torque transferring member that acts to apply a torque on said torque transferring member when said torque transferring member is moved from a first position of equilibrium, wherein in said first position said preload force is directed along a linear path through the pivotal link, along an axial center of the biasing member, and through an axial center of said torque transferring member and thus causes no rotation causing torque to be applied to said torque transferring member, to a second position wherein, in said second position, said pivotal link applies said preload force along an axis that does not extend through an axial center of said torque transferring member, to thus cause said torque transferring member to exert a torque on said flight control component;
• and
• using an actuator to initiate movement of one of said torque transferring member and said component to urge said torque transferring component into said second position, wherein said preload force from said biasing member assists in urging said torque transferring member to move rotationally to said second position.

A method for moving a flight control structure on an airborne mobile platform between first and second positions in a manner that overcomes an inherent structural stiffness of the structure, comprising:

• coupling at least one end of a force transferring member fixedly to said structure;
• loading a biasing element, while said structure is being held in said first position, with a controlled preload force, via a user adjustable threaded mechanism, such that the biasing element exerts a preload force aligned with an axial center of said force transferring member, and which is sufficient to substantially hold said structure in said first position;
• loading an additional biasing element such that said biasing element and said additional biasing element produce counteracting and offsetting controlled preload forces when said structure is in said first position;
• further comprising arranging said biasing element and said additional biasing element such that an axial center of each is aligned;
• using said preload force applied by said biasing element to move said torque transferring member when said preload force is directed away from said axial center of said force transferring member, so as to assist in moving said structure from said first position to said second position when movement of said structure is initiated by an external component, to thus substantially transfer said stored energy of said biasing element to said structure through said torque transferring member;
• and
• using said biasing element to again store said energy when said structure is moved from said second position back to said first position.