Looking for simple mechanisim to shift wing camber

[pyroartist]

TL;DR

Something that has the same effect as a rack and pinion but does not involve gear teeth. Maybe made with levers.

I am not very good at visualizing mechanisms and how they work. I just looked at all the mechanisms at http://507movements.com/. This is a fun little website and some of the mechanisms have been animated so you can better see how they function. I am trying to build a sailboat wing with reversible camber for opposite tacks in which I can simply pull a lever or rope to reverse the camber. This would activate some mechanisms at about 15 places (a foot apart) along the main spar and push the semi-rigid double surface wing outward on one side and allow the wing to flatten against the spar on the other side. Then on the opposite tack the positions reverse and the other side of the wing is pushed outward to camber it.

I have tried in the past to use sliding rods and have the wind flatten one side and push the rods over to create the camber but it did not work well.

A rack and pinion would achieve this motion as the rack moves from side to side. But teeth are too difficult to make and gears are heavy. I would like some sort of simple arrangement of levers and linkages that would do the same thing. I can visualize an arm swinging into position to push the wing out while the other side swings in so that the "pushing surface" folds down to nearly flat against the spar. These arms would be mounted onto the rectangular main spar. All 15 positions must be tied together with very little play in the motion. See my crude sketch attached. Thanks for any ideas. (There will be other internal structures not shown here.)

 

[jrmichler]

Search variable camber wing. The first page of results has a number of good hits, including a NASA report on variable camber wings from 1920.

 

[Ranger Mike]

back in the outlaw race days we ran a home made hydraulic weight jacket hidden in the frame. the driver could crank load into the anti roll bar (sway bar) and get more left side weight.

https://www.shadowracing.com/orig_jacker.htmhttps://pitstopusa.com/c-132457-sus...t-jack-components-hydraulic-weight-jacks.html

https://us.bicknellracingproducts.com/ADJUSTABLE-WEIGHT-JACK-ASSEMBLY/item/BRP635-1

up to 7/8 inch strokelife imitates fantasy..now you can buy one over the counter!
you really want to go cheap buy an air cylinder for $36 with 4 inch stroke and hook up a compressed air storage tank. You could have on air regulator and a two way valve and 15 cylinders if you like. You could dial in the lift you want and each air cylinder would lift the same distance. Since you are changing the air flow with the 2 way valve you do not lose any compressed air. Cheap and simple.
https://www.mcmaster.com/linear-motion-actuators/double-acting-round-body-air-cylinders/