Patent ID: 7607610

Claim:
A mechanism for imparting flapping motion to a wing, comprising: a) a wing; b) a main drive mechanism for imparting upward and downward flapping motion to said wing, said flapping motion comprising a flap stroke having an upper extremity and a lower extremity and comprising: i) a main drive shaft having an outboard, distal end; ii) at least one motor operatively connected to said main drive shaft and adapted to impart rotary motion thereto; iii) a universal joint having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end of said universal joint being operatively attached to said distal end of said main drive shaft; iv) a gimbal block surrounding said universal joint; v) a shaft director hingedly affixed to a proximal end of said wing, said shaft director being pivotally affixed to said gimbal block; vi) an inner crank having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end being operatively connected to said distal end of said universal joint; and vii) a first scotch yoke interactive with said inner crank and operatively attached to said wing; c) a center angle drive mechanism for modifying a dihedral angle of said wing relative to a longitudinal axis thereof, said dihedral angle being a midpoint between said upper extremity and said lower extremity of said flap stroke; and d) a balance drive mechanism for modifying a fore/aft direction of said wing.