Contract work / Tools & mechanisms
Remote-controlled adjustable-pitch fan
A custom mechanism and handheld control system for changing both fan speed and blade angle.
Open the numbered review →Fan, electronics, and machined pivots
Photos 230–232
I built a fan whose blade angle could change while the hub rotated. A star-shaped linkage moved up and down, turning the blades through custom aluminum pivots. A separate wooden handheld remote controlled blade pitch, speed, and on/off operation. The mechanism worked, but a slightly off-center hub introduced some wobble; improving that alignment would be a priority in another version.
These are some of the power and remote-control components used in the adjustable-pitch fan. The handheld controller let the user change both the motor speed and the blade angle, as well as turn the fan on or off.
I machined these aluminum parts to attach the fan blades to the rotating hub and connect them to the moving pitch-control linkage. Each part required several machining operations and tool changes. If I made another set, I would perform each operation across the whole batch before changing tools, instead of completing the parts one at a time.
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