Anyone know how to design a 4 bar hinge? I've been running into a lot of problems. It's a trunk hinge and needs to open 90 degrees and move forward an inch and 3 eights. How do I go about working this up?
A good graphical method is the "relative pole" method for four-bar linkages. This allows one to determine ground pivots from two or three positions of the arm opposite the ground. Two positions yields a set of lines on which poles must lie. Three positions yields an exact point for each pole.
I have some great literature on CD somewhere, written by one of my professors. Not sure where to find this type of info on the web.
Honesty may be the best policy, but insanity is a better defense.
For openers, look at the trunk of your car. It's a 4 bar mechanism that should be close to what you need. Not sure about the offset you describe, but take a look.