WS -
Some thoughts floated into my head as I was thinking about your original "grate" grill block:
If you thread the end of the actuator rod, you could either
or
- get another rod threaded on both ends and bend that at 90 degrees on one end, and join it with the actuator rod on the other end using a coupling nut like so:
The 90 degree bent rod can then fit into one of the holes on the edge of the vanes (looks like there are 2 holes you could go into; one where the brass fitting is and then one above that). Then you can use a pair of nuts on each side of the hole, along with nylon washers, to create enough friction so that the vanes stay open, but not so much that the actuator can't overcome the friction.
One of the holes can be seen in this image, the other already has the brass fitting in it:
If you need to go from horizontal actuating to vertical, you could also convert the motion 90 degrees using something like this bracket:
This gives you a few advantages:
- Adjustable throw - make one bracket arm longer for greater motion
- Non-linear flexibility - if you leave the rod ends 'loose' in the bracket, you can allow for some flex
- Additional friction point - you can use snugged up nylon washers on the pivot point of the bracket