[KnighT]

Thank you so much, Bucket !

These pictures are great, but I still am confused a little bit. I know from the machine concept that the right arm should be a piston. These pictures clearly show a hydraulic arm which is powering these machines.

I think it is the mechanics that I do not understand:

FLYING WEDGES Example – multiple sails on a sail boat.
Mechanical – Push-Pull rams on hydraulic excavators mounted at 90 degrees to each other to position and hold the main beam.

The main area of confusion is the 90 degree thing. My original interpretation of this was that the right arm supports the left arm at a 90 degree angle to the primary lever assembly. Sometimes I think I feel this, but it is difficult because my hands are the tip of the triangle.

I am looking at sailboats and trying to see where the force is being directed to accelorate/power the boat. I can visualize the sail catching the wind then pulling or pushing the boat where ever the sail is attached to the boat (it also depends on where the sail is located in relation to the direcion of travel), and I can also see the big beam in the middle as being important; but I cannot see exactly how this relates to our flying wedges. It is getting 'less unclear', but you guys have helped alot.

I would really like to understand these flying wedges.