Abstract:
The invention provides a magnetic motor wherein a plurality of rotor magnets are positioned along a rotor which is mounted to a shaft. A plurality of drive magnets are movably positioned generally adjacent to the rotor magnets. Relative motion of the drive magnets into and out of juxtaposed positions with the rotor magnets controls relative torque of the shaft. The drive magnets are electrically pulsed through a timing assembly.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention is related to magnetic motors and more particularly to a rotating magnetic motor having a magnet recharging mechanism.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    DC magnetic motors having an armature supported between magnetic pole pieces are well known in the industry. While these magnetic motors have been utilized in small applications such as axillary motors, they often lack the necessary efficiency for driving larger machinery or assemblies.  
           [0003]    One example of a DC magnetic motor assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,134. This patent teaches a direct current motor formed by an armature interposed between opposing magnetizable members which are magnetized by permanent magnets or coils extending between the members. The magnets or coils are energized by a DC source. Elongated members are disposed normal to and connected with the respective magnetized member to form opposing pairs of opposite polarity poles disposed in diametric opposition on the armature.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,477 discloses a magnetic motor having a plurality of permanent magnets arranged to have spaced apart alternating opposite poles around the rotor. A stator magnet alternately attracts the first pole and repels the second pole of each sequential permanent magnet to cause rotation. Magnetic means defining a stator alternates between a first phase of attracting the first pole of a given magnet and a second phase of repelling the second pole of the given magnet. Timing means detect the position of the magnet and signal magnetic means for alternating between the first and second phases. The magnets may include spaced apart permanent magnets each having the same pole directed towards the rotor. A solenoid responsive to the timing means selectively and alternatively positions the stator magnets in close proximity to the rotor for alternatively attracting or repelling the rotor magnets. The phases are accomplished by a single pole of a single permanent magnet having a field which is periodically nullified by the electric means responsive to the timing means.  
           [0005]    Although these and other magnetic motors provide ample speed and torque in certain applications, it is desirable to produce a magnetic motor capable of efficiently delivering high torque at variable speeds.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The invention provides a magnetic motor wherein a plurality of rotor magnets are positioned along a rotor which is mounted to a shaft. A plurality of drive magnets are movably positioned generally adjacent to the rotor magnets. Relative motion of the drive magnets into and out of juxtaposed positions with the rotor magnets controls relative torque of the shaft. The drive magnets are electrically pulsed through a timing assembly. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures of which:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a front view of the magnetic motor according to the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a side view of the magnetic motor shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  3 - 3  of FIG. 1.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 3 showing only the timing assembly.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  5 - 5  of FIG. 3 showing one of the rotors. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0013]    The magnetic motor according to the present invention will first be described generally with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The main components of the magnetic motor assembly  200  are housed within an outer housing  100  having a front plate  201 , a rear plate  98  (FIG. 3) and a side housing  210 . A housing stiffner  205  is provided around a portion of the periphery of the side housing  210 . Motor mounts  204 ,  206  extend from the side housing  210  at desired locations and can be moved or interchanged for various mounting arrangements. A control housing  207  is provided also along a periphery of the side housing  210 . A main shaft  1  extends out of the front plate  201  and through the outer housing  100  as will be described below. Pulleys  209  are mounted on the main shaft  1  outside of the front plate  201 . Belts  208  are connected to the pulleys  209  for driving both an alternator  202  and a timing assembly  122 . Both the alternator  202  and the timing assembly  122  are fixed to the outer housing  100  along a periphery of the side housing  210 .  
         [0014]    The major components, including the magnetic motor assembly  200 , the alternator  202  and the timing assembly  122  will now be described in greater detail.  
         [0015]    Referring first to FIG. 3, the magnetic motor assembly  200  is shown in cross-section. The front plate  201  and rear plate  98  are fixed to the outer housing  100  by housing bolts  102  or other appropriate fasteners. Front housing seals  96  are provided at the interface between the front plate  201  and the outer housing  100 . Similarly, rear housing seals  97  are provided at the interface between the rear plate  98  and the outer housing  100 .  
         [0016]    The main shaft  1  extends through the front plate  201  and into the rear plate  98 . The main shaft  1  is supported within the front plate  201  by a front case bearing  69 . An outer seal  71  and an inner seal  73  extend around the shaft  1  on opposite sides of the front case bearing  69 . Similarly, a rear case bearing  70  is provided around the rear end of the main shaft  1  inside the rear plate  98 . A rear case outer seal  72  and a rear case inner seal  74  are provided on the main shaft  1  on either side of the rear case bearing  70 . A front rotor  2  and a rear rotor  3  are fixed to the main shaft at front and rear ends respectively. A front rotor hub locking collar  75  is secured to the front rotor  2  and main shaft  1 . A front rotor seal  63  is located within the front rotor to main shaft interface.  
         [0017]    Moving along the main shaft  1  from the front rotor  2  rearward within the outer housing  100 , a front commutator hub  46  is provided around the shaft  1 . A front rotor magnet recharge commutator  36  extends around the front commutator hub  46  and is separated therefrom by a front rotor magnet recharge commutator insulator  30 . A front rotor magnet recharge brush holder  27  is located around the front rotor magnet recharge commutator  36  and holds a front rotor magnet recharge brush  28 . In this embodiment there are an angularly spaced plurality of conductive sections on the front rotor magnet recharge commutator  36  which electrically each engage the brush  28  during rotation. A front inner drum housing  124  surrounds these and other components which will be described in further detail. Front oil spray nozzles  24  are provided outside the front inner drum housing  124  for distributing cooling oil. Continuing along the shaft, still within the front inner drum housing  124 , a front ground slip ring  40  is provided around the shaft  1  along the front commutator hub  46 . A front shaft ground brush  32  is in contact with the front ground slip ring  40 . Similarly, a front spinning brush slip ring insulator  44  is provided along the front commutator hub  46  rearward of the front ground slip ring  40 . A front spinning brush slip ring  42  surrounds the front spinning brush slip ring insulator  44  and a front slip ring brush  34  contacts the front spinning brush slip ring  42 . A front stationary commutator hub  54  is located within the rear end of the front inner drum housing  124 . The front stationary commutator hub  54  is fixed to a front manifold plate  126  from which the front inner drum housing also extends. There is a slight gap between the shaft  1  and the front stationary commutator hub  54 . A front stationary commutator insulator  50  surrounds the front stationary commutator hub  54 . A front stationary commutator  52  is supported on the front stationary commutator insulator  50  and a front spinning brush holder  56  extends from the main shaft  1  to allow front drive magnet recharge brushes  48  to contact the front stationary commutator  52 . In this embodiment there are preferably a plurality of angularly spaced front drive magnet recharge brushes  48 . A front spinning brush holder counterweight  38  is provided along the front spinning brush holder  56  at an end opposite the front drive magnet recharge brushes  48 .  
         [0018]    Extending from the front manifold plate  126  toward the front plate  201  are a front drive magnet plunger  20  and front drive hub guide pins  22  within the front drive magnet plunger  20 . A front drive magnet hub  18  is secured to the front drive magnet plunger  20 . The front drive magnet hub  18  supports front drive magnet insulators  16  on which are mounted front drive magnet plates  12  surrounding front drive magnets  10 . A front drive magnet coil  14  is longitudinally wound around each magnet  10 .  
         [0019]    Turning now to the central region of the magnetic motor assembly  200 , a center manifold  123  is disposed about the shaft  1  approximately in the center between the front and rear plates  201 ,  98 . The center manifold  123  is retained within the magnetic motor assembly  200  by bolts  90  fastened to the side housing  210 . A manifold front plate seal  65  is provided within the manifold plate  126  around the shaft  1  and manifold front plate bearing  67  is located around the shaft to support the center manifold  123  about the shaft  1 . An oil pump drive gear  78  is provided within the center manifold  123 . The oil pump drive gear  78  drives an oil pump shaft gear  79  which engages an oil pump shaft  81 . An oil pump shaft bearing  80  is provided at the interface between the oil pump shaft  81  and the oil pump shaft gear  79 . An oil pump  82  submersed in an oil pan  101  which is positioned along an opening in the side housing  210  near the bottom of the magnetic motor assembly  200  is driven by the oil pump shaft  81  to provide cooling oil flow and pneumatic control through the inside of the magnetic motor assembly  200 . Exiting the oil pump  82  is an oil pressure line  86  extending from a first check valve  88 . A second electric oil pump  83  is provided external to the oil pan  101 . The electric oil pump  83  has an electric oil pump inlet  85  for drawing oil from the oil pan  101 . An electric oil pump pressure line  84  exits the electric oil pump  83  through a second check valve  87  into the oil pressure line  86 . Oil lines  91 ,  92  extend from the oil pressure line  86  and distribute cooling oil to the front oil spray nozzles  24  and rear oil spray nozzles  25  which are positioned in the vicinity of rotor magnets  4 ,  5  and drive magnets  10 ,  11  where heat is generated during operation. The oil pressure line  86  is coupled to the front drive magnet plunger  20  for controlling the position of the front drive magnet hub  18 . A hydraulic valve  95  is provided and connected to the oil lines  91 ,  92  for controlling the oil pressure in these oil lines  91 ,  92 .  
         [0020]    The front inner drum housing  124  is sealed from ingress of oil flow by a front drum seal  58  positioned at the front end and a second front drum seal  60  positioned at the rear end where the front inner drum housing  124  meets the front manifold plate  126 .  
         [0021]    Rearward of the central region as best shown in FIG. 3, the magnetic motor assembly  200  is generally symmetrical to the front portion already described. First, a manifold rear plate seal  66  is provided around the shaft  1  inside the rear manifold plate  127 . A rear stationary commutator hub  55  is fixed to the rear manifold plate  127  and has a small gap from the shaft  1 . A rear stationary commutator insulator  51  surrounds the rear stationary commutator hub  55 . A rear stationary commutator  53  is positioned around the rear stationary commutator insulator  51 . A rear spinning brush holder  39  supports rear drive magnet recharge brushes  49  which electrically contact the rear stationary commutator  53 . A rear spinning brush holder counterweight  57  is provided along the rear spinning brush holder  39  opposite the rear drive magnet recharge brush  49 . A rear inner drum housing  125  extends from the rear manifold plate  127  to the rear rotor  3 . Rear drum seals  61  are provided at the rear manifold plate interface and rear drum seals  59  are provided at the rear rotor interface.  
         [0022]    Continuing rearward along the main shaft  1 , a rear commutator hub  47  is fixed to the rear rotor  3  and main shaft  1  to support a rear spinning brush slip ring insulator  45  and a rear ground slip ring  41 . Around the rear spinning brush slip ring insulator  45 , a rear spinning brush slip ring  43  is disposed. Rear slip ring brush  35  electrically contacts the rear spinning brush slip ring  43 . Similarly, rear shaft ground brush  33  electrically contacts the rear ground slip ring  41 . These brushes  33 ,  34  are supported by an assembly extending from the inside of the rear inner drum housing  125 . A rear rotor magnet recharge commutator insulator  31  surrounds the rear commutator hub  47  rearward of the rear ground slip ring  41 . A rear rotor magnet recharge commutator  37  is disposed over the rear rotor magnet recharge commutator insulator  31 . A rear rotor magnet recharge brush holder  26  supports rear rotor magnet recharge brushes  29  which electrically contact the rear rotor magnet recharge commutator  37 . A rear rotor seal  64  is disposed within the rear rotor  3 .  
         [0023]    Outside of the rear inner drum housing  125  a rear drive magnet plunger  21  is in communication with a rear drive magnet hub  19 . The rear drive magnet plunger  21  extends from the center manifold  123  where a drive magnet plunger piston seal is located at the interface, and is supported by rear drive hub guide pins  23 . The rear drive magnet hub  19  supports rear drive magnets  11  which are surrounded by rear drive magnet insulators  17  and rear drive magnet recharge plates  13 . A rear drive magnet coil  15  is positioned around one of the rear drive magnet recharge plates  13  and a rear magnet ground wire  99  is similarly provided.  
         [0024]    The rear rotor  3  has a plurality of rear rotor magnets  5  disposed along inside edges. The rear rotor magnets  5  are separated from the rotor  3  by rear rotor magnet recharge plate insulators  9 . A pair of rear rotor magnet recharge plates  7  are disposed on opposite sides of each rear rotor magnet  5 . A plurality of rear oil spray nozzles  25  are positioned in this vicinity for cooling and extend from the oil lines  91 ,  92  as was described above.  
         [0025]    The front rotor  2  will now be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 5. It should be understood that the rotor  3  is essentially the same and therefore only a single rotor will be described in further detail. The rotor  2  is mounted to the main shaft  1  by the front commutator hub  46 . The front motor magnet recharge commutator insulator  30  surrounds the front commutator hub  46 . The front motor magnet recharge commutator  36  is disposed around the front rotor magnet recharge commutator insulator  30 . A plurality of wires  128  extend each from a pad on the front rotor magnet recharge commutator  36  to a respective front rotor magnet recharge plate  6  which is associated with a respective front rotor magnet  4 . The hub  46  also extends outward along the edge beyond the front rotor magnet recharge commutator  36 . A series of front rotor magnet recharge plate insulators  8  extend outward from each front rotor magnet recharge plate  6  and steel spacers  129  separate the magnets  4  from each other around the periphery. Magnet shields  130  are provided around each steel spacer  129 . The steel spacers  129 , the magnet shields  130 , the front rotor magnet recharge plate insulators  8  and the magnets  4  are all suspended from an inner surface of the rotor outer periphery  2 .  
         [0026]    The alternator  202  is a standard alternator used to generate a desired DC output upon rotation and therefore will not be described in further detail. Each of these figures shows alternate embodiments for placement of the brushes. In either case, the timing assembly  122  however will now be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The timing assembly  122  is driven by a timing belt  104  and timing belt pulley  105  which are attached to the front end of a timing assembly shaft  106 . A timing assembly front bearing  111  is provided at the shaft entrance in a timing assembly front end plate  109 . The timing assembly outer housing  110  extends from the timing assembly front end plate  109  to timing assembly rear end plate  108 . A timing assembly front cover  107  is positioned over the timing assembly front bearing  1   11  and shaft  106 . A timing assembly rear bearing  112  is provided over the rear end shaft  106  at the timing assembly rear end plate  108 . Inside the timing assembly outer housing  110  a timing assembly commutator hub  119  is provided around the shaft  106 . A timing assembly commutator  115  is positioned adjacent an insulator  116  on the timing assembly commutator hub  119 . Brush holder  113  is supported on the timing assembly outer housing  110  or the shaft  106  along with brushes  117   a ,  117   b  that electrically engage the commutator  115 . Brushes  117  are positioned to engage a slip ring  118 .  
         [0027]    Power enters the timing assembly  122  through brushes  117 . Power pulses originating on the rotating timing assembly commutator  115  pass through the pair of brushes  117   a ,  117   b  that engage the timing assembly commutator  115 . These pair of brushes  117   a ,  117   b  respectively send the power pulses to the front and rear rotor magnet recharge brushes  28 ,  29  for selectively pulsing front rotor and rear rotor magnets  4 , 5 . In operation, hydraulic pressure is controlled in the oil lines  91 ,  92  to drive front and rear drive magnet plungers  20 ,  21 . As these plungers  20 ,  21  are driven outward, front and rear drive magnets  10 ,  11  enter the vicinity inside front and rear rotor magnets  4 ,  5  and in juxtaposition thereto in order to begin rotation of the front and rear rotors  2 ,  3 . The front and rear rotors  2 ,  3  drive the main shaft  1 . Torque and speed of the main shaft  1  is controlled by the position of the front and rear drive magnet plungers  20 ,  21  such that greater torque is generated when the front rotor magnet  4  and front drive magnet  10  are aligned with each other. As the front drive magnet  10  is drawn inward by the front drive magnet plunger  20  the torque generated is decreased.  
         [0028]    The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for practicing the invention. Many other embodiments are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. It is, therefore, intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that the scope of the invention is given by the appended claims together with their full range of equivalents.