Patent ID: 7400077

Claim:
An electric motor apparatus, comprising: a housing; a rotatable axle, wherein the rotatable axle is maintained in a fixed axial position relative to the housing by bushings, and wherein the bushings are coupled to the housing; an input brush electrically coupled to an appropriate current source; an input segment coupled to the rotatable axle and disposed substantially around the rotatable axle, wherein the input brush is in electrical contact with the input segment; a commutator coupled to the rotatable axle and disposed substantially around the rotatable axle, wherein the commutator comprises multiple electrically conductive segments and multiple non-conductive segments arranged sequentially around the commutator and wherein each electrically conductive segment is electrically coupled to the input segment; a commutator brush capable of being in sequential electrical contact with each electrically conductive segment as the axle is rotated; a first field armature, wherein the first field armature comprises a plurality of first field magnets spaced around the first field armature, wherein the first field armature is disposed substantially around the axle, and wherein the first field armature is coupled to the axle; a second field armature, wherein the second field armature comprises a plurality of second field magnets spaced around the second field armature, wherein the second field armature is disposed substantially around the first field armature, and wherein the second field armature is coupled to the axle; an electromagnetic member, wherein the electromagnetic member comprises a plurality of electromagnets spaced around the electromagnetic member, wherein each electromagnet comprises a winding that is electrically coupled to the electrically conductive segments of the commutator, wherein the electromagnetic member is disposed between the first field armature and the second field armature, such that the first field armature is disposed substantially inside the electromagnetic member and the second field armature is disposed substantially outside the electromagnetic member, and wherein the electromagnetic member is coupled to the housing; and wherein, as the axle rotates, when the commutator brush is in electrical contact with an electrically conductive segment of the commutator, each winding is simultaneously electrically coupled to the appropriate current source, such that, an appropriate electrical current is simultaneously provided to each winding, and wherein the input segment comprises a portion of the rotatable axle and wherein at least a portion of the rotatable axle is electrically coupled to the electrically conductive segments of the commutator such that electrical current may be provided to the electrically conductive segments of the commutator.