Patent ID: 8212442

Claim:
A method for transferring energy from an energy storage device to an output shaft, comprising: (a) providing a driven system comprising an output shaft; (b) providing a flywheel having an input shaft that is coaxial with said output shaft, said flywheel being arranged to oscillate on said input shaft; (c) providing a body assembly comprising a means for supporting said input shaft and said output shaft; (d) providing an energy storage device that is able to exchange energy back-and-forth with said flywheel; (e) adding a quantity of mechanical energy to said flywheel, said quantity being in the form of a first torque impulse that manifests itself as an absolute value increase in rotational speed of said flywheel about said input shaft, said adding being performed when said flywheel is at or close to a state of rest relative to said support means; (f) transferring said kinetic energy back-and-forth between said flywheel and said energy storage device in an oscillating manner; (g) continuing steps (e) and (f) until a rotational velocity of said flywheel matches that of said output shaft in quantity and direction; and (h) when said rotational velocity matches, transferring a second quantity of torque impulse from said flywheel to said output shaft, thereby increasing the rotational velocity of said output shaft and decreasing the rotational velocity of said flywheel.