Electromotive device including magnetic shield interacting with permanent magnet pole faces

Abstract

An electric motor is composed of two counter-rotating discs having intermeshing gearing and each carrying a plurality of permanent magnets radially arranged with the same poles at the periphery of both discs. A shield of magnetic material is provided at one side extending partly around the periphery of each of the discs and into substantially the bite of the discs. An electromagnetic is arranged with one pole adjacent the bite of the discs, with means to energize the electromagnet as each of the permanent magnets reaches the bite of the discs to create a field of such polarity as to make the magnetic poles of the adjacent permanent magnets move away from the bite of the discs in the direction away from the shield, utilizing the combined forces of the electromagnetic force and the repelling force of the permanent magnets to effect rotation.

I claim: 
     
       1. An electric motor comprising a pair of rotors, means for causing the rotors to rotate in opposite directions at the same speed, a plurality of permanent magnets carried by each rotor and angularly spaced therearound, the permanent magnets extending radially and being angularly positioned so that a pair of magnets, one of each rotor come opposite each other at the bite of the rotors, the outer poles of the magnets opposing each other being of the same polarity, a magnetic shield of ferromagnetic material having its edge adjacent the bite of the rotors and extending away from the bite of the rotors for a substantial distance, and electromagnet means having one pole adjacent the periphery of at least one of the rotors, and means responsive to the rotation of the rotors for energizing the electromagnet means temporarily as a permanent magnet approaches said electromagnet means, with the end of the electromagnet adjacent the periphery of the rotor having a polarity such as to produce movement of the outer ends of the permanent magnets at the bite in the direction away from the electromagnetic shield. 
     
     
       2. An electric motor as claimed in claim 1, in which the outer ends of the permanent magnets have the same polarity and said electromagnet means is on the opposite side of the bite of the rotors from the shield and the end of the electromagnet nearest the bite of the rotors has a polarity opposite to that of the outer ends of the permanent magnets. 
     
     
       3. An electric motor as claimed in claim 1, in which the outer ends of the permanent magnets have the same polarity and the electromagnet means is on the same side of the bite of the rotors as the shield and the end of the electromagnet nearest the bite of the rotors has the same polarity as the outer ends of the permanent magnets. 
     
     
       4. An electric motor as claimed in claim 1, in which the shield is substantially V-shaped and said electromagnet means has one pole adjacent the bite of the rotors. 
     
     
       5. An electric motor as claimed in claim 1, in which the legs of the shield diverge from the peripheries of the rotors away from the bite of the rotors. .Iadd. 6. An electromotive device comprising a magnetic shield, a pair of rotors, each of said rotors having a plurality of spaced, permanent magnet pole faces on its periphery, said rotors being mounted for synchronous rotation of the pole faces of the pair of rotors relative to a point of closest proximity between the peripheries of the two rotors so that while the rotors are in proximity to said point magnetic fields extending from the pole faces of the two rotors interact to produce forces on the rotors causing rotation of the rotors, said shield being mounted relative to the periphery of said rotors and said point to prevent substantial interaction of the magnetic pole faces of the two rotors on one side of said point, whereby the magnetic fields of the two rotors interact assymetrically on the different sides of the point to rotatably drive the rotors in predetermined directions relative to the point, and electromagnet means responsive to the rotation of one of the rotors for supplying a magnetic field to one of the rotors to rotatably drive the rotor between the shield and the point in the same direction it rotates in response to the interaction. .Iaddend..Iadd. 7. The device of claim 6 wherein the shield extends into proximity with the point so that the magnetic fields from only one pole face on each of the rotors interact with each other on said side of the point. .Iaddend..Iadd. 8. The device of claim 6 wherein the pole faces of both rotors have the same polarizations and said rotors are mounted to rotate toward said point, said shield being positioned on the same side of the point as the side from which the rotors approach the point. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 9. An electromotive device comprising a fixed magnetic shield, a pair of permanent magnets, means for mounting at least one of said magnets for cyclic movement relative to said shield and a point of closest proximity between the magnets, said magnets having pole faces with polarizations that produce interacting magnetic fields tending to drive the at least one magnet relative to said point, said magnetic shield being positioned on one side of the point and relative to said magnets to prevent substantial interaction of the magnetic fields on said side of the point, whereby the magnetic fields interact assymetrically on the different sides of the point to drive the at least one magnet in a predetermined direction relative to the point, and electromagnet means responsive to movement of the at least one magnet for supplying a magnetic field to the at least one magnet to drive the magnet between the shield and the point in the predetermined direction. .Iaddend..Iadd. 10. The device of claim 9 wherein the at least one magnet is mounted for rotation about an axis removed from said point. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11. An electromotive device comprising a fixed magnetic shield, a pair of permanent magnets, means for mounting said magnets for cyclic movement relative to said shield and a point of closest proximity between the path of the magnets, said magnets having pole faces with polarizations that produce interacting magnetic fields tending to drive the magnets relative to said point, said magnetic shield being positioned on one side of the point and relative to said magnets to prevent substantial interaction of the magnetic fields on said side of the point, whereby the magnetic fields interact assymetrically on the different sides of the point to drive the magnets in predetermined directions relative to the point, and electromagnet means responsive to movement of at least one magnet for supplying a magnetic field to at least one magnet to drive the magnets between the shield and the point in the predetermined directions. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. The device of claim 11 wherein the magnets are mounted for rotation about axes removed from said point. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. An electromotive device comprising a magnetic shield, a rotor having a plurality of spaced, permanent magnet pole faces on its periphery, another permanent magnet pole face displaced from said rotor, said rotor being mounted for rotation of the pole faces relative to a point of closest proximity between the path of the periphery of the rotor and the another permanent magnet pole face so that while the rotor is in proximity to said point magnetic fields extending from the pole faces of the rotor and another permanent magnet pole face interact to produce forces on the rotor causing rotation of the rotor, said shield being mounted relative to the periphery of said rotor, said another permanent magnet pole face, and said point to prevent substantial interaction of the magnetic pole faces of the rotor and said another permanent magnet pole face on one side of said point, whereby the magnetic fields of the rotor and another permanent magnet pole face interact assymetrically on the different sides of the point to rotatably drive the rotor in a predetermined direction relative to the point, and electromagnet means responsive to the rotation of the rotor for supplying a magnetic field to the rotor to rotatably drive the rotor between the shield and the point in the predetermined direction. .Iaddend.