GB2481604A

GB2481604A - Device that converts rotary motion into unidirectional motion

Info

Publication number: GB2481604A
Application number: GB1010928.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger William Hall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-06-29
Filing date: 2010-06-29
Publication date: 2012-01-04
Also published as: GB201010928D0

Abstract

A device to convert rotary motion into unidirectional motion by varying the radius of gyration of one of a plurality of gyrating masses comprises at least two identical first magnets 18-21 mounted on a rotor in opposed pairs and able to move radially with respect to the axis of rotation. One or more further magnets are placed outside the maximum radial distance of the first magnets and the polarity of further magnet's pole that is facing inward is identical e.g. South, to the polarity of the rotating magnet's poles that are facing outward. When one of the rotating magnets is brought into the further magnet's opposing magnetic field it will move inward so decreasing its radius and creating an unbalanced centrifugal force resulting in unidirectional movement of the device. The rotating magnets may be within containers or may be mounted on radial arms 23 between radially inner and outer stops 24.

Description

I

Device that converts rotary motion into unidirectional motion The present invention relates to a propulsion system that uses an unbalanced centrifugal force to convert rotary motion into unidirectional motion.

In the field of rotary motion to unidirectional motion devices, many such devices have been patented but they all seem to suffer disadvantages such as being overly complex in their construction making them expensive to manufacture and in being so complex they need a multitude of interconnected moving parts that increase the likelihood of component faliure.

The invention disclosed in this patent application seeks to overcome these disadvantages by using as few moving parts as possible.The present invention produces an unbalanced centrifugal force by utilizing the repelling or attraction forces when identical or opposite magnetic poles are brought closer together. If a magnet is fixed in its position so that it cannot move and a moveable magnet is brought closer to it, the moveable magnet will either move toward or away from the fixed magnet depending on the configuration of the poles of the two magnets. If we then place the moveable magnet on a rotating device that permits the magnet to move in a radial direction and rotate the magnet into the influence of a fixed magnets magnetic field where the facing poles are identical, the moveable magnet wifl move so reducing its radial distance. Since the magnet has mass and there is a change in the radius of that rotating mass there is a change in the centrifugal force.

If a second magnet of identical mass is positioned at 180 degrees from the first magnet and that magnet has no repelling magnetic influence acting upon it, its radial distance will be different and therefore an unbalanced centrifugal force will exist.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows two magnets of equal mass being rotated and so have a balanced centrifugal force, Figure 2 shows one of the magnets being rotated into the magnetic field of a fixed magnet, Figure 3 shows a four rotating magnet system and the use of a plurality of fixed magnets.

In figure 1, we can see two magnets 10 that are each enclosed in a container 11 that are being rotated around an axis 12 and that each container is positioned 180 degrees apart. The enclosed magnets are of identical mass and at the same radius from the axis of rotationThe centrifugal forces are therefore balanced.

In figure 2, we now see a further rotation of 90 degrees from figure 1. One of the magnets 13 has only centrifugal forces acting upon it and is therefore at the furthest point from the axis of rotation that it is allowed to be by the enclosing container.

Magnet 14 however has now entered the magnetic field of a fixed magnet 15 and due to the inward facing pole of the fixed magnet 15 and the outward facing pole of the enclosed magnet 14 being both north they will repel each other. Since magnet 14 is free to move along the container away from the fixed magnet 15 radius one 16 becomes less than radius two 17 and so an unbalanced centrifugal force now occurs.

Figure 3 shows a four magnet system where magnetic masses 18 and 19 are balanced and 20 and 21 are unbalanced. In this system the polarities have been reversed and there are now a plurality of fixed magnets 22. The direction of rotation has also been reversed.The rotating magnets are now ring magnets and have been placed on a rotating arm 23 which has stopping devices 24 fitted so limiting the distance the magnets can slide radially. It may be worth noting that in this system magnet 21 is held in a kind of partial orbit around the axis and if the plurality of fixed magnets 22 were extended to a full 360 degrees then the four rotating magnets would orbit the axis as the centripetal and centrifugal forces acting on the masses While the foregoing embodiment is at present to be preferred, it is understood that numerous variations and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such variations and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A device that converts rotary motion into unidirectional motion by varying the radius of gyration of a plurality of gyrating masses or part of said gyrating masses and which device includes means for supporting, rotating and permitting sliding radial movement of said p'urality of gyrating masses or part of said gyrating masses and allows for rotation around a common axis.
2. The device according to claim 1, in which the said gyrating masses or part of said gyrating masses are either permanent magnets or electromagnets or a combination of both.
3. The device according to claim 2, in which the said gyrating masses or part of said gyrating masses having magnetic properties are positioned so that one magnetic pole faces directly towards the common axis of rotation and the opposite magnetic pole points directly away from the common axis of rotation.
4. The device according to claim 1, in which limiters are placed at predetermined points on said device that supports and permits sliding radial movement of magnetic gyrating masses so limiting the extent of radial movement of sliding magnetic gyrating masses away or toward the common axis of rotation.
5. The device according to claim 1, in which a single or plurality of magnets being either permanent or electromagnets are placed in a fixed position close to but outside the maximum radial rotation of said device which includes means for supporting, rotating and pemitting sliding radial movement of said plurality of gyrating masses or part of said gyrating masses and that the magnetic pole of said fixed magnet or magnets that is facing inward toward the axis of rotation is identical to the magnetic pole of the magnetic gyrating mass that is able to slide radially that is facing outward away from the common axis.
6. The device according to claim 5, in which that the magnet or magnets in a fixed position be so fixed to a device that is rotatably mounted so as to be able to change the direction of the resultant unbalanced force.
7. The device according to claim 1, in which at a predetermined point along the length of radius that is closer to the axis than the maximum radial distance of the device that supports, rotates and permits the sliding radial movement of the gyrating mass or part of said gyrating mass is attached in a fixed position either a permanent magnet or electromagnet and that the magnetic polarity of such fixed magnet that is facing away from the axis of rotation is identical to the magnetic polarity that is facing toward the axis of rotation of the sliding magnetic mass and that the sliding magnetic mass is positioned further from the axis than the fixed magnet.CLAIMS
8. The device according to claim 1, in which at the end of the device that supports, rotates and permits the sliding radial movement of the gyrating mass or part of said gyrating mass is attached in a fixed position either a permanent magnet or electromagnet, the magnetic polarity that is facing inward directly towards the axis of rotation being identical to the magnetic polarity of the sliding gyrating mass being either a permanent or electromagnet that is facing outward away from the common axis.
9. The device according to claim 1, is rotatably mounted so as to be able to change the direction of the resultant unbalanced force.
10. The device according to claim 7, 8, in which an appropriate switching arrangement is used to power the electromagnets.
11. The device according to claim 1, in which there is means for providing rotation.*.:r: INTELLECTUAL . ... PROPERTY OFFICE Application No: GB1010928.8 Examiner: James Paddock Claims searched: 1-7 Date of search: 21 September 2011 Patents Act 1977: Search Report under Section 17 Documents considered to be relevant: Category Relevant Identity of document and passage or figure of particular relevance to claims X 1-3 at JP62131754 A least SAITO See the Figures and WPI abstract accession No: 1987-20307 1 [29]. Electro and permanent magnet rotary to linear converter.X 1 at least. US3968700 A CUFF See the Figures. Rotary to linear converter using unbalanced centrifugal force by varying the radius of gyration of rotating masses on radial arms at predetermined moments in their cycle of revolution.X 1 at least U53998107 A CUFF See the Figures. Crank based rotary to linear converter with radial masses.X 1,2,4,5,6, NL1003823 C2 8-11 OUWERKERK See the Figure and WPI abstract accession No: 1998- 309917 [27]. Opposed magnetic masses in opposite arms of rotating container with radius magnetically changed for linear force generation.X 1,2 at GB1547762 A least WHITTAKER. See figure 1. Rotary to linear converter with masses magnetically displacable within rotor.X 1-5 at W02004/032314 A least NEDIN See Figures 3 and 4. Permanent or electromagnets in cruciform rotor react with a fixed magnet for linear from rotary motion.X 1 at least U53 807244 A ESTRADE See the Figures. Simple mechanical displacement rotary to linear converter.X 1-Sat FR2665587A least LEMAUFF See the Figures and WPI abstract accession No: 1992- 116728 [15]. Magnet displacing centrifugal motor.Categories: X Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive A Document indicating technological background and/or state step of the art.Y Document indicating lack of inventive step if P Document published on or after the declared priority date but combined with one or more other documents of before the filing date of this invention.same category.& Member of the same patent family E Patent document published on or after. hut with priority date earlier than, the filing date of this application.Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.ipo.gov.uk t::r: INTELLECTUAL . ...* PROPERTY OFFICEField of Search:Search of GB, EP. WO & US patent documents classified in the following areas of the UKCX Worldwide search of patent documents classified in the following areas of the IPC FO3G; HO1B; HO2K The following online and other databases have been used in the preparation of this search report WPI, EPODOC International Classification: Subclass Subgroup Valid From FO3G 0003/00 01/01/2006 HO2K 0007/06 01/01/2006 HO2K 0007/065 01/01/2006 Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.ipo.gov.uk