Semiconductor commutated motor system with capacitive pickup

Claim 1

IN A ROTATING ELECTRICAL MACHINE HAVING A ROTOR AND A PLURALITY OF STATOR COILS, THE IMPROVEMENT IN CONTACTLESS COMMUTATION FOR ENERGIZING THE STATOR COILS, IN SEQUENCE, FROM A SOURCE OF CURRENT, WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A PLURALITY OF SWITCHING DEVICES, AT LEAST ONE FOR EACH OF THE STATOR COILS, CONNECTED BETWEEN THE STATOR COILS AND THE SOURCE OF CURRENT; (B) A HIGH-FREQUENCY OSCILLATOR ENERGIZING A PLURALITY OF OUTPUT COILS CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER TO THE STATOR COILS; (C) SAID OUTPUT COILS BEING CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH EACH OTHER AND BEING POLARIZED IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER, WHEREBY THE RESPECTIVE VOLTAGES IN TWO SUCCESSIVE COILS CANCEL ONE ANOTHER; (D) A PLURALITY OF CONTROL ELEMENTS, ONE FOR EACH OF SAID OUTPUT COILS; (E) A PLURALITY OF STATIONARY ELECTRODES CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER TO THE STATOR COILS; (F) A ROTATING ELECTRODE COUPLED TO THE ROTOR AND DISPOSED IN CLOSE PHYSICAL PROXIMITY TO SAID STATIONARY ELECTRODES; (G) MEANS CONNECTING EACH OF TWO SUCCEEDING STATIONARY ELECTRODES IN CLOSED SERIES CIRCUIT RELATIONSHIP WITH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID CONTROL ELEMENTS AND WITH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID OUTPUT COILS; AND (H) MEANS CONNECTING EACH OF SAID CONTROL ELEMENTS TO A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID SWITCH DEVICES, WHEREBY THE CAPACITIVE COUPLING EFFECT BETWEEN SAID ROTATING ELECTRODE AND SAID SUCCESSIVE PAIRS OF STATIONARY ELECTRODES TRIGGERS SAID SWITCHING DEVICES AND ALLOWS THE RESPECTIVE STATOR COILS TO BE ENERGIZED, IN SEQUENCE, FROM THE SOURCE OF CURRENT.