Magnetic suspension

Claim 1

A MAGNETIC SUSPENSION SYSTEM COMPRISING, A MOVABLE SHAFT MEMBER TO BE SUSPENDED IN A DESIRED STABLE POSITION, SAID SHAFT MEMBER BEING RESPONSIVE TO MAGNETIC FORCES, A FIRST VARIABLE INTENSITY ELECTROMAGNET DISPOSED ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID MEMBER SO AS TO COOPERATE THEREWITH TO GENERATE A MAGNETIC FORCE TENDING TO URGE THE MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION ALONG ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, A SECOND VARIABLE INTENSITY ELECTROMAGNET DISPOSED ADJACENT TO THE OTHER END OF SAID SHAFT MEMBER SO AS TO COOPERATE THEREWITH TO GENERATE A MAGNETIC FORCE TENDING TO URGE SAID MEMBER IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ALONG SAID AXIS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELECTROMAGNETS NORMALLY RETAINING SAID MEMBER IN ITS DESIRED LONGITUDINALLY STABLE POSITION, CONTROL CIRCUITS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELECTROMAGNETS FOR CONTROLLING THE INTENSITIES OF SAID ELECTROMAGNETS AND ACTING TO INCREASE THE FORCE GENERATED BY SAID SECOND ELECTROMAGNET SHARPLY SHOULD THE MEMBER COMMENCE TO MOVE IN SAID ONE DIRECTION WHILE SHARPLY DECREASING THE FORCE GENERATE BY SAID FIRST ELECTROMAGNET, EACH OF SAID CONTROL CIRCUITS COMPRISING AMPLIFIER MEANS, SAID AMPLIFIER MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO ENERGIZING A RESPECTIVE ELECTROMAGNET, EACH OF SAID ELECTROMAGNETS AND IS CONNECTED AMPLIFIER MEANS FORMING A TUNED CIRCUIT WHEREBY IN THE STABLE POSITION OF SAID MEMBER, EACH ELECTROMAGNET IS ENERGIZED AT A FREQUENCY CORRESPONDING TO A POINT ON THE SLOPE OF THE RESONANCE CURVE OF ITS TUNED CURCUIT, MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID STABLE POSITION CAUSING THE CURRENT IN ONE ELECTROMAGNET TO MOVE RAPIDLY UP ITS RESONANCE CURVE AND THAT OF THE OTHER TO MOVE RAPIDLY DOWN, THEREBY ACTING TO FORCIBLY RETURN SAID MEMBER TO ITS LONGITUDINALLY STABLE POSITION, ADDITIONAL ELECTROMAGNETS POSITIONED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SHAFT MEMBER AND ACTING ON SAID MEMBER SO AS TO RETAIN THE SAME IN A SUBSTANTIALLY STABLE POSITION ALONG ITS TRANSVERSE AXIS EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, AND CONTROL CIRCUITS INCLUDING AMPLIFIER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ADDITIONAL ELECTROMAGNETS, EACH ELECTROMAGNET AND ITS CONNECTED AMPLIFIER MEANS FORMING A TUNED CIRCUIT SUCH THAT IN THE STABLE POSITION OF SAID MEMBER ALONG SAID TRANSVERSE AXIS EACH ADDITIONAL ELECTROMAGNET IS ENERGIZED AT A FREQUENCY CORRESPONDING TO A POINT ON THE SLOPE OF THE RESONANCE CURVE OF ITS RESPECTIVE TUNED CIRCUIT, WHEREBY TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT MEMBER AWAY FROM ITS STABLE POSITION ON ITS TRANSVERSE AXIS ACTS TO SHARPLY INCREASE THE CURRENT IN ONE ELECTROMAGNET AND DECREASE THE CURRENT IN THE OTHER TO RETURN SAID MEMBER TO ITS TRANVERSELY STABLE POSITION.