Motor control system for battery-powered vehicle

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A MOTOR, A BATTERY HAVING A PLURALITY OF CELLS FOR SUPPLYING POWER TO THE MOTOR, SAID CELLS BEING DIVIDED INTO AT LEAST THREE GROUPS, FIRST SWITCHING MEANS FOR SEQUENTIALLY CONNECTING GROUPS OF CELLS TO THE MOTOR, SECOND SWITCHING MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE GROUPS OF CELLS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SWITCHING MEANS COOPERATING TO INITIALLY CONNECT ONE GROUP OF CELLS TO THE MOTOR AND TO THEREAFTER SEQUENTIALLY CONNECT ADDITIONAL GROUPS IN SERIES TO INCREASE THE VOLTAGE APPLIED TO THE MOTOR, CONTROL MEANS FOR EFFECTING OPERATION OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SWITCHING MEANS, SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A CONTROL DEVICE HAVING A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS AT LEAST EQUAL IN NUMBER TO THE NUMBER OF GROUPS OF CELLS, SAID CONTROL DEVICE BEING ADAPTED IN ITS DIFFERENT POSITIONS TO CHANGE THE SEQUENTIAL OPERATION OF THE FIRST SWITCHING MEANS AND TO EFFECT OPERATION OF THE SECOND SWITCHING MEANS TO CHANGE THE SEQUENTIAL ORDER OF CONNECTION OF THE GROUPS OF CELLS, AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING ACTUATION OF THE CONTROL DEVICE FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER EACH TIME THE CONTROL MEANS IS OPERATED TO START THE MOTOR AND TO THEREAFTER STOP THE MOTOR.