Variable torque eddy current drive

Claim 2

A STEPLESSLY ADJUSTABLE VARIABLE TORQUE EDDY CURRENT DRIVE COMPRISING A DRIVING ROTOR AND A DRIVEN ROTOR, SAID DRIVING ROTOR HAVING A TUBULAR CYLINDRICAL SHAFT DEFINING AN AXIS OF ROTATION, A CUP-SHAPED STRUCTURE RIGID WITH SAID SHAFT AND HAVING A CYLINDRICAL OUTER WALL OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL ENCIRCLING A PORTION OF SAID SHAFT IN UNIFORMLY SPACED RELATION TO DEFINE A UNIFORM ANNULAR CHAMBER, AND A CYLINDRICAL WALL OF CURRENT CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL AT THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE LENGTH OF SAID CHAMBER AND RIGID WITH SAID OUTER WALL, SAID DRIVEN ROTOR HAVING A RING-SHAPED STRUCTURE JOURNALLED ON SAID SHAFT THROUGH ANTIFRICTION ROTARY BEARINGS TO BE MOVABLE AXIALLY AND ROTATIONALLY RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT, SAID RINGSHAPED STURCTURE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PERMANENT MAGNET POLES SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY THEREABOUT AND HAVING FACES DIRECTED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY TO DEFINE A POLE FACE PERIPHERY CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID WALL OF CURRENT CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL AND OF SUBSTANTIALLY CORRESPONDING LENGTH, AN END CUP RIGID WITH AND PROJECTING ENDWISE FROM SAID RING STRUCTURE AND HAVING A TRANSVERSE WALL OUTBOARD OF SAID SHAFT AND PROVIDED WITH A CENTRAL OPENING, A SHAFT SECTION PROJECTING THROUGH SAID CENTRAL OPENING IN SPLINED RELATIVELY AXIALLY SLIDEABLE CONNECTION TO SAID END CUP AND EXTENDING INTO SAID SHAFT IN ROTATABLY JOURNALLED RELATION, A MECHANISM FOR SHIFTING SAID END CUP AND RING STRUCTURE AXIALLY RELATIVE TO SAID CUP-SHAPED STRUCTURE AND SHAFT SECTION, AND THRUST TRANSMITTING ANTIFRICTION ROTARY BEARING FACILITIES HAVING RELATIVELY ROTATABLE PARTS, ONE CONNECTED TO SAID END CUP AND ONE CONNECTED TO SAID MECHANISM.

Claim 3

IN A VARIABLE FLOW SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES A VARIABLE SPEED POWER DRIVEN DEVICE FOR PRODUCING VARIABLE FLOW THROUGH SAID SYSTEM, A CONSTANT SPEED MOTOR FOR DRIVING SAID DEVICE, AN AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED POWER MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A FLOW CONDITION SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT AT A CERTAIN POINT OF SAID SYSTEM AND COMPRISING A SENSOR RESPONSIVE TO SAID FLOW CONDITION AT SAID POINT TO PRODUCE A DEVIATION SIGNAL REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY CHANGE THAT OCCURS, A VARIABLE TORQUE EDDY CURRENT DRIVE CONNECTED IN SLIP COUPLED RELATION BETWEEN SAID MOTOR AND SAID DEVICE AND HAVING INPUT AND OUTPUT ROTOR MEMBER, EACH ROTATABLE ABOUT A COMMON AXIS, ONE OF SAID ROTOR MEMBERS INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL WALL OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL ENCIRCLING SAID AXIS AND A CYLINDRICAL LINER OF CURRENT CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL RIGID WITH AND LINING SAID WALL, THE OTHER OF SAID ROTOR MEMBERS INCLUDING A RING-SHAPED STRUCTURE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PERMANENT MAGNET POLES SPACED UNIFORMLY ABOUT SAID AXIS AND HAVING FACES DIRECTED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY TO DEFINE A POLE FACE PERIPHERY OF CORRESPONDING LENGTH TO SAID LINER AND RECEIVABLE THEREIN IN PERIPHERALLY CLOSE CLEARANCE RELATION THERETO, MEANS MOUNTING SAID ROTOR MEMBERS FOR RELATIVE ROTARY AND AXIAL MOVEMENT TO ENABLE SAID POLE FACE PERIPHERY TO BE SHIFTED TO ANY POINT IN A RANGE BETWEEN A POSITION OF FULL OVERLAP RADIALLY WITH SAID LINER AND A POSITION OF SUBSTANTIALLY NO OVERLAP RADIALLY WITH SAID LINER, AND A SERVO MECHANISM RESPONSIVE TO THE SIGNAL FROM SAID SENSOR AND HAVING MECHANICAL LINKAGE INCLUDING THRUST TRANSMITTING ROTARY BEARING STRUCTURE CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID ROTOR MEMBERS TO PRODUCE RELATIVE AXIAL SHIFTING MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID RING-SHAPED STRUCTURE AND SAID LINER IN A DIRECTION TO OVERCOME THE CHANGE THAT PRODUCED THE SENSOR SIGNAL.

Claim 4

IN A VARIABLE FLOW SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES A VARIABLE SPEED POWER DRIVEN DEVICE FOR PRODUCING VARIABLE FLOW THROUGH SAID SYSTEM, A CONSTANT SPEED MOTOR FOR DRIVING SAID DEVICE, AN AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED POWER MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A FLOW CONDITION SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT AT A CERTAIN POINT OF SAID SYSTEM AND COMPRISING A SENSOR RESPONSIVE TO SAID FLOW CONDITION AT SAID POINT TO PRODUCE A DEVIATION SIGNAL REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY CHANGE THAT OCCURS, A VARIABLE TORQUE EDDY CURRENT DRIVE CONNECTED IN SLIP COUPLED RELATION BETWEEN SAID MOTOR AND SAID DEVICE AND HAVING INPUT AND OUTPUT ROTOR MEMBER, EACH ROTATABLE ABOUT A COMMON AXIS, ONE OF SAID ROTOR MEMBERS INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL WALL OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL ENCIRCLING SAID AXIS AND A CYLINDRICAL LINER OF CURRENT CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL RIGID WITH AND LINING SAID WALL, THE OTHER OF SAID ROTOR MEMBERS INCLUDING A RING-SHAPED STRUCTURE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PERMANENT MAGNET POLES SPACED UNIFORMLY ABOUT SAID AXIS AND HAVING FACES DIRECTED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY TO DEFINE A POLE FACE PERIPHERY OF CORRESPONDING LENGTH TO SAID LINER AND RECEIVABLE THEREIN IN PERIPHERALLY CLOSE CLEARANCE RELATION THERETO, MEANS MOUNTING SAID ROTOR MEMBERS FOR RELATIVE ROTARY AND AXIAL MOVEMENT TO ENABLE SAID POLE FACE PERIPHERY TO BE SHIFTED TO ANY POINT IN A RANGE BETWEEN A POSITION OF FULL OVERLAP RADIALLY WITH SAID LINER AND A POSITION OF SUBSTANTIALLY NO OVERLAP RADIALLY WITH SAID LINER, AND A SERVO MECHANISM RESPONSIVE TO THE SIGNAL FROM SAID SENSOR AND HAVING MECHANICAL LINKAGE INCLUDING THRUST TRANSMITTING ROTARY BEARING STRUCTURE CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID ROTOR MEMBERS TO PRODUCE RELATIVE AXIAL SHIFTING MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID RING-SHAPED STRUCTURE AND SAID LINER IN A DIRECTION TO OVERCOME THE CHANGE THAT PRODUCED THE SENSOR SIGNAL.