Step drive

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING STEPPED MOVEMENT OF A SHAFT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A DRIVE MODULE INCLUDING A STATOR INCLUDING A GENERALLY HOLLOW, ELONGATED PORTION ADAPTED TO SURROUND AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID SHAFT, FIRST ONE-WAY CLUTCH MEANS POSITIONED ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID STATOR FOR ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID STATOR AND SAID SHAFT TO PREVENT ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT IN ONE DIRECTION, SAID STATOR ALSO INCLUDING AN END PLATE ARRANGED TRANSVERSELY OF THE AXIS DEFINED BY SAID SHAFT AND DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP FROM SAID FIRST CLUTCH MEANS, SAID END PLATE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY DISPOSED VANES ARRANGED IN RELATIVE SPACED RELATIONSHIP AROUND SAID AXIS, A ROTOR SUPPORTED ON SAID SHAFT INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST CLUTCH MEANS AND SAID END PLATE AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY DISPOSED VANES RELATIVELY SPACED AROUND SAID AXIS, SAID ROTOR VANES EXTENDING TOWARD AND ALTERNATIVELY ARRANGED BETWEEN SAID STATOR VANES, SECOND ONE-WAY CLUTCH MEANS ENGAGED BETWEEN SAID ROTOR AND SAID SHAFT AND ARRANGED TO CONNECT SAID SHAFT TO SAID ROTOR FOR ROTATION THEREWITH IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE DIRECTION, BIASING MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ROTOR AND SAID STATOR AND BIASING SAID ROTOR IN SAID ONE DIRECTION TO A NORMAL POSITION WHEREIN SAID ROTOR VANES ARE SPACED FROM SAID STATOR VANES A DISTANCE EQUAL TO ONE OF SAID ANGULAR INCREMENTS, A GENERALLY ANNULAR ELECTRICAL COIL SUPPORTED IN SAID STATOR IN GENERAL CONCENTRIC AND OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID ROTOR AND OPERATIVE WHEN ENERGIZED TO MAGNETICALLY ATTRACT SAID ROTOR VANES TO SAID STATOR VANES, AN ELECTRIC SUPPLY AND CONTROL MODULE SEPARATE FROM SAID DRIVE MODULE AND HAVING SAID SHAFT EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, SAID ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY AND CONTROL MODULE INCLUDING PROGRAMMING MEANS ARRANGED ON SAID SHAFT AND BRUSH MEANS CONNECTED TO AND ROTATABLE WITH SAID SHAFT AND ARRANGED FOR OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PROGRAMMING MEANS, SAID PROGRAMMING MEANS CONNECTED TO AND OPERATIVE TO ESTABLISH AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR SAID ELECTRICAL COIL, AND MEANS RELEASABLY CONNECTING SAID ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY AND CONTROL MODULE TO SAID END PLATE.