Electromagnet

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, AN A.C. ELECTROMAGNET INCLUDING A MAGNETIC FRAME AND A CURRENT CARRYING COIL WHICH WHEN ENERGIZED GENERATES MAGNETIC FLUX IN SAID FRAME, SAID FRAME INCLUDING A YOKE AND A RELATIVELY MOVABLE ARMATURE SEPARABLE FROM SAID YOKE TO FORM A WORKING GAP, FIRST MEANS BIASING SAID ARMATURE TO AN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN SAID GAP IS FULLY OPEN, SAID ARMATURE BEING MOVABLE TOWARD SAID YOKE TO A CLOSED POSITION BY MAGNETIC FLUX RESULTING FROM CURRENT FLOW THROUGH SAID COIL; SECOND MEANS PRODUCING A FORCE ACTING UPON SAID ARMATURE IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID FIRST MEANS AFTER SAID ARMATURE REACHES A CRITICAL POSITION WHILE MOVING TOWARD SAID CLOSED POSITION, SAID ARMATURE PRIOR TO REACHING SAID CRITICAL POSITION BEING FREE OF SAID FORCE GENERATED BY SAID SECOND MEANS, AND ADDITIONAL MEANS FOR CAUSING AN ABRUPT INCREASE IN FLUX GENERATED BY SAID COIL WHEN SAID ARMATURE IN MOVING TOWARD SAID CLOSED POSITION REACHES A PREDETERMINED POSITION INTERMEDIATE SAID OPEN AND SAID CRITICAL POSITIONS, AND PREDETERMINED POSITION BEING IN THE VICINITY OF SAID CRITICAL POSITION, SAID ABRUPT INCREASE IN FLUX GENERATED BY SAID COIL PRODUCING AN ABRUPT INCREASE IN FORCE DIRECTING SAID ARMATURE TOWARD SAID YOKE.