Servomotor

Claim 2

In a homopolar electrodynamic machine having a housing, a shaft, means for providing a magnetic field, and a plurality of electrically conductive rotor discs electrically insulated from and axially spaced along said shaft for rotation therewith in planes normal to said magnetic field, the improvement which comprises: a plurality of electrically conductive nonrotatable stator discs supported by and electrically insulated from said housing and electrically insulated from each other and interleaved between said rotor discs to serve as portions of a series current path between said rotor discs, means electrically connecting said stator discs and a radially inner portion of the rotor disc adjacent to each of them on the one side, and means electrically connecting said stator discs and a radially outer portion of the rotor disc adjacent to each of them on the other side, whereby said rotor discs are connected in series and current is directed through each of said rotor discs in the same radial direction.

Claim 3

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said means electrically connecting each stator disc and its adjacent rotor discs comprise axially extending annular ribs on at least one of said discs.

Claim 4

The improvement of claim 1 further comprising resilient biasing means for maintaining said rotor discs and said stator discs in electrical contact.

Claim 5

In a homopolar dynamoelectric machine having a shaft and a housing, the combination comprising: a plurality of longitudinally spaced electrically conductive rotor discs positioned on and keyed to said shaft and electrically insulated therefrom, said rotor discs being slidable relative to said shaft, a plurality of electrically conductive stator discs interleaved between said rotor discs and keyed to and electrically insulated from said housing, said stator discs being slidable relative to said shaft, means at a radially inner portion of each of said stator discs electrically connecting said stator disc to the adjacent rotor disc on one side of it, means adjacent a radially outer portion of each of said stator discs electrically connecting said stator disc to the adjacent rotor disc on the other side of it, means for producing a unidirectional magnetic field substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft and intersecting said rotor discs substantially normal to their planes of rotation, terminal brush means connected only to the endmost of said rotor discs, and resilient means connected to said terminal brush means for maintaining electrical contact between said terminal brush means, said rotor discs, and said stator discs.

Claim 6

In a homopolar dynamoelectric machine having a shaft and a housing, the combination comprising: a plurality of longitudinally spaced electrically conductive rotor discs positioned on and keyed to said shaft and electrically insulated therefrom, said rotor discs being slidable relative to said shaft, a plurality of electrically conductive stator discs interleaved between said rotor discs and keyed to and electrically insulated from said housing, said stator discs being slidable relative to said shaft, means at a radially inner portion of each of said stator discs electrically connecting said stator disc to the adjacent rotor disc on one side of it, means adjacent a radially outer portion of each of said stator discs electrically connecting said stator disc to the adjacent rotor disc on the other side of it, means for producing a unidirectional magnetic field substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft and intersecting said rotor discs substantially normal to their planes of rotation, terminal brush means connected only to the endmost of said rotor discs, and resilient means connected to said terminal brush means for maintaining electrical contact between said terminal brush means, said rotor discs, and said stator discs.