Electrostatic motor

Claim 1

An electrostatic motor comprising: (a) an outer stator comprised of an electrically conductive cylindrical enclosure of circular cross section, dielectric material surrounding the exterior of said enclosure, a parallel array of electrically conductive cylindrical tubes coextensive with the longitudinal axis of said enclosure and positioned by said dielectric material uniformly about the periphery of said enclosure and spaced apart therefrom, said array of tubes being electrically interconnected so that all the tubes can be made to possess a charge of the same polarity, (b) stationary support means engaging said outer stator at each extremity thereof and disposed in a manner substantially perpendicular to said axis, (c) an internal stator comprised of two identical circular cylindrical segments of electrically conductive material sequentially positioned coaxially with respect to said outer stator and substantially within the confines thereof, the exterior extremities of said segments being supported by attachment to said stationary support means, and means adapted to convey an electric charge of same polarity to said segments, (d) a drive shaft coaxially positioned with respect to said internal and outer stators, supported for rotative movement by said stationary support means, and having electrically conductive paths associated therewith, and (e) a rotor member adapted to revolve about said longitudinal axis comprising rotative support means centrally attached to said drive shaft and extending perpendicularly therefrom at a site between the cylindrical segments of said internal stator, at least two drive assemblies held by said rotative support means at equiangular dispositions about said axis, each drive assembly comprising two facing half cylinders coextensive with said drive shaft, fabricated of electrically conductive material and separated therebetween by insulative material extending perpendicularly from said rotative support means and substantially coplanar with said longitudinal axis, and means associated with said rotative support means to supply electrical charge of opposite polarities to the half cylinders of a given drive assembly, the polarities of charges on the half cylinders of one drive assembly with respect to the next adjacent drive assembly being such that alternating positive and negative charges are provided sequentially in a circular locus about said longitudinal axis, whereby rotational movement is imparted to said rotor member when electrical charges of the same polarity are applied to said internal stator and outer stator.