Apparatus for use with a motor drive

Claim 2

Apparatus for use with a motor drive comprising: a pair of motors each having a cooperating stator and rotor and an output shaft operatively driven by said rotor: the moments of inertia of said motors being substantially equal; circuit means including a power source for selectively energizing and deenergizing said pair of motors substantially simultaneously; means for maintaining said motors in fixed positions relative to one another; means including gear means operatively coupling the output shafts of said motors in such a manner that the output torque of the apparatus is substantially the sum of the torques of said motors and that the output shafts rotate in opposite directions, whereby the electromagnetic reaction energies developed by said motors when they are rapidly accelerated or decelerated, tend to cancel one another; said circuit means including switch means for simultaneously coupling said motors to said power source when said switch means is moved to a first position; and said switch means further including means for simultaneously applying dynamic braking to both of said motors when said switch means is moved to a second position.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining said motors in a fixed relationship relative to one another is adapted to maintain the output shafts of said motors aligned in parallel fashion.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining said motors in a fixed relationship relative to one another is adapted to maintain the output shafts of said motors aligned along a common axis.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a drive shaft operatively coupled to one of said output shafts.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining said motors in a fixed relationship to one another comprises means joined to said motors and adapted to retain said motors in close proximity to one another.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining said motors in a fixed relationship relative to one another comprises a common elongated housing, said motors being at least partially inserted within said housing and secured thereto so that the output shafts of said motors are arranged to lie along a common axis.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein each of said output shafts extends toward one another; said means operatively connecting said output shafts comprising gear means operatively coupling adjacent ends of said output shafts whereby said shafts are caused to rotate in opposite directions.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 7 comprising a drive shaft and means operative to connect said drive shaft to one of said output shafts of said first and second motors.

Claim 10

Apparatus for use with a motor drive comprising a pair of motors each having a cooperating stator and rotor and an output shaft operatively driven by said rotor; means for maintaining said motors in fixed positions relative to one another; means operatively connecting the output shafts of said motors in such a manner that the output shafts rotate in opposite directions, whereby the electromagnetic reaction energies developed by said motors when they are rapidly accelerated or decelerated, tend to cancel one another; a source of power; first and second switch means, each associated with one of said motors and each being adapted to couple its associated motor to said source of power when moved to a first position; means associated with said first and second switch means for applying dynamic braking to its associated motor when said first and second switch means are moved to a second position; delay means responsive to movement of one of said first and second switch means to said second position for moving the remaining one of said first and second switch means to said second position after a predetermined time delay, the length of said delay compensating for the difference between the operating characteristics of said motors so that the electromagnetic reaction energies developed by said motors tend to cancel one another when the first and second switch means are moved to said second position.

Claim 11

Apparatus for use with a motor drive comprising a pair of motors each having a cooperating stator and rotor and an output shaft operatively driven by said rotor; means for maintaining said motors in fixed positions relative to one another; means operatively connecting the output shafts of said motors in such a manner that the output shafts rotate in opposite directions, whereby the electromagnetic reaction energies developed by said motors when they are rapidly accelerated or decelerated, tend to cancel one another; a source of power; first and second switch means, each associated with one of said motors and each being adapted to couple its associated motor to said source of power when moved to a first position; means associated with said first and second switch means for applying dynamic braking to its associated motor when said first and second switch means are moved to a second position; delay means responsive to movement of one of said first and second switch means to said second position for moving the remaining one of said first and second switch means to said second position after a predetermined time delay, the length of said delay compensating for the difference between the operating characteristics of said motors so that the electromagnetic reaction energies developed by said motors tend to cancel one another when the first and second switch means are moved to said second position.