...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7414378 | High precision positioning powered turntable and control method thereof The invention relates to the field of material handling or logistic equipment in particular, relates to turntables, which can be used especially for automation of production line, assembly assistance, linefeeading and synchronous manufacturing. A high precision posi... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7276873 | Fault-handling system for electric power steering system A fault-handling system for a 2-phase motor. When an electric motor is used for power assist in a steering system in a vehicle, malfunctions can cause loss of assist, and detectable vibration. The invention utilizes a 2-phase motor in such an application, and implem... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7243569 | Power transmission device, electric power steering device, and method of producing the same In order to achieve low cost, small size, and light weight, to improve response at the time of transmission of power, and to prevent the occurrence of unusual noise, a power transmission device (10) of an electric power steering device (1) has a motor ... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7228253 | Instrument mounting system with dual encoders The present invention provides a way to measure the position of an instrument that is mounted on an instrument shaft within a clutched mounting system, the instrument shaft being driven through a reduction gearbox by a motor shaft. The position of the instrument is ... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7208891 | Variable speed drive for a chiller system A variable speed drive with a boost converter is provided for a chiller system driven by an induction motor. The boost converter can be a diode or thyristor rectifier followed by a boost DC/DC converter or a three-phase pulse width modulated boost converter. The boo... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7122986 | Motor operator system for a power switch A motor and a rotary potentiometer, or other position sensor, running on the motor shaft are mounted in a first enclosure with an output shaft for driving a power switch open or closed. A part of the system outside the first enclosure makes use of a motor position s... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7065966 | Position control method by motor drive and control unit A position control method by motor drive including of rotating a rotor of the motor drive according to the given target opening, and detecting the opening of a movable vane by an encoder, the motor drive opening and shutting a passage of an intake air pipe to a turb... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7025157 | Pallet truck tiller arm with angle detector for speed select A motorized pallet truck includes an angular indicator on the steering arm mechanism providing an internal controller with an angular position of the steering arm or tiller. The controller applies a brake when the tiller is in either of a substantially vertical or s... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7026780 | Method for stabilizing the movement of an articulated chain of a chain block, especially to prevent the formation of a resonance oscillation of the chain, and a chain block apparatus The invention concerns a method for stabilizing the motion of an articulated chain of a chain block, especially to prevent the formation of resonance oscillation of the chain, in which an articulated chain is led across a polygonal chain wheel with non-uniform pitch... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6933691 | Control system for a shifting mechanism with a DC motor A control system controls a DC motor which operates a shifting mechanism. The control system includes switch circuit with a plurality of switches which connect terminals of the motor to a power supply. In order to limit the speed and torque, the control system opera... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6771031 | Control method for an electric motor-activated clutch mechanism An improved control method activates an electric motor to drive a torque-to-thrust converter for controlling the torque capacity of a clutch mechanism. The control utilizes a model-based feed-forward control in combination with a closed-loop position feed-back contr... | 08/03/2004 |
| 6600988 | Vehicle trajectory control system and method A method for controlling a powertrain of a vehicle is described. The method determines a desired vehicle condition based on three driver actuated elements. In a preferred embodiment the first element can be pedal position, the second element can be a brak... | 07/29/2003 |
| 6320336 | Bicycle with power assisting function A bicycle with a power assisting function has an electric motor for adding part of propulsive forces to manual forces to assist in the manual forces, a battery for supplying electric energy to the electric motor, a treading force detecting circuit for det... | 11/20/2001 |
| 6246191 | Electromotive linear drive mechanism An electromotive linear drive mechanism, in particular a drive mechanism for a body of furniture, includes an electric motor having an output journal and a rotating spindle which has mounted thereon a nut, secured against rotation. The nut is operatively ... | 06/12/2001 |
| 6211631 | Electrical power-assisted steering systems An electrical power-assisted steering system is disclosed comprising a brushless electric motor (1) which has a plurality of phase windings connected at a start point and in which a switching means (13) such as a relay is provided in at least one phase of... | 04/03/2001 |
| 6157147 | Power transmission apparatus A power transmission apparatus manipulates the transmission of power of the mechanical and/or electrical form. The power transmission apparatus is constructed integrating together a power-transmitting device and a transmission interaction redistributing m... | 12/05/2000 |
| 6104154 | Tricycle with electric motor A tricycle with an electric motor in which two rear wheels 4 and 4 are driven by not only an electric motor 5, but also pedals 6 with manpower. A rotational force of the pedals 6 is transmitted to drive shaft 9 via first bevel gears 8a and 8b and then tra... | 08/15/2000 |
| 6031347 | Motor operator for a power line phase switch A motor operator is configured to provide local and remote operation of a power line phase switch. The motor operator has its components individually enclosed in a component enclosure and further enclosed in a main enclosure, allowing isolation and protec... | 02/29/2000 |
| 6018223 | Multi-functional apparatus employing an intermittent motion mechanism A multi-functional apparatus employs an intermittent motion mechanism. An electromagnetic device selectively causes movement of the intermittent motion mechanism thereby moving a mechanical device coupled thereto. In another aspect of the present inventio... | 01/25/2000 |
| 5990586 | Multi-actuator having position controller Feedback potentiometer-type servoactuator uses the ring gear of a planetary gear system to drive the wiper across a resistive arc of less than 360° where the actuator has a travel of multiple turns. The ring gear is supported by spaced struts in the actu... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5986424 | Control system and control method A control system which comprises a reduction gear unit containing gears, a motor being disposed on an input side of said reduction gear unit, a sensor for detecting a turning angle of said motor, and control means for inputting output from said sensor and... | 11/16/1999 |
| 5804930 | Motor operator for a power line phase switch A motor operator is configured to provide local and remote operation of a power line phase switch. The motor operator has its components individually enclosed in a component enclosure and further enclosed in a main enclosure, allowing isolation and protec... | 09/08/1998 |
| 5606235 | Industrial robot with integrated reduction gear units An industrial robot is provided with a plurality of elements articulated to each other, whose rotation is driven by respective electric motors by reduction gear units which are integrated in the structure of these elements.... | 02/25/1997 |
| 5521478 | Actuator used for heating, cooling and climatic valves in vehicles An actuator for heating, cooling and climatic valves in vehicles includes a gear housing, an electric motor placed therein, a reduction gear acted on by the turning moment of the electric motor, a drive shaft and a position determining device connected th... | 05/28/1996 |
| 5184054 | Friction actuator An actuator suitable for autopilot control of a helicopter tail rotor comprises a direct current motor, a non-reversible gearbox, a speed reducer driving an output shaft, a friction device disposed between the non-reversible gearbox and the speed reducer ... | 02/02/1993 |
| 5101143 | Spindle control system A spindle control system enables a gear change while a spindle is rotating by calculating the position of a motor shaft when gears are reengaged by a target position calculating circuit, and outputting speed commands for the motor shaft by a position cont... | 03/31/1992 |
| 4945293 | Web tension control system To control the draw exerted on a web which is being fed to the rolls of a web processing machine, a strain wave gear power transmission device has its power input shaft driven by the main drive shaft of the machine and its output shaft coupled to the roll... | 07/31/1990 |
| 4928227 | Method for controlling a motor vehicle powertrain A multiple forward speed automatic transmission produces its lowest forward speed ratio when a hydraulic clutch and hydraulic brake are disengaged and a one-way clutch connects a ring gear to the transmission casing. Second forward speed ratio results whe... | 05/22/1990 |
| 4905810 | Rotor shaft turning apparatus Apparatus and method for periodic rotation of the rotor assembly of a turbogenerator during the time that it is not rotated in its normal manner for generating power, in which a continuously operating motor is periodically connected through an electricall... | 03/06/1990 |
| 4847543 | Motion control drive interface A man to machine interface for the control of video or motion picture camera movement for use with a camera aiming system which can reproduce a specific camera movement any number of times. The interface moves the camera in the pan or tilt axis giving an ... | 07/11/1989 |
| 4734626 | Double differential, electrically compensated constant speed drive An electrically compensated constant speed drive (ECCSD) according to the present invention includes a pair of power transmission paths between the prime mover and a load wherein each power transmission path includes a mechanical differential having a fir... | 03/29/1988 |
| 4691148 | Control circuit for electric vehicles The foot-operated accelerator develops digital signals progressively larger in number as the accelerator is moved through its range from a rest position to full speed. A variable transmission has a sensor that generates digital signals progressively large... | 09/01/1987 |
| 4661762 | Emergency power system An emergency power generating system according to the present invention includes an emergency power converter which is selectively coupled to the output of a permanent magnet machine forming a part of a constant speed drive in the event of a failure of a ... | 04/28/1987 |
| 4585949 | Method of and apparatus for shaft power generation A method of shaft power generation includes: a step of dividing mechanical power taken out from a main engine into two portions for respective systems; a step of inputting one of the portions of the divided mechanical power directly to a differential plan... | 04/29/1986 |
| 4584511 | Controllable rotary actuator A motor-driven rotary actuator includes an electric drive motor adapted to be configured for providing one of a plurality of output torques. A power transmission is coupled to the drive motor and includes a rotatable output shaft and drive elements adapte... | 04/22/1986 |
| 4569013 | Spindle speed control method and apparatus A method and an apparatus for controlling spindle speed are disclosed. When the speed ranges of respective gear ranges are selected in advance so that speed ranges corresponding to neighboring gear ranges partially overlap one another, and the gear range ... | 02/04/1986 |
| 4554496 | Controllable rotary actuator A motor-driven rotary actuator includes an electric drive motor adapted to be configured for providing one of a plurality of output torques. A power transmission is coupled to the drive motor and includes a rotatable output shaft and drive elements adapte... | 11/19/1985 |
| 4465162 | Elevator drive apparatus using a traction-type speed change gear A drive apparatus for elevators and the like utilizes a traction-type speed change gear to transmit power with little noise and vibrations from an electric drive motor to the drive sheave of an elevator. An abnormality detection device is provided to dete... | 08/14/1984 |
| 4419610 | Reversible regenerating electric vehicle drive A reversible regenerating drive system for a vehicle includes a constant speed, bi-directional motor which is energized by a source of power. The constant speed motor is coupled to a variable ratio transmission which in turn converts the output torque of ... | 12/06/1983 |
| 4323827 | Apparatus for controlling a two-speed shift motor An electronic control means utilized in an electrically actuated shift apparatus for a multispeed axle including an electric power source and an electric motor coupled to actuate means for shifting the axle. The power source is connected to the electric m... | 04/06/1982 |