Abstract: A permanent magnet-type stepping motor broadly includes: a movable member (e.g., a rotor) having a number of magnetic poles on a surface thereof, with adjacent poles being of opposite polarity, the number of poles being a function of a constant, the number of phases and a desired step interval; and a stationary member (e.g., a stator) having a number of equally-spaced teeth arranged to face toward said movable member surface, each of said teeth having a plurality of fingers arranged to face toward said movable member surface, the number of said teeth being a whole integer that is a function of a constant, the number of said poles, the number of said fingers on each stator tooth, and the number of phases.

Abstract: A method for making a magnetic linear motor shaft including thermal treatment to temporarily change the dimensions of various shaft components to allow tight interference fit assembly. The magnetic motor includes a core piece, annular magnets and pole pieces.

Abstract: This invention provides an improvement in a no-back device having a ball screw connected to a variable load of reversible polarity (±L) and having a portion penetrating a housing. The device includes a braking mechanism acting between the housing and the ball screw for producing a force that resists movement of the ball screw in the direction of an “aiding” load, but does not substantially resist movement of the ball screw in the direction of an “opposing” load. The improvement broadly includes: a first spring acting between the housing and the braking mechanism for exerting a first preload force (F1) on the braking mechanism for simulating the application of an external load on the ball screw in one of the directions; whereby the apparent operational integrity of the no-back device may be checked when no external load is applied to the ball screw.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to optical rotary joints (35) for enabling optical communication between a rotor and a stator, improved methods of mounting such optical rotary joints on supporting structures such that the rotor and stator remain properly aligned, and to improved optical reflector assemblies for use in such optical rotary joints.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for identifying the position of a magnetic shaft are provided. N field sensors are adjacently positioned at fixed locations relative to the shaft's periodic field, corresponding to 180/N relative phase shifts. A table provides N>2 predetermined signal models and a pre-identified position associated with each. An interpolator compares a representation of the N measured sensor signals to at least two predetermined models to generate a correction signal that provides another pre-identified position. The correction signal depends on N sensors for every position of the shaft. The correction signal is used to incrementally choose said another pre-identified position from the table as an approximate position of the shaft in an iterative process to find the minimum correction signal and identify the position.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for identifying the position of a magnetic shaft are provided. N field sensors are adjacently positioned at fixed locations relative to the shaft's periodic field, corresponding to 180/N relative phase shifts. A table provides N>2 predetermined signal models and a pre-identified position associated with each. An interpolator compares a representation of the N measured sensor signals to at least two predetermined models to generate a correction signal that provides another pre-identified position. The correction signal depends on N sensors for every position of the shaft. The correction signal is used to incrementally choose said another pre-identified position from the table as an approximate position of the shaft in an iterative process to find the minimum correction signal and identify the position.

Abstract: An improved powered hinge (20) with an automatic locking feature proximate the ends of permissible relative angular displacement of its two hinge sections broadly includes: a stationary member (23) having a pivotal axis (x-x), and having a first slot (31) extending between opposite ends; a movable member (24) mounted for rotation about the pivotal axis relative to the stationary member, and having a second slot (34) extending between opposite ends; a driving member (28) adapted to be rotated about the pivotal axis relative to the stationary member from one angular position to another angular position, and having a third slot (36) extending between opposite ends; and an elongated pin (29) passing through the first, second and third slots, the pin being constrained for movement substantially parallel to the pivotal axis; the first, second and third slots being so configured and arranged that as the driving member is rotated from the one angular position to the other angular position, the pin will be moved from

Abstract: A drum-style slip-ring module (100) is used in a contact-type communication system. The module utilizes PCB construction to construct a plurality of stacked electrically-conductive rings (102) and a plurality of dielectric layers (104) electrically isolating the conductive rings. Each of the dielectric layers includes a centrally-located aperture (107). The module also includes a cylindrical ground plane (108) positioned in the centrally-located aperture. The module is configured to provide electrical connection to each of the rings at an exterior surface of the module. Each group of feed line vias can be designed as impedance-controlled transmission lines with connections to each ring group. The construction described in this invention can create slip-ring transmission line structures with bandwidth from DC to 5 GHz or higher, allowing the slip-ring to be used to transfer multi-gigabit digital data streams.

Abstract: The invention provides an improvement in a slip ring (20) adapted to provide electrical contact between a stator (21) and a rotor (22). The improvement includes: a current-carrying conductor (23) mounted on the stator; a brush tube (24) mounted on the conductor; a fiber bundle composed of a number of individual fibers(26), the upper marginal end portions of the fibers being received in said brush tube, a portion of the brush tube being crimped or swaged to hold the upper marginal end portions of said fibers therein, the lower ends of the fibers in the bundle extending beyond said brush tube and being adapted to engage said rotor; a collimator tube(25) integral with or surrounding a portion of the brush tube and extending therebeyond, the lower end of the collimator tube being adapted to limit lateral movement of the lower marginal end portions of said fibers in said bundle when the rotor rotates relative to said stator; and a fluid reservoir (28) mounted on the collimator tube.

Abstract: A compact slip ring (20), which is particularly adapted for use in small spaces, is adapted to provide electrical contact between a rotor (22) and a stator (21). The improved slip ring broadly includes an electrically-conductive monofilament (24) having one end (28) mounted on the stator and having a distal end (34); a sleeve (25) mounted on and secured to the marginal end portion of the monofilament, adjacent the distal end; and a fiber bundle (26) having a longitudinal axis (39), one marginal end portion of the fiber bundle being recessed in and secured to the sleeve, the other end of the fiber bundle engaging the rotor such that the longitudinal axis of the fiber bundle will be substantially perpendicular to an imaginary line tangent to the rotor surface at the point of contact with the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: The invention provides an improvement in a slip ring (20) adapted to provide electrical contact between a stator (21) and a rotor (22). The improvement includes: a current-carrying conductor (23) mounted on the stator; a brush tube (24) mounted on the conductor; a fiber bundle composed of a number of individual fibers (26), the upper marginal end portions of the fibers being received in said brush tube, a portion of the brush tube being crimped or swaged to hold the upper marginal end portions of said fibers therein, the lower ends of the fibers in the bundle extending beyond said brush tube and being adapted to engage said rotor; a collimator tube (25) surrounding a portion of the brush tube and extending therebeyond, the lower end of the collimator tube being adapted to limit lateral movement of the lower marginal end portions of said fibers in said bundle when the rotor rotates relative to said stator; and a fluid reservoir mounted on the collimator tube (28).

Abstract: An electro-mechanical actuator (21) includes a reverse transfer system ball-screw (20). The actuator broadly includes a frame (22), a nut (43) mounted on the frame, at least one magnet (59) mounted on the nut, at least one coil (55) mounted on the frame, the coil being adapted to be selectively supplied with current to cause the nut to rotate within the frame, a rotary feedback device (80), and a screw (44) arranged within the nut for rotational and axial movement relative thereto. The screw and nut both have cooperative ball recesses (72, 74) that define a ball path in which a plurality of balls (73) are mounted. The ball recirculation path is provided in the screw. A rod (23) is connected to the screw for movement therewith. Relative rotation between the nut and screw will cause the screw and rod to move axially relative to the frame.

Abstract: The present invention provides several improvements in a slip ring (36) that is adapted to provide electrical contact between a rotor (42) and stator (40). In one aspect, a brush tube (39) is crimped around the upper marginal end portions of a plurality of individual fibers (38) inserted therein. In another aspect, a collimator tube (41) extends downwardly beyond the end of the brush tube to limit lateral movement of the fibers in the bundle when the rotor rotates. In yet another arrangement, a spring (55, 56) is arranged to bear against a current-carrying conductor to adjustably vary the force by which the lower ends of the fibers are urged to move toward the rotor.

Abstract: A fiber optic rotary joint is provided that is unaffected by variations in the optical properties of a fluid that fills its internal cavity. The rotary joint includes a housing defining the internal cavity, first and second optical collimation arrays on opposite sides of the internal cavity, and a reversion prism between the optical collimation arrays. Further, the rotary joint includes an interface optical element proximate at least one of the first and second optical collimation arrays and the reversion prism. Each interface optical element includes an optically-flat surface adapted to contact the fluid such that optical signals that are oriented normal to the optically-flat surface can be transmitted without refraction, thereby rendering the optical signals immune to variations in the fluid's optical properties. A reversion prism assembly, an optical collimation assembly and a method of aligning an optical collimation array utilizing alignment pins are also provided.

Abstract: A fiber optic transceiver (37) is adapted for use in transmitting and receiving optical signals in a fiber-optic network (30). The improved transceiver comprising: a multi-mode optical fiber (36) having a longitudinal axis (x—x) and having a proximal end (35). The fiber is adapted to convey optical signals in either direction therealong. A photodetector (32) is arranged in longitudinally-spaced relation to the fiber proximal end. The photodetector has a sensitive surface (34) operatively arranged to receive light energy exiting the fiber through the proximal end. A light source (31) is arranged between the fiber proximal end and the photodetector surface. The light source is arranged to selective emit light energy into the fiber through the proximal end.

Abstract: A stator is provided for an electrical device (e.g., a motor) comprised of one or more stator segments formed by the compaction of one or more powdered metallic materials. Each stator section has at least one tooth that forms a substantially toroidal path for magnetic flux entering and leaving the stator segment. Each stator segment also has a continuous insulated electrical winding that is associated with the stator segment such that a magnetic field is induced in the stator segment when a current is passed through the continuous insulated electrical winding. The current that is passed through the continuous insulated electrical winding of any one stator segment is not of the same electrical phase as the current that is passed through the winding of any adjacent stator segment.