Abstract: In a method for the determination of a current initial rotational position of a rotor and in an arrangement for carrying out same, an incremental position encoder outputs an output signal. The output signal is produced by superposition of a chronologically random and systematically fluctuating signal interference on a basic signal, and composed of at least two component signals which change periodically in accordance with the rotational position of the rotor and are in a fixed angular relationship to one another. To determine the position, the output signal is used exclusively. The current initial rotational position of the rotor relative to a reference initial rotational position is determined by comparing the time profile of the portion of the systematically fluctuating signal interference of a current measured value sequence of the signal and the measured values of a signal sequence acquired starting from the reference initial rotational position.

Abstract: A small D.C. motor has an ironless armature comprised of a winding carrier disk secured to the motor output shaft for rotation therewith and carrying an armature winding comprised of a plurality of component coils connected together in star configuration. The common or center terminal of the star-configuration interconnection of component coils is connected to one slip ring. A plurality of control circuits are provided, one for each component coil. Each control circuit connects the other terminal of the respective component coil to a further slip ring. The control circuits control the flow of current through the component coils, are light-activated and exposed to light from a lamp through the intermediary of a circle-segment aperture in a rotating light-blocking structure.

Abstract: A commutator is manufactured of a printed circuit board having a circular shape. A plurality of terminals are evenly spaced around the periphery of the printed circuit board, and may be connected to junction points in an armature winding. Phototransistors are mounted on the printed circuit board in order to connect selected pairs of terminals to contacts, to which contacts a source of power may be connected. The commutator disclosed herein can be incorporated in an electric motor in which a fixed light source illuminates groups of phototransistors individually, so as to properly direct current flow in the armature winding of the motor. As the commutator rotates, the phototransistors are turned on and off in a sequence, to maintain proper current flow in the armature winding as a function of commutator position with respect to the light source.

Abstract: An electromotor includes a hollow elongated housing, a motor shaft rotatably mounted in the housing and a magnet surrounding the motor shaft. A winding is installed in a circumferential gap between the inner surface of the hollow housing and the outer surface of the magnet. The magnet has one end portion supported on the motor shaft and another end portion supported on the housing.

Abstract: A mercury arc lamp and a condenser lens system are mounted in the housing of a headlight in such a manner that the lens system produces a luminous image of the arc in the housing contiguously adjacent an aperture in the opaque front wall of the housing, the image being not greater than 2 cm.sup.2 when viewed through the aperture, but producing an adequate illuminating beam. The headlight appears to a viewer as a brilliantly luminous point whose afterimage is too small to have a persistent blinding effect.

Abstract: An air-core armature for electrodynamic machines comprises an elongated insulating strip rolled up to form a spiral structure composed of a plurality of radially successive layers. An armature winding is comprised of at least one armature coil. The armature coil is comprised of a plurality of electrically interconnected (e.g., series connected or parallel-connected) component coils. Each of the component coils is formed of electrically interconnected conductor sections printed on both sides of the insulating strip. The component coils are located on different respective ones of the radially successive layers of the spiral structure, but occupy substantially the same circumferential sector of the spiral structure, and accordingly are substantially juxtaposed in direction radially of the spiral structure.