Abstract: A torque limiter means for controlling rotary motion is disclosed, comprising a casing, a shaft rotatively mounted in the casing, a pulley fixedly secured to the shaft and a coaxial rotor also secured to the shaft. The rotor has an odd number of radial cam projections which engage a pair of pins, these latter oscillating in transverse back and forth movement. A transversely oriented follower plate is rigidly secured to the pins and consequently also oscillates in back and forth movement thereby producing a braking action on the shaft.

Abstract: A d.c. motor that operates by electromagnetic impulsions rather than through continuous electrical energization and which is characterized by permanent rotor magnets reactively associated to permanent stator magnets that produce rotary action on the permanent rotor magnets by being made of progressively increasing or decreasing width circumferentially around the rotor and of appropriate polarity to either produce a net magnetic attraction or repulsion on the permanent rotor magnets.

Abstract: The machines of the present invention are adapted to brake a rotor or pulley by the action of centrifugal weights or units which are arranged to produce a reactive braking action on the rotor or pulley. In one application, the machine constitutes a fire escape pulley device including a pulley on which a cable is wound to rotate the pulley under the load of a person suspended by the cable. A rotor bodily rotates with the pulley, a stationary annular cam is arranged around the rotor and defines a radially undulating cam surface facing radially inward toward the rotor, and one or more centrifugally responsive units are radially displaceable on the rotor to be centrifugally biased into rotation reactive engagement with the undulating cam surface.

Abstract: A rotary speed limiter device particularly useful as a fire escape device. The device has a rotary speed limiter member mounted on a shaft to slide axially on the shaft and to rotate with it. Means, the speed of which is to be controlled, rotates the shaft. As the shaft is rotated, means applies a braking force on the speed limiter member, causing it to compress air in a surrounding support body and to move axially on the shaft, to limit the speed of the shaft rotating means.