Magnadrive Corporation

Richard Killen

Karl J Lamb

John Brockman

Bruce D Densmore

Toby Merrill

Bruce Densmore

John L Brockman

An adjustable coupler has a group of magnet rotors with permanent magnets separated by air gaps from non-ferrous conductor rotors presented by a group of conductor rotors. One of the rotors is mounted to its shaft via a slidable hub. The hub and the rotor attached thereto rotate with the shaft, but are movable lengthwise along the shaft. The air gaps are adjusted by axial movement of the hub and one of the groups relative to the other to vary the slip of the coupler and control the load speed under varying load conditions.

Adjustable magnetic coupler

In a magnetic coupler, a pair of magnet rotors is slidably mounted on rods. Ferrous material on the conductor rotors attracts the permanent magnets in the magnet rotors. Under static or relative static conditions, the attractive force urges the magnet rotors toward the conductor rotors to create a minimum, operational air gap therebetween. When there is a significant relative rotational velocity between the magnet rotors and the conductor rotors, a repulsion force urges the rotors apart. During start-up, latch arms retain the magnet rotors apart from the conductor rotors by a larger, soft-start air gap. During operation, centrifugal force moves the latch arms out of their active position. If the rotational speed of the load shaft decreases rapidly during operation, the magnet rotors move apart from the conductor rotors by a still larger, fully disengaged air gap.

Self-unloading magnetic coupler

Growing community of inventors

Maple Valley, WA, United States of America

Richard Killen