Lawrence A Mackey

US Patent:

46483454, Mar 10, 1987

Filed:

Sep 10, 1985

Appl. No.:

6/774565

Inventors:

John L. Wham - San Diego CA
Lawrence A. Mackey - Santee CA
Frederick R. Haselton - Cookeville TN

Assignee:

Ametek, Inc. - El Cajon CA

International Classification:

B63G 816

US Classification:

114338

Abstract:

A plurality of blades extend radially from a hub which is rotated by a motor about a drive axis. Each blade has a root which is rotatably connected to the hub so that it can be independently twisted to vary the pitch thereof relative to the drive axis. A plurality of electromagnets are annularly positioned adjacent the hub so that permanent magnets connected to the roots of corresponding blades can be attracted and/or repelled to induce twisting motion in the blades as the hub rotates about its drive axis. A control circuit receives input commands for a manual control device and causes predetermined electrical signals to be applied to the electromagnets for simultaneously varying the pitch of the blades. The pitch of the blades can be varied cyclically and collectively in accordance with any real continuous function, and not just sinusoidally as in the case of prior mechanical linkages employing swash plates. A vessel equipped with the propeller system at the fore and aft ends thereof can be precisely maneuvered in six degrees of freedom.