Coupling multi driving system

An apparatus for producing rotational energy, said apparatus including:

• engine means for producing rotational energy;
• power storage means for storing electrical power;
• and
• a unitary rotary drive mechanism, operatively coupled to said power storage means and said engine means, for performing any selected one of a plurality of functions, said plurality of functions including:
• (1) coupling the rotational energy produced by said engine means to a load;
• (2) converting the rotational energy produced by said engine means to electrical power for storage in said power storage means;
• (3) converting electrical power stored in said power storage means into rotational energy and coupling said rotational energy so produced to said load;
• (4) converting electrical power stored in said power storage means into rotational energy and coupling said rotational energy to said engine means to cause said engine means to begin producing rotational energy;
• and
• (5) coupling the rotational energy produced by said engine means to said load and converting electrical power stored in said power storage means into torque to increase the angular velocity of the rotational energy coupled to said load to greater than the angular velocity of the rotational energy produced by said engine means,
• said drive mechanism including;
• a housing coupled to said engine means,
• a shaft, a first end thereof rotatably disposed in said housing, a second end thereof coupled to said load, and
• single armature means, disposed on said shaft, for magnetically coupling said housing to said shaft and for selectively rotating said shaft with respect to said housing to cause said shaft to rotate at an angular velocity greater than that of said housing.

An apparatus for producing rotational energy, including:

• engine means for producing rotational energy;
• power storage means for storing electrical power;
• rotary drive mechanism means, operatively coupled to said power storage means, said engine means and to a load, for performing any selected one of plurality of functions, said plurality of functions including:
• (1) coupling the rotational energy produced by said engine means to said load;
• (2) converting the rotational energy produced by said engine means to electrical power for storage in said power storage means;
• (3) converting electrical power stored in said power storage means into rotational energy of a first direction and coupling said rotational energy so produced to said load;
• (4) converting electrical power stored in said power storage means into rotational energy of a second direction opposite to said first direction and coupling said rotational energy so produced to said load;
• (5) converting electrical power stored in said power storage means into rotational energy and coupling said rotational energy to said engine means to cause said engine means to begin producing rotational energy;
• and
• (6) coupling the rotational energy produced by said engine means to said load and converting electrical power stored in said power storage means into torque so as to regulate the angular velocity of the rotational energy transmitted to said load, said mechanism means comprising:
• a housing coupled to said engine means,
• a rotatable shaft disposed in said housing, said shaft coupled to said load,
• armature means, fixed to said shaft within said housing, for selectively producing a magnetic field,
• magnetic field producing means, disposed in said housing and magnetically coupled to said armature means, for producing a substantially constant magnetic field,
• brush means for conducting electrical current to said armature means,
• engine braking means, coupled to said engine means, for selectively producing friction resisting the rotational energy produced by said engine means in response to a first electrical braking signal,
• shaft braking means, coupled to said first end of said shaft, for selectively producing friction resisting rotation of said drive shaft in response to a second electrical braking signal,
• generating means, coupled to said engine means, for converting the rotational energy produced by said engine means to electrical energy,
• voltage regulating means for regulating the potential of the electrical energy produced by said generating means,
• shaft speed sensing means, coupled to said shaft, for producing a first speed signal indicative of the angular velocity of said output shaft,
• engine speed sensing means, coupled to said engine means for producing a second speed signal indicative of the angular velocity of the rotational energy produced by said engine means, and
• accelerator control means, manipulatable by a user, for controlling the angular velocity of the rotational energy produced by the said engine means,
• said apparatus further including:
• electronic controlling means, powered by the power stored by said power storage means and responsive to said first and second speed signals, for selectively producing said first and second braking signals and for selectively applying electrical current through said brush means to said armature means to cause said armature means to produce a magnetic field of a selected strength and polarity, said controlling means including selecting means, manipulatable by a user, for selecting any one of said plurality of functions, the level of said first and second braking signals and the amplitude and polarity of the current applied to said armature means being selected according to said selected functions,
• said controlling means selectively applying current to said armature means of a magnitude sufficient to increase the angular velocity of said shaft to greater than the angular velocity said shaft rotates at when perfect coupling exists between said housing and said armature.