Magnetic drive with a permanent-magnet armature

A solenoid-operated mechanism comprising at least one lifting armature (3, 4, 4') magnetized in a direction corresponding to a path of movement of said lifting armature, said lifting armature (3, 4, 4') including one permanent magnet (3) and two soft magnetized pole pieces (4, 4'), said lifting armature (3, 4, 4') path of movement being coincident to a common axis between two spaced electromagnetic external poles (5, 5'), said electromagnetic external poles (5, 5') being of the same magnetic polarity, another electro-magnetic pole (1, 2, Rp) having a winding (1) wound on a magnetic core (2) and a ring pole (Rp) having an opening in which moves said permanent magnet (3) along said path of movement, wherein the axis of said winding, around which said winding is wound, is substantially perpendicular to said path of movement of said lifting armature, said permanent magnet (3) of said lifting armature (3, 4, 4') being constructed of a material having a minimum remanent induction Br of 0.7 T and an energy product BHmax reaching a minimum of 100 kJ/m.sup.3, said permanent magnet (3) being substantially disc-shaped having a diameter, and an axis substantially coincident to said common axis, and said permanent magnet (3) having a maximum height measured in the direction of its axis which corresponds at most to substantially one-half of said diameter.