# US 7,610,861 B1 · Magnetic and inertial propulsion system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,861 B1 - Document ID: US7610861B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 11/557,228 - Filed: 2006-11-07 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2005-11-07 - Inventors: William J. Colclasure - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610861B1 ## CPC - B60M 7/00: Power lines or rails specially adapted for electrically-propelled vehicles of special types, e.g. suspension tramway, ropeway, underground railway - B60L 13/00: Electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways; Magnetic suspension or levitation for vehicles ({tracks for Maglev-type trains E01B25/30;} electromagnets per se H01F7/06; linear motors per se H02K41/00) - H02K 53/00: Alleged dynamo-electric perpetua mobilia - B60L 2200/26: Rail vehicles - B60M: POWER SUPPLY LINES, AND DEVICES ALONG RAILS, FOR ELECTRICALLY- PROPELLED VEHICLES (control of points and safety arrangements along railway lines B61L; construction of rails and points in general E01B) - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) ## Abstract A propulsion system that uses an alternating series of magnetic forces, inertia, and gravitational drops to propel a magnetic object along a pathway. The pathway can be an undulating track that can retain an object thereon. A plurality of magnet pairs are placed along the track, one of each pair on either side of the track, the pairs in spaced relation from each other along the track. The magnet pairs are positioned and aligned so as to propel the object up each up-slope to a crest, at which point the object falls through gravity down the down-slope and gains inertia. The track can be configured linearly or in a circle, for example, depending upon the desired orientation. In an alternate embodiment, a magnet can be positioned atop the track to attract the object up the slope. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A propulsion system comprising: an undulating track having a plurality of peaks and valleys with up- and down-slopes therebetween and extending between a beginning point and an end point; an axle configured to travel along a long axis of the track and having a magnetic component oriented perpendicular to the track long axis, the magnetic component having a first polarity adjacent a first side of the track and a second polarity opposite the first polarity adjacent a second side of the track opposed to the first side; and a plurality magnets affixed in opposed pairs on either side of the track, a top end of each magnet oriented adjacent and on an up-slope side of each crest, each magnet top adjacent the track first side having the second polarity, and each magnet top adjacent the track second side having the first polarity; wherein the axle is pulled along the track up-slope by the magnet pairs to the track peaks, and falls along the track down-slope under the influence of gravity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The propulsion system recited in claim 1, wherein the axle comprises a cylindrical array of cylindrical magnets oriented in a stacked configuration with unlike poles facing, and two cylindrical wheel elements affixed at either end of the cylindrical array, and the track comprises a top surface having grooves therein along the long axis dimensioned to permit the wheel elements to ride therein. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The propulsion system recited in claim 1, wherein the axle comprises a cylindrical array of cylindrical magnets oriented in a stacked configuration with unlike poles facing, and two cylindrical wheel elements affixed at either end of the cylindrical array, and the track comprises a top surface having a pair of upwardly extending tracks therealong along the long axis dimensioned to permit the wheel elements to straddle the tracks. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The propulsion system recited in claim 1, wherein the track is one of substantially linear and substantially circular. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The propulsion system recited in claim 1, further comprising a field modifier positioned adjacent each magnet top for decreasing an influence of a magnetic field of each magnet in a downstream direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The propulsion system recited in claim 5, wherein the field modifier comprises an arcuate element having an inner arc facing the respective magnet top. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The propulsion system recited in claim 6, wherein the arcuate element comprises one of a ferrite material and a mu-metal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The propulsion system recited in claim 1, wherein the magnets each comprise a substantially cylindrical stack of substantially cylindrical magnets having unlike poles facing, each stack having a long axis positioned pointing downstream and at an angle to the long axis of the track between 0 and 60 degrees, and further at an angle to the horizontal between 30 and 60 degrees. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The propulsion system recited in claim 8, wherein the cylindrical magnet stack comprises a primary cylindrical magnet stack, and further comprising a secondary substantially cylindrical stack of substantially cylindrical magnets having unlike poles facing, each secondary stack having a long axis positioned pointing downstream and substantially parallel to the primary stack, having a bottom end positioned upstream of a bottom end of the primary stack, and having a length less than a length of the primary stack. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The propulsion system recited in claim 8, wherein the cylindrical magnet stack comprises a primary cylindrical magnet stack, and further comprising a tertiary substantially cylindrical stack of substantially cylindrical magnets having unlike poles facing, each tertiary stack having a long axis positioned pointing downstream at an angle to the track long axis greater than the angle of the primary stack to the track long axis, having a bottom end positioned downstream of a bottom end of the primary stack and farther from the track than that of the primary stack, and having a length less than a length of the primary stack. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The propulsion system recited in claim 1, further comprising a transverse magnet positioned beneath the track downstream of and adjacent each valley, the transverse magnet having a directionality substantially opposite that of the axle. ### Claim 12 A propulsion system comprising: an undulating track having a plurality of peaks and valleys with up- and down-slopes therebetween; an axle configured to travel along a long axis of the track and having a magnetic component oriented perpendicular to the track long axis, the magnetic component having a first polarity adjacent a first and a second side of the track opposed to the first side and a second polarity in a center of the axle opposite the first polarity; and a plurality magnets affixed above the track, a top end of each magnet oriented adjacent and on an up-slope side of each crest, each magnet top having a polarity and positioned to attract the axle; wherein the axle is pulled along the track up-slope by the magnets to the track peaks, and falls along the track down-slope under the influence of gravity. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The propulsion system recited in claim 12, further comprising a support positioned above the track, and wherein the magnets are affixed to the support above a center of the track, the magnets having the first polarity facing the track. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The propulsion system recited in claim 13, wherein each of the magnets comprises a set of spaced-apart magnets affixed to the support and along the track and upstream of each track crest, the set of magnets having a spacing therebetween that decreases from an upstream end of the set to a downstream end of the set. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The propulsion system recited in claim 13, further comprising a secondary magnet affixed to the support above the track crest, the secondary magnet having an end facing the track crest of the second polarity for repelling the axle down the down-slope of the track.