Limited angle torque motor includes a rotor assembly having one or more permanent magnets which are magnetized in the diametrical direction and a stator assembly including a pair of circumferentially spaced stator magnetic pole pieces, each having a stator pole flange at the opposite end thereof. Each stator pole piece has a greater circumferential width in the region of the respective stator pole flanges to increase the amount of magnetic material in such region where the flux density is the highest. Surrounding the stator assembly is a magnetic housing which desirably effectively has no air gap therein.

A direct drive valve and force motor assembly including interchangeable stator assembly and method for accurately setting the magnetic spring null of the motor with respect to the servo valve hydraulic null independent of the actual motor stator assembly, whereby the motor stator assembly may be configured as an interchangeable plug-in module with interface electrical connector. This is accomplished by using a simple fixture which simulates the motor stator assembly and senses rotor magnet position. The stator simulating fixture may be used to rotatably adjust the position of the rotor casing so that the magnetic spring null corresponds to the hydraulic valve null. Both the stator simulating fixture and motor stator assembly include an index pin engageable with a stator alignment keyway in the rotor casing for maintaining the desired orientation therebetween. Also, rotor over-travel stops keyed to the rotor casing may be centered during the nulling process. Once the nulling process is complete, the stator simulating fixture may be removed and the motor stator assembly may be mounted in place. The motor stator assembly may be loosely held in an outer housing which has limited rotation relative to the motor stator assembly to permit a plug-in electrical connector for the stator windings on the exterior of the outer housing to be brought into alignment with a receptacle in the valve body and plugged into the receptacle without damaging the lead wires. Then the outer housing and motor stator assembly may be clamped in place as by threading a nut on a shaft extension on the outer end of the rotor casing which extends through an opening in an end wall of the outer housing.

Limited angle torque motor includes a secondary magnetic flux path of relatively small cross-sectional area which increases the rotational and torque gains of the motor in a localized area about the motor null as if the magnetic air gap of the motor were substantially reduced so that when properly matched with a direct drive valve having significant valve overlap, a desired linear valve flow gain can be achieved. As the motor flux increases with applied current, the secondary flux path saturates, whereby further increases in current above a specified level are directed into the main pole structure magnetic flux path as if the secondary flux path did not exist. In one form of the invention, the desired secondary flux path is formed by providing the main magnetic pole structures with one or more small sections which span the magnetic air gap, whereas in another form of the invention, such secondary flux path is provided by placing a magnetic shim against the end faces at one or both ends of the magnetic housing.

A a rotating electromagnetic actuator with limited stroke, including at least 2N poles on the stator, N being a whole number, energized by at least one energizer coil and N magnetized parts on the rotor arranged in an air gap of thickness E wherein each magnetized part is juxtaposed with at least one ferromagnetic part with a thickness e between 0 and E, defining one or two air gaps with a total length of E-e.

A permanent magnet brushless torque actuator is comprised of an electromagnetic core capable of generating an elongated toroidally shaped magnet flux field when energized. Outside the generally cylindrical coil is an outer housing with upper and lower end plates at each end. Mounted to the end plates and extending towards each other are stator pole pieces separated from its opposing pole piece by an air gap. A permanent magnet rotor is disposed in the air gap and mounted on a shaft which in turn is rotatably mounted in each of the end plates. The permanent magnet rotor comprises at least two permanent magnets, each covering an arcuate portion of the rotor and having opposite polarities. Energization of the coil with current in one direction magnetizes the pole pieces such that each of the two pole pieces attracts one of the magnets of the rotor and repels the other magnet of the rotor resulting in a torque generated by the output shaft. Reversal of the current flow results in a reversal of the torque and rotation of the rotor in the opposite direction. Preferred embodiments are disclosed having multiple cells, i.e. a plurality of stator rotor stator combinations and/or cells in which there are a plurality of pole pieces at each stator pole plane.