N. P. Ryashentsev and V. M. Sboev UDC 621.313.84 Reciprocator] electromagnetic machines are needed in many branches of the national economy, especially in the mining and building industries. The nomenclature for the magnetic flux generation and theoretical and constructional control, supply, and safety circuits of these machines is very confused [1].The rapid development of power supply, control and rapid-acting protection circuits, which was made possible by the wide adoption of various types of thyristors, has greatly increased the number of types of these machines. Their further development will be impossible without coordination of the work and exchange of experience between the experts working in thfs field.During the period of development and creation of electromagnetic machines it was practically impossible to give a complete classification, and the classifications actually used fail to include new principles of magnetic flux generation, control, and construction of the electrochemical systems. We also need to refine uhe terminology for the basic concepts in reciprocatory electromagnetic machines. We thus have to classify these machines.A classification according to certain main features (see Table 1) will assist scientific colleagues, engineers, and constructors to orientate themselves in the development of these lines of work, and will facilitate solution of the problems encountered by experts who are developing or using reciprocator] electromagnetic machines. The classification is based on well-known, practically-tested supply, control, magnetic, and mechmaical systems, and on the most promising schemes now under development.