Mr.Clean's Device

[verpies]

Below please find a link to a video of Mr.Clean's Device who claims that it is self-running.
http://youtu.be/mzE-p0GJb_Q

The preliminary schematic diagram is attached below.

[TinselKoala]

That's the circuit diagram?

And then he disconnects the two +12 volt battery terminals, right?

And the square wave input is still coming in... right? Or is it disconnected too?
Does this come from a function generator, or what? 

Whatever it's coming from it will be putting some power into the system through the base-emitter circuits of the transistors, I think.

Where is the output light emitter, and where are the instruments hooked up?

People often only show one lead coming from the FG or signal source for some reason, as if it wasn't important where the other one is hooked up.
If the input is coming from, say, a Function Generator's typical output clipleads, then the "black" lead or "-" or "ground" is connected to the circuit's ground. From the Pin 3 of a 555 timer... ditto, the timer's ground must be common with the circuit's ground. This forms a current path. If the ground reference leads of some other, line-connected instrument like an unisolated oscilloscope is connected elsewhere in the circuit... now you have a ground-loop that might also carry power into the circuit from the FG or even from the mains.

Anyhow, thanks for the diagram so far.... A 2n2222a might work for the first stage, I hope.... since I've got a box full of them.

[poynt99]

Base-Emitter junction of Q1-->Base-Collector junction of Q2 (is not reverse-biased like it normally would be with a positive voltage at the collector).

So the FG output is easily driving the coils to some degree.

[synchro1]

It looks like Mr. Clean has disconnected merely the positive pole of the battery alone, from the video, and that the negative battery pole remains attached to the circuit. Does the schematic ground indicate an Earth ground as well? Is it plausible that ground currents may account for the effect? Irregardless, this has to be the most exciting video of all time.

[verpies]

That's the circuit diagram?

I blindly drew this schematic diagram from the links that Mr. Clean provided.  See here.
I did not analyze it yet.

And then he disconnects the two +12 volt battery terminals, right?

It looks like he is disconnecting only the positive terminal of the battery, leaving the negative terminal connected.

And the square wave input is still coming in... right? Or is it disconnected too?
Does this come from a function generator, or what? 

From what I understand the ≈1kHz waveform comes from that 555 astable multivibrator and the LM393 comparator that is powered by the device itself.  See the updated diagram in my 1st post.

P.S.
The toroidal cores are from Digikey#, part number: 495-3845-ND.
As far as I understand, those cores have been scored with a Dremel tool and broken in half with a hammer.