Magnetic Weapon

I once read a paper from a canadian about a magnetic type weapon. I am looking for more resources, and without the name if anyone knows it, will be hard to research. The weapon once turned on would stop anything mechanical from working within a radius of the weapon. Somehow the weapon causes the mechanical aspects of the machine to bind together. I remember reading that the person was an appliance repair person and only had the majority of his knowledge in that subject. I would say that it uses a motor from a washer or something oscilating at a certain frequency sending out waves that would cause the particles to line up into a N--S direction to form a magnet and cause the mechanism to attract eachother and seem to freeze the machine. Any theories out there?

I think it uses a RF and then uses a rail gun to "throw" the target. Maybe.