Winding support system for a dynamoelectric machine

Claim 1

A STATOR END WINDING SUPPORT COMPRISING A STATOR HAVING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED LONGITUDINAL WINDING SLOTS THEREIN, A CIRCUMFERENTIAL ROW OF BOTTOM ARMATURE BARS DISPOSED IN SAID SLOTS AND PROJECTING BEYOND THE STATOR END, SAID BOTTOM BARS EACH BEING DISPLACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY FROM THE SLOT AND DIVERGING RADIALLY FROM THE STATOR AXIS, A CIRCUMFERENTIAL ROW OF TOP ARMATURE BARS DISPOSED IN SAID SLOTS AND PROJECTING BEYOND THE STATOR END, SAID TOP BARS BEING DISPLACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY IN AN OPPOSITE SENSE FROM THE BOTTOM BARS AND DIVERGING RADIALLY FROM THE STATOR AXIS, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED FIRST SUPPORT MEMBERS PROJECTING FROM THE STATOR SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR WITH THE STATOR AXIS AND DEFINING SURFACES DIVERGING RADIALLY THEREFROM AND UNIFORMLY SPACED FROM ONE ROW OF ARMATURE BARS, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED SECOND SUPPORT MEMBERS PROJECTING FROM THE STATOR COPLANAR WITH THE STATOR AXIS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BARS FROM THE FIRST SUPPORT MEMBERS AND RADIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID FIRST SUPPORT MEMBERS, SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEMBERS DEFINING SURFACES DIVERGING RADIALLY FROM THE STATOR AXIS AND UNIFORMLY SPACED FROM THE OTHER ROW OF ARMATURE BARS, CIRCUMFERENTIAL SEPARATING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM BARS, A FIRST GROUP OF CONFORMABLE PADS DISPOSED IN THE SPACES BETWEEN THE FIRST SUPPORT MEMBERS AND THE BARS, A SECOND GROUP OF CONFORMABLE PADS DISPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE SECOND SUPPORT MEMBERS AND THE BARS, ADJUSTABLE TENSION MEANS SECURING THE FIRST AND SECOND SUPPORT MEMBERS TOGETHER FOR SQUEEZING THE PADS AGAINST THE ARMATURE BARS, AND SUPPORT BRACKET MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID FIRST SUPPORT MEMBERS AND THE STATOR, TO ALLOW AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE FIRST SUPPORT MEMBERS WITH RESPECT TO THE STATOR, WHEREBY THE PROJECTING ARMATURE BARS ARE HELD IN A RIGID FRAMEWORK WHICH IS AXIALLY SLIDABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR THERMAL EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF THE ARMATURE BARS WITH RESPECT TO THE STATOR.