Brush and spring holder assembly

Claim 2

A brush and spring holder assembly for a dynamoelectric machine having a housing, a current collector and a brush for engaging the current collector, comprising: a mounting plate adapted to be supported within the housing and which has a guide means for supporting and guiding the brush for radial movement toward the current collector; and a pre-stressed spring means supported on said mounting plate and having first and second portions in engagement with the opposite ends of the brush, said spring means being operable to biasingly retain the brush within the guide means when its first and second portions are in engagement with the opposite ends of the brush, said first portion being disposed in the path of movement of the current collector when the latter is being assembled to the housing, said current collector being engageable with and moving said first portion of the spring means to disengage the same from the brush as the current collector is received within the housing whereby said second portion biasingly moves the brush into engagement with the current collector.

Claim 3

In a dynamoelectric machine, the combination comprising: a housing; a commutator; brushes to be engaged with said commutator; and a brush holder and spring assembly, having a mounting plate adapted to be supported within the electrical machine and having a central aperture to provide for the commutator to be received therethrough during assembly of the electrical machine, said mounting plate having a plurality of enclosed guide means radially spaced about said central opening and supporting and guiding said brushes for inward radial movement into engagement with the commutator; and a plurality of prestressed torsion springs supported upon said mounting plate adjacent said guide means and having first and second end portions engaging and biasing opposite ends of said brushes to retain the brushes within said guide means, said first end portions being disposed adjacent said central aperture and within the path of said commutAtor during its assembly to said housing to be moved by the end of the commutator to disengage the brushes as the commutator approaches said central aperture of said mounting plate, said second end portions biasingly moving the brushes into engagement with the commutator when the first end portions are disengaged with the brushes, and said first end portion thereafter moving resiliently from the path of the commutator for the commutator to be received through said central opening of said mounting plate.

Claim 4

In a dynamoelectric machine, the combination comprising: a housing; a commutator; brushes to be engaged with said commutator; and a brush holder and spring assembly, having a mounting plate adapted to be supported within the electrical machine and having a central aperture to provide for the commutator to be received therethrough during assembly of the electrical machine, said mounting plate having a plurality of enclosed guide means radially spaced about said central opening and supporting and guiding said brushes for inward radial movement into engagement with the commutator; and a plurality of prestressed torsion springs supported upon said mounting plate adjacent said guide means and having first and second end portions engaging and biasing opposite ends of said brushes to retain the brushes within said guide means, said first end portions being disposed adjacent said central aperture and within the path of said commutAtor during its assembly to said housing to be moved by the end of the commutator to disengage the brushes as the commutator approaches said central aperture of said mounting plate, said second end portions biasingly moving the brushes into engagement with the commutator when the first end portions are disengaged with the brushes, and said first end portion thereafter moving resiliently from the path of the commutator for the commutator to be received through said central opening of said mounting plate.

Claim 5

In a dynamoelectric machine, the combination comprising: a stator housing; a rotatable armature having a commutator; brushes to be engaged with said commutator; and a brush holder and spring assembly having a mounting plate adapted to be supported within the housing and having a central aperture for the commutator to be received therethrough during assembly of the commutator to the housing, said mounting plate having integral enclosed guide support members radially spaced about said central aperture for guiding individual brushes for radial movement toward and from the commutator, said guide support members extending into said central aperture and having longitudinally extending slots therein, said guide means also having a ramp portion adjacent said central aperture, said mounting plate also having support studs adjacent each of said guide support members; and pre-stressed torsion springs having intermediate coiled portions concentrically supported upon said mounting pins, said pre-stressed torsion springs having first end portions disposed within said slots of said guide support members and engaging one end of the brushes and biasing the brushes toward said central aperture, said pre-stressed torsion springs having second end portions engaged with the other end of the brushes and said ramp of said guide support members and acting against the bias of said first end portions to retain the brushes within said guide support members, said second end portions also being disposed adjacent said central aperture and being adapted to be engaged by the end of the commutator as the commutator approaches said central aperture during assembly of the commutator to the housing, said second end portions being moved by the commutator and disengaging the other ends of the brushes for said first end portions to biasingly move the brushes radially inwardly into engagement with the commutator, thereafter said second end portions being moved to disengage said ramp of said guide support members and moving resiliently from the path of said commutator to enable the commutator to pass unencumbered through said central aperture.

Claim 6

In a dynamoelectric machine, the combination comprising: a stator housing; a rotatable armature having a commutator; brushes to be engaged with said commutator; and a brush holder and spring assembly having a mounting plate adapted to be supported within the housing and having a central aperture for the commutator to be received therethrough during assembly of the commutator to the housing, said mounting plate having integral enclosed guide support members radially spaced about said central aperture for guiding individual brushes for radial movement toward and from the commutator, said guide support members extending into said central aperture and having longitudinally extending slots therein, said guide means also having a ramp portion adjacent said central aperture, said mounting plate also having support studs adjacent each of said guide support members; and pre-stressed torsion springs having intermediate coiled portions concentrically supported upon said mounting pins, said pre-stressed torsion springs having first end portions disposed within said slots of said guide support members and engaging one end of the brushes and biasing the brushes toward said central aperture, said pre-stressed torsion springs having second end portions engaged with the other end of the brushes and said ramp of said guide support members and acting against the bias of said first end portions to retain the brushes within said guide support members, said second end portions also being disposed adjacent said central aperture and being adapted to be engaged by the end of the commutator as the commutator approaches said central aperture during assembly of the commutator to the housing, said second end portions being moved by the commutator and disengaging the other ends of the brushes for said first end portions to biasingly move the brushes radially inwardly into engagement with the commutator, thereafter said second end portions being moved to disengage said ramp of said guide support members and moving resiliently from the path of said commutator to enable the commutator to pass unencumbered through said central aperture.