Lubricant cooling apparatus for a vertical electric motor

Claim 2

Lubricant cooling apparatus for a vertical electric motor having a hollow metal housing, a stator rigidly mounted in the housing, a drive shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, a rotor supported on said shaft, a thrust bearing having a first bearing surface mounted in fixed relationship to said housing and a second bearing surface mounted in fixed relationship to said shaft to rotate therewith, said first bearing surface being positioned to support in sliding, rotatable relationship, the second bearing surface when the drive shaft is in its operative position, wall means defining a cup-shaped lubricant-receiving well surrounding said thrust bearing, and a body of liquid lubricant positioned in said well in lubricating and heat absorbing contact with said thrust bearing, said lubricant cooling apparatus comprising means defining a plurality of air passageways in a bottom surface of said wall means, a plurality of hollow, open-ended, generally U-shaped air ducts, both open ends of each of said ducts being mounted in sealing relationship on the bottom surface of the wall means defining said lubricant well, thereby to place the open ends of each of the ducts, respectively, in alignment with one of said air passageways, said ducts being of sufficient length to extend at least to the upper surface of said lubricant when the motor is in its vertical operation position thereby to position a major part of the length of both legs of each of the ducts in heat exchange relationship with the lubricant in said well, air inlet and exhaust means in said housing for moving air into one leg and out of the other leg of each of the respective ducts, and a plurality of gaskets each mounted, respectively, in sealing relationship around one of said air passageways between the open end of one of said ducts and the bottom surface of said wall means.

Claim 3

Lubricant cooling apparatus for a vertical electric motor having a hollow metal housing, a stator rigidly mounted in the housing, a drive shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, a rotor supported on said shaft, a thrust bearing having a first bearing surface mounted in fixed relationship to said housing and a second bearing surface mounted in fixed relationship to said shaft to rotate therewith, said first bearing surface being positioned to support in sliding, rotatable relationship, the second bearing surface when the drive shaft is in its operative position, wall means defining a cup-shaped lubricant-receiving well surrounding said thrust bearing, and a body of liquid lubricant positioned in said well in lubricating and heat absorbing contact with said thrust bearing, said lubricant cooling apparatus comprising means defining a plurality of air passageways in a bottom surface of said wall means, a plurality of hollow, open-ended, generally U-shaped air ducts, both open ends of each of said ducts being mounted in sealing relationship on the bottom surface of the wall means defining said lubricant well, thereby to place the open ends of each of the ducts, respectively, in alignment with one of said air passageways, said ducts being of sufficient length to extend at least to the upper surface of said lubricant when the motor is in its vertical operation position thereby to position a major part of the length of both legs of each of the ducts in heat exchange relationship with the lubricant in said well, air inlet and exhaust means in said housing for moving air into one leg and out of the other leg of each of the respective ducts, and a plurality of gaskets each mounted, respectively, in sealing relationship around one of said air passageways between the open end of one of said ducts and the bottom surface of said wall means.

Claim 4

Lubricant cooling apparatus for a vertical electric motor having a hollow metal housing, a stator rigidly mounted in the housing, a drive shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, a rotor supported on said shaft, a thrust bearing having a first bearing surface mounted in fixed relationship to said housing and a second bearing surface mounted in fixed relationship to said shaft to rotate therewith, said first bearing surface being positioned to support in sliding, rotatable relationship, the second bearing surface when the drive shaft is in its operative position, wall means defining a cup-shaped lubricant-receiving well surrounding said thrust bearing, and a body of liquid lubricant positioned in said well in lubricating and heat absorbing contact with said thrust bearing, said lubricant cooling apparatus comprising means defining a plurality of air passageways in a bottom surface of said wall means, a plurality of hollow, open-ended, generally U-shaped air ducts, both open ends of each of said ducts being mounted in sealing relationship on the bottom surface of the wall means defining said lubricant well, thereby to place the open ends of each of the ducts, respectively, in alignment with one of said air passageways, said ducts being of sufficient length to extend at least to the upper surface of said lubricant when the motor is in its vertical operation position thereby to position a major part of the length of both legs of each of the ducts in heat exchange relationship with the lubricant in said well, air inlet and exhaust means in said housing for moving air into one leg and out of the other leg of each of the respective ducts, and a plurality of gaskets each mounted, respectively, in sealing relationship around one of said air passageways between the open end of one of said ducts and the bottom surface of said wall means.

Claim 5

AN invention as defined in claim 1 including a plurality of threaded bolts mounted respectively in apertures through the bight of each of said ducts and in threaded apertures in said bottom surface, said bolts being operable when rotated into the threaded apertures to clamp the ducts against said gaskets.

Claim 6

An invention as defined in claim 2 wherein pairs of air passageways through said bottom surface are arranged in radial alignment with respect to the axis of rotation of said shaft, and the radially outermost passageway in each of said pairs is substantially the same in cross-sectional area as its paired innermost passageway.

Claim 7

An invention as defined in claim 3 wherein the combined cross-section of the innermost and outermost passageways in each of said pairs generally define a triangular configuration, and wherein the open ends of said air ducts formed to cooperate with the edges of said air passageways in sealing relationship therewith.

Claim 8

Lubricant cooling apparatus for a vertical electric motor having a hollow metal housing, a stator rigidly mounted in the housing, a drive shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, a rotor supported on said shaft, a thrust bearing having a first bearing surface mounted in fixed relationship to said housing and a second bearing surface mounted in fixed relationship to said shaft to rotate therewith, said first bearing surface being positioned to support in sliding, rotatable relationship, the second bearing surface when the drive shaft is in its operative position, wall means defining a cup-shaped lubricant-receiving well surrounding said thrust bearing, and a body of liquid lubricant positioned in said well in lubricating and heat absorbing contact with said thrust bearing, said lubricant cooling apparatus comprising means defining a plurality of air passageways in a bottom surface of said wall means, a plurality of hollow, open-ended, generally U-shaped air ducts, both open ends of each of said ducts being mounted in sealing relationship on the bottom surface of the wall means defining said lubricant well, thereby to place the open ends of each of the ducts, respectively, in alignment with one of said air passageways, said ducts being of sufficient length to extend at least to the upper surface of said lubricant when the motor is in its vertical operating position thereby to position a major part of the length of both legs of each of the ducts in heat exchange relationship with the lubricant in said well, air inlet and exhaust means in said housing for moving air into one leg and out of the other leg of each of the respective ducts, and a plurality of integral fins formed on the respective interior surfaces of each of said ducts, said fins being in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axes of the legs of the U-shaped ducts and substantially co-extensive with the length of said legs.

Claim 9

Lubricant cooling apparatus for a vertical electric motor having a hollow metal housing, a stator rigidly mounted in the housing, a drive shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, a rotor supported on said shaft, a thrust bearing having a first bearing surface mounted in fixed relationship to said housing and a second bearing surface mounted in fixed relationship to said shaft to rotate therewith, said first bearing surface being positioned to support in sliding, rotatable relationship, the second bearing surface when the drive shaft is in its operative position, wall means defining a cup-shaped lubricant-receiving well surrounding said thrust bearing, and a body of liquid lubricant positioned in said well in lubricating and heat absorbing contact with said thrust bearing, said lubricant cooling apparatus comprising means defining a plurality of air passageways in a bottom surface of said wall means, a plurality of hollow, open-ended, generally U-shaped air ducts, both open ends of each of said ducts being mounted in sealing relationship on the bottom surface of the wall means defining said lubricant well, thereby to place the open ends of each of the ducts, respectively, in alignment with one of said air passageways, said ducts being of sufficient length to extend at least to the upper surface of said lubricant when the motor is in its vertical operating position thereby to position a major part of the length of both legs of each of the ducts in heat exchange relationship with the lubricant in said well, air inlet and exhaust means in said housing for moving air into one leg and out of the other leg of each of the respective ducts, and a plurality of integral fins formed on the respective interior surfaces of each of said ducts, said fins being in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axes of the legs of the U-shaped ducts and substantially co-extensive with the length of said legs.