US2400902A - Armature construction - Google Patents

Description

May 28, 1946. E J, ALLEN 2,400,902

ARMATURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 6, 1944 ll I I v INVENTOR. fawn/ao .I AMEN Patented May 2s, i946 ARMATURE CGNSTRUCTION Edward J. Allen, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Lecce-Neville Company,

corporation of Ohio Cleveland, hio, a

Application September 6, 1944, Serial No. 552,873

v(Cl. 171-206) 4 9 Claims.

This invention relates to armatures for rotary electric machines such as generators, motors and the like, and aims to provide an improved construction for connecting the conductors of the` armature with the commutator segments.

In the building of armatures of the kind having paired conductors lying in axial slots of the armature body, difficulty has been encountered heretofore in connecting the `ends or terminal portions of the conductors with the commutator segments. This has beeen particularly true in regard to the underlying or so-called submerged conductor because it is not readily accessible for performing a welding operation:

The present lnventionseeks to eliminate this diiiiculty and provides an improved construction for an armature of this type, wherein the terminal portions of the conductors are constructed and i'sposed so as to facilitate the formation of a strong Welded connection between the conductors and commutator segments.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for an armature of the character mentioned, in which the, terminal portion of the underlying conductor has an upstanding angular lug of a height to provide excess material for forming a weld for connecting the conductors with each other and with the commutator.

As another of its objects the present invention provides an improved construction for an armature of this character, in which the segments of the commutator have portions defining a riser having slots into which the terminal elements of the conductors extend and the terminal element of the underlying conductor has a radial lug extending across the end of the overlying conductor and which is preferably of a length to provide excess material for forming a weld.

The invention can be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,

Fig. l is a partial side elevation with certain portions broken away, showing an armature embodying the novel construction of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a developed View, somewhat diagrammatic in form, showing the paired conductors and the relative positions of their terminal elements.

Fig. 3 is a partial end View of the armature.

Fig. 4 is a partial plan view showing the terminal portions ofthe conductors ready for welding to a commutator segment, and

Fig. 5 is a similar partial plan view after the terminal portions of the conductors have been welded to the commutator segment.

Proceeding with a more detailed description of the invention, I show an armature I0 having a body II of a conventional construction and provided with axial slots I2. The armature I0 is provided with a commutator I3 comprising individual segments I3a insulated from each other and having upstanding portions disposed in an annular series and defining a slotted riser I4. Each of these upstanding portions comprises a pair of lugs I3b having a space or slot I3c between such pair of lugs. The armature In also includes pairs of conductors I5 and I6 disposed in the axially extending slots l2 and forming the winding of the armature.

As shown in the drawing, a pair of the conductors I5 and IB is disposed in each of the ar.- mature slots I2 and the paired conductors are arranged so that the conductor I5 is above or outwardly of the conductor I6.v For convenience of description the conductor I5 is referred to as the overlying conductor and the conductor IS is referred to as the underlying or submerged conductor. The conductors I5 and I6 have ends or terminal elements I5a and I6a which extend into the slots I3c of the commutator riser I 4 for forming an electrical connectior` between the conductors and the commutator segments.

To facilitate the connecting of the terminal elements I5a and Isa with each other and with the commutator segments, I provide the terminal element IGa of the underlying or submerged conductor with an upstanding angular lug or projection I1 which extends across the end face of y the terminal element I5a and in a direction outwardly or substantially radially of the commutator I3. The lug I1 is of a length .such that its free end will project somewhat above the periphery of the riser I4 thus providing excess material for the formation of a weld I8 for connecting the terminal portions I5a and Ita with each other and with their corresponding commutator segment I3a.

As shown in the drawing, the end of the terminal element I5a lies in substantially abutting relation to a side face or edge of the lug I1 and such lug and adjacent end of the terminal element I5a are both located so as to lie in one of the slots I3c of the riser I4. The terminal elements I 5a and IBa are of a thickness in comparison with the width of the slot I3c so as to be snugly received in the latter and the lug I1 is of a width approximately equal to one-half the axial length of the lugs |317 of the riser.

In Figs. l, 3 and 4 of the drawing I show a pair of the terminal elements |5a and lia in position in one of tne slots |30 of the riser and ready to be welded. The welding operation can be carried out by any suitable welding equipment such as the welding tool 20h shown in Fig. 1 and which is provided with a suitable electrode or welding rod 2l for application to the projecting end of the upstanding lug IT. The welding circuit is established through a conductor 22 connected with the welding tool 20 and a conductor 23 having a terminal member 24 thereon for engagement with the commutator segment to which a particular pair of the conductors of the armature are being welded. During the welding operation the terminal portions |5a and Isa become softened or fused and are joined or welded to each other and to the adjacent lugs lib of the commutator riser Il. 'I'he excess metal contained in the upstanding lug I1 spreads or flows over and between the terminal elements |5a and I6a and the adjacent lugs l3b of the riser so as to integrally unite all of such parts into a strongly welded electrical connection. The weld IB as thus formed is shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5 of the drawing.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing it will now be readily seen that the present invention provides an improved construction for an armature of this character in which the underlying or submerged conductor is more readily accessible for performing a welding operation. It will be seen also that the improved construction reduces the time and labor required in producing armatures of this kind and results in a stronger and more satisfactory connection between the conductors and the commutator segments.

In the specification and claims I have referred to the connection between the amature conductors and the commutator segments as being formed by means of a "weld but it will be understood, of course, that this connection can also be formed by soldering, fusing, brazlng or the like and that my invention includes all equivalent connections oi' this kind.

While I have illustrated and described my improved armature construction in more or less detail it will be understood, oi' course, that I do not wish to be correspondingly limited but regard my invention as including all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In an armature of the character described, an armature body having windings thereon including paired upper and lower terminal elements and a commutator having pairs of spaced connecting portions disposed in an annular series, said paired terminal elements extending into the spaces between said connecting portions with the upper element in overlying relation to the lower` element, said lower element having an upstanding portion thereon and the corresponding upper element having its outer end in substantiallyv abutting relation to said upstanding portion.

2. In an armature of the character described, an armature body having windings thereon including paired upper and lower terminal elements, a commutator comprising segments having portions defining a slotted riser, said terminal elements extending in 'paired relation into the slots of said riser with the upper element of each pair overlying the lower element, the lower elements of such pairs having upstanding lugs disposed in the respective slots of the riser and the upper elements having their ends in substantially abutting relation to said upstanding lugs.

3. In an armature of the character described, an armature body having windings thereon including paired upper and lower terminal elements and a commutator having pairs of spaced lugs disposed in an annular series, said paired terminal elements extending into the spaces between the commutator lugs with the upper element in overlying relation to the lower element, said lower element having an angular upstanding lug disposed in one o! said spaces and the corresponding upper element having its outer end in substantially abutting relation to one side of said upstanding lug, said upstanding lug having a height somewhat greater than the depth oi said one space so as to provide excess material for forming a weld for uniting said terminal elements with the commutator lugs.

4. In an armature of the character described, an armature body having windings thereon including paired upper and lower terminal elements and a commutator having pairs of spaced lugs disposed in an annular series, said paired terminal elements extending into the spaces between said lugs with the upper element in overlying relation to the lower element, said lower element having an angular upstanding portion disposed in one of said spaces and the corresponding upper element having its outer end in substantially abutting relation to one side of said opstanding portion, said upstanding portion having a height somewhat greater than the depth of said one space and a width approximately equal to one half the axial length of the commutator lugs.

5. In an armature oi the character described, an armature body having windings thereon in cluding paired upper and lower terminal elements and a commutator having pairs of spaced lugs disposed in an annular series, said paired terminal elements extending into the spaces between the commutator lugs with the upper element in overlying relation to the lower element, said lower element having an angular upstanding lug disposed in one of said spaces and the corresponding upper element having its outer end `in substan tially abutting relation to said upstanding lug. and a weld connecting said upstanding lug and outer end of the lower terminal element with each other and with a pair of the commutator lugs.

6. In an armature of the character described. an armature body having windings thereon including upper and lower terminal elements, a commutator having pairs of spaced connecting portions disposed in an annular series, said terminal elements being in paired relation with the upper element of each pair overlying the lower element, the lower elements of the pairs having opstanding lugs disposed in the respective spaces between said connecting portions and th'e upper elements extending into said spaces and into substantially abutting relation to said upstanding lugs, and welds connecting the terminal elements of each pair with each other and with the con-.`

necting portions of said commutator.

7. In an armature of the character described, a slotted armature body, a commutator having a. slotted portion adjacent the slotted armature body, and pairs of conductors in the slots of the armature body and having their ends disposed in paired relation in the slots of the slotted commutator portion with one end of each pair underlying the other end, the underlying ends of said pairs having portions extending substantially radially of the commutator and across the overlying ends paired therewith.

8. In an armature of the character described, a slotted amature body, a commutator having a slotted riser adjacent the slotted amature body, and pairs o! conductors in the slots of the armature body and having their ends disposed in paired relation in the slots o! said riser with one end of each pair underlying the other end, the underlying ends of said pairs having portions extending substantially radially of the commutator and across the overlying ends' paired therewith and such radially extending portions being of a length to project outwardly beyond the periphery of said riser so as to provide excess material for forming a weld.

9. In an armature of the character described,

'a slotted armature body, a commutator having a slotted riser adjacent the slotted armature bodyl pairs of conductors in the slots o! the armature body and having their ends disposed in paired relation in the slots of said riser with one end of each pair underlying the other end, the underlying ends of said pairs having portions extending substantially radially of the commutator and across the overlying ends paired therewith and such radially extending portions being of a length to project outwardly beyond th'e periphery of said riser so as to provide excess material for forming a weld, and welds connecting said paired ends with each other and with said riser.

, EDWARD J. ALLEN.

Images