Improvements in Supports for Armature Shafts.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Supports for Armature Shafts.
I, WILLIAM RICHARD THOMPSON, residing at 91, South Main Street, of South
Norwalk, in the County of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, United States of
America, Stationary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to supports for the armature shaft of an electrical
generator, and the object thereof, is to provide an improved device of this class
which is designed to prevent the commutator brushes from pressing upon the
commutator at the same point at all times, and thus cutting or wearing said
commutator unevenly.
In the practice of my invention I provide a armature shaft which is supported
in the usual manner, and said shaft is provided at its end with a conical socket or
recess and secured to the support in any desired manner is a yoke the cross head
of which is provided with a tube through which is passed a screw threaded
tubular shaft the inner end of which is provided with a circular head in the
perimeter of which are formed cavities or recesses which are adapted to receive a
wrench or other device by means of which the tubular shaft may be adjusted.
I also provide a supplemental shaft which is passed into the screw threaded
tubular shaft, and through the head thereof, and which is provided at its inner
end with a cylindrical head which is adapted to enter the conical socket or recess
in the end of the armature shaft, and formed on the head of the supplemental
shaft is a collar and mounted on said shaft is a sleeve provided with a head
which is similar in form to the head of the tubular shaft and mounted on said
sleeve, and on the outer end of the cylindrical head of the supplemental shaft
is a spring and between the heads of the tubular shaft and the head of said
sleeve are placed ball bearings.
The armature shaft is free to move in its supports and it will be understood
that either or both ends of said shaft may be provided with the construction
herein shown and described, and in the operation of the machine or engine, the
said spring and the parts connected therewith will operate to give said shaft a
elight longitudinal movement.
It will be understood that the commutator is mounted on the armature. shaft in
the usual manner and the commutator brushes are also supported in the usual
manner so as bear upon said commutator, and the commutator will thus be
given the same longitudinal movement as the said shaft, and the brushes will
thus be prevented from bearing upon the commutator in the same place at all
times and thus cutting and wearing the same unevenly.
The sleeve mounted on the supplemental shaft is adapted to slide on said shaft,
and the tubular shaft may be adjusted so as regulate the pressure of the spring
to
-
to any desired extent, and said sleeve is provided with a groove in which moves
a pin secured to the supplemental shaft.
This device is simple in construction and operation and is perfectly adapted to

page_text: accomplish the result for which it is intended, and it will be apparent that
changes in, and modifications of the construction, herein described may be made
without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.
Dated this 26th day of August 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
I, WILLIAM RICHARD THOMPSON, residing at 91, South Main Street, of South
Norwalk, in the County of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, United States of
America, Stationary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to supports for the armature shaft of an electrical
generator, and the object thereof, is to provide an improved device of this class
which is designed to prevent the commutator brushes from pressing upon the
commutator at the same point at all times, and thus cutting or wearing said
commutator unevenly.
The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the
accompanying drawing forms a part, said drawings being a sectional plan view of
one end of the armature shaft of an electrical motor or generator and showing my
improvement.
In the drawing forming part of this specification, the separate parts of my
improvement are designated by the same numerals of reference in each of the
views, and in said drawing, I have shown at 5, one end of a commutator shaft,
and at G, the support through which it passes.
The armature shaft is provided at its end with a conical socket or recess 7, and
secured to the support 6, or formed thereon are brackets 8, with which is connected
a yoke 9, the cross head of which is provided with a tube 10, through which is
passed a screw threaded tubular shaft 11, the inner end of which is provided
with a circular head 12, in the perimeter of which are formed cavities or recesses 13,
which are adapted to receive a wrench or other device by means of which the
tubular shaft may be adjusted.
I also provide a supplemental shaft 14, which passes into the screw-threaded
tubular shaft 11, and through the head 12, thereof, and which is provided at its
inner end with a cylindrical head 15, which is adapted to enter the conical socket 7,
in the end of the armature shaft 5, and formed on the head 15, of the shaft 14,
is a collar 16, and mounted on the shaft 14, is a sleeve 17, provided with a head 18,
which is similar in form to the head 12, of the tubular shaft 11, and mounted on
said sleeve, and on the outer end of the cylindrical head 15, of the shaft 14, is a
spiral spring 19, and between the heads 12 and 18, of the shafts 11 and 14, are
placed ball bearings 20.
The armature shaft 5, is free to move on its supports 6, and it will be understood
that either or both ends of said shaft may be provided with the construction
herein shown and described, and in the operation of the machine or engine, the
spring 19, and the parts connected therewith will operate to give said shaft a
slight longitudinal movement.
The commutator or commutator brushes are not shown and it will be under-
stood, that the commutator is mounted on the shaft 5, in the usual manner, and

page_text: the commutator brushes are also supported in the usual manner so as to bear
upon said commutator, and the commutator will be given the same longitudinal
movement as the shaft 5, and the brushes will thus be prevented from bearing
upon the commutator in the same place at all times, and thus cutting and wearing
the same unevenly.
The sleeve 17 is adapted to slide on the shaft 14, and the shaft 11, may be
adjusted so as to regulate the pressure of the spring 19, to any desired extent, and
said sleeve is provided with a groove 21, in which moves a pin 22, secured to said
shaft.
This device is simple in construction and operation and is perfectly adapted to
accomplish the result for which it is intended, and it will be apparent that
changes in, and modifications of the construction, herein described may be made
without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination with the supports of an armature shaft, of a yoke secured
thereto, a tubular screw threaded shaft passing through said yoke, and a supple-
mental spring operated shaft passing thereinto, and adapted to bear the
armature shaft, substantially as shown and described.
on
2. The combination with the supports of an armature shaft, of a yoke secured
thereto, a tubular screw threaded shaft passing through said yoke, and a supple-
mental spring operated shaft passing thereinto, and adapted to bear on the
end of the armature shaft, said supplemental spring operated shaft being provided
with a sleeve which is mounted thereon, and with a head which is formed on
said sleeve, and said screw threaded tubular shaft being also provided with a
head between which and the head formed on the sleeve are ball bearings, sub-
stantially as shown and described.