Tool for the installation of a terminal stud adapter in a generator rotor and methods therefor

• US 6,453,540 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Evans, Jeffrey Donald, Squillacioti, Leonard Paul, Blakelock, Thomas Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sayoc, Emmanuel
• Application Number:
  US09/741,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20020078548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 295/98, 297/32, 297/35, 298/57, 298/68, 439/843, 439/801
• US Class Current: 29/598
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/0006 Disassembling, repairing or modifying dynamo-electric machines repairing of cooling fluid boxes H02K15/0093
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/0056 Manufacturing winding connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/0062 Manufacturing the terminal arrangement per se; Connecting the terminals to an external circuit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49012 Rotor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49147 Assembling terminal to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49174 Assembling terminal to elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49194 Assembling elongated conductors, e.g., splicing, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53143 Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53157 Means to stake wire to commutator or armature

Abstract

A method of inserting a terminal stud adapter section of a terminal stud into the radial bore of a rotor, involving a tool, which includes an elongated tool body having a head at one end from which a pair of pins project. The head is preferably plated with copper. The head is received in the recess of a stud adapter section with the pins engaging in apertures in the adapter section. By inserting the adapter section in the radial bore of a rotor, the adapter section can be threaded to the bore copper. Upon removal of the tool from the recess of the adapter section, an outer section of the terminal stud is received within the radial bore and an inner end thereof makes electrical connection with the adapter section.

Claims

1. A method of inserting a stud adapter section of a sectional terminal stud into the radial bore of a dynamoelectric machine having a rotor, a bore connector extending generally in an axial direction along a portion of said rotor and having a generally radially outwardly opening aperture, the sectional terminal stud including an outer section, said stud adapter section having a male projection at one end and a recess at an opposite end and a flexible electrical connector in said recess, comprising the steps of:

(a) disposing an end of an elongated tool into said recess into engagement with the electrical connector to frictionally retain said stud adapter section on the end of said tool;

(b) inserting the stud adapter section into the radial bore of the rotor to engage the male projection thereof in the aperture of said bore connector; and

(c) withdrawing the tool from within the recess of the stud adapter section and the radial bore, leaving the stud adapter section engaged with the bore connector.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the male projection of the stud adapter section is threaded at one end, said stud adapter section including a pair of apertures in said recess adjacent an opposite end thereof, the aperture of the bore connector being threaded, including engaging a pair of pins on the end of the tool in the apertures in the recess of the stud adapter section and rotating the tool to thread the stud adapter section into the threaded aperture of the bore connector.

3. A method according to claim 1 including, subsequent to step (c), inserting an end of the outer section of the terminal stud adapter section into the recess of the stud adapter section for electrical connection with the electrical connector.

4. A method according to claim 1 including retrofitting a generator having a terminal stud disposed in the radial bore of the generator, by, prior to step (a), removing the terminal stud from the radial bore, followed by performing steps (a)-(c).

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the aperture of the bore connector has female threads and an end of the sectional terminal stud and the male projection of the stud adapter section have male threads and including the steps of, prior to step (a), unthreading the sectional terminal stud from the bore connector and wherein the step of inserting includes threading the stud adapter section into the bore connector aperture to establish an electrical connection therebetween.