Rotor and rotor shaft for molten metal
AssigneeMolten Metal Equipment Innovations, LLC
InventorPaul V. Cooper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A molten metal rotor receives and retains an end of a molten metal rotor shaft. The rotor shaft has one or more projections at the end received in the rotor. The rotor has an inner cavity, a top surface with an opening leading to the inner cavity, and at least one abutment. The opening includes one or more portions for allowing each projection to pass through the opening and into the inner cavity. The rotor and/or shaft are then rotated so at least one of the outwardly-extending projections is under the top surface of the rotor and is against an abutment. A molten metal pump, rotary degasser scrap melter or other device used in molten metal may utilize a rotor/shaft combination as disclosed herein.
Claims38
A rotor shaft having a first end that is received in a coupling and a second end connected to a rotor having a rotor cavity, the second end having at least one outwardly-extending projection that is received and retained in the rotor cavity in order to connect the second end to the rotor;
- wherein the rotor shaft has an annular outer surface and the at least one outwardly-extending projection extends outward at least ½″ from the annular outer surface;
- the rotor further having a top surface with a rotor opening through which the second end of the rotor shaft passes into the rotor cavity, the rotor opening having at least one elongated section through which the at least one outwardly-extending projection passes, wherein the rotor cavity has a diameter and the rotor opening has a width, the width of the rotor opening being less than the diameter of the rotor cavity, and the rotor cavity including at least one abutment against which the at least one outwardly-extending projection is positioned when the second end of the rotor shaft is in the rotor cavity and the rotor and rotor shaft are rotated relative one another.
A molten metal pump comprising:
- (a) a motor;
- (b) a motor shaft extending from the motor and having an end;
- (c) a coupling that couples to the end of the motor shaft;
- (d) a rotor shaft having a first end that is received in the coupling and a second end for connecting to a rotor, the second end having at least one outwardly-extending projection that is received and retained in a rotor cavity in order to connect the second end to the rotor;
- wherein the rotor shaft has an annular outer surface and the at least one outwardly-extending projection extends outward at least ½″ from the annular outer surface;
- and
- (e) wherein the rotor has a top surface with a rotor opening through which the second end of the rotor shaft passes into the rotor cavity, the rotor opening having at least one elongated section through which the at least one outwardly-extending projection passes, and the rotor opening has a first width that does not include the at least one elongated section and a second width that includes the at least one elongated section, the first width being less than the second width, and the rotor cavity including at least one abutment against which the at least one outwardly-extending projection is positioned when the second end of the rotor shaft is in the rotor cavity and the rotor and rotor shaft are rotated relative one another.
A rotary degasser comprising:
- (a) a motor;
- (b) a motor shaft extending from the motor and having an end;
- (c) a coupling that couples to the end of the motor shaft;
- (d) a rotor shaft having a first end that is received in the coupling and a second end for connecting to a rotor, the second end having at least one outwardly-extending projection that is received and retained in a rotor cavity in order to connect the second end to the rotor;
- wherein the rotor shaft has an annular outer surface and the at least one outwardly-extending projection extends outward at least ½″ from the annular outer surface;
- and
- (e) wherein the rotor has a top surface with a rotor opening through which the second end of the rotor shaft passes into the rotor opening cavity, the rotor opening having at least one elongated section through which the at least one outwardly-extending projection passes, and the rotor cavity including at least one abutment against which the at least one outwardly-extending projection is positioned when the second end of the rotor shaft is in the rotor cavity and the rotor and the rotor shaft are rotated relative one another, wherein the rotor cavity has a diameter and the rotor opening has a width, the width of the rotor opening being less than the diameter of the rotor cavity.
A scrap melter comprising:
- (a) a motor;
- (b) a motor shaft extending from the motor and having an end;
- (c) a coupling that couples to the end of the motor shaft;
- (d) a rotor shaft having a first end that is received in the coupling and a second end for connecting to a rotor, the second end having at least one outwardly-extending projection that is received and retained in a rotor cavity in order to connect the second end to the rotor;
- wherein the rotor shaft has an annular outer surface and the at least one outwardly-extending projection extends outward at least ½″ from the annular outer surface;
- and
- (e) wherein the rotor has a top surface with a rotor opening through which the second end of the rotor shaft passes into the rotor cavity, wherein the rotor cavity has a diameter and the rotor opening has a width, the width of the rotor opening being less than the diameter of the rotor cavity, the rotor opening having at least one elongated section through which the at least one outwardly-extending projection passes, and the rotor cavity including at least one abutment against which the at least one outwardly-extending projection is positioned when the second end of the rotor shaft is in the rotor cavity and the rotor and the rotor shaft are rotated relative one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.