Brush holder for electric machines

A brush holder for an electric machine having a rotating element to be engaged by the brush, the holder comprising a cage and a detachable clip, the cage having a longitudinal opening disposed substantially radially of said rotating element to slidably accomodate a brush and the cage having a longitudinal groove extending along one of the inner walls of the cage, and said clip comprising a base portion supporting a central leg shaped to slide in the groove inside the cage, a self-winding band spring fixed at its outer end to the central leg with the wound portion of the spring being located to overlie the associated brush and bias it toward said rotating element when the central leg is engaged in the said groove, the clip including releasable means for engaging the cage and retaining the clip when it reaches the bottom of the groove by opposing the reaction of the spring, and the clip further including two side legs extending from the base portion adjacent to the central leg and arranged to bear elastically against the outer face of the cage on each side of the groove, the two side legs being positioned to prevent the clip from rocking about the point of contact of said means engaging the cage for retaining the central leg in the bottom of the groove.