Brushholder apparatus for dynamoelectric machine

Apparatus for supporting and manipulating an electrically conductive brush to facilitate an exchange of current between the rotating collector ring of the rotor of a dynamoelectric machine and the conductive brush, said apparatus comprising:

• a brushholder assembly having a pair of elongated members for insertion into longitudinal bores in the brush so that the brush is slidably supported and substantially all of the side surface area of the brush is exposed for unimpeded heat transfer with cooling gas near the brush, a pivotable brush retaining lever rotatable between a first position wherein said lever is out of contact with the brush and a second position wherein said lever bears against and engages the brush for retention of the brushholder assembly during installation and removal operations, and a spring operatively disposed between said brush retaining lever and the brush to bias the brush into contact with the collector ring;
• an open-ended casing outwardly concentric with the collector ring for removably retaining said brushholder assembly in position for directing cooling gas over the surface of the brush;
• means for locking said brushholder assembly to said casing, said locking means comprising a rotatable rod mounted on said brushholder assembly, a locking pin extending through said rod substantially at right angles to the axis of said rod, and an ear attached to said casing and forming a recess for receiving said locking pin when said rod is rotated to a locking position;
• and
• a fan mounted on the dynamoelectric machine rotor, said fan coupled to one end of said casing to circulate cooling gas near the brush and collector ring.