Method of securing end shields to the stator assembly of a dynamoelectric machine

A method of assembling a dynamoelectric machine, such as a fractional horsepower motor or the like, said motor having a stator assembly including a core made up of a stack of laminations of suitable magnetic material, said core having a central bore extending therethrough, a rotor assembly including a rotor body adapted to be rotatably received in said bore and a rotor shaft extending endwise from said rotor body, and at least one end shield, the latter having a bearing adapted to receive and to journal said rotor shaft, said method comprising the steps of:

• inserting said rotor assembly into said stator assembly with said rotor being received in said bore;
• centering said rotor body within said bore so that said motor has an air gap between said rotor body and said core of substantially uniform thickness therearound;
• installing said end shield on said stator assembly and on said rotor assembly so that said rotor shaft is journalled in said bearing and so that said portions of said end shield bear against an adjacent portion of said core, said end shield portions having holes therethrough and said adjacent portion of said core having holes therein in substantial alignment with said holes in said end shield portions when said end shield is fitted on said stator assembly;
• and
• inserting threaded fasteners into said end shield holes and into said holes in said core and tightening said fasteners so as to draw said end shield into firm gripping engagement with said core and so as to bend outwardly at least the outermost lamination adjacent said holes in said core with the outwardly bent portion protruding at least partially into a mating opening in said end shield thereby to securely hold said end shield in place with respect to said core and to journal said rotor shaft relative to said core so that said uniform air gap is maintained.