Shaft brush for turbomachinery

The combination with a turbomachine having a housing and a rotor within the housing with a short exposed substantial cylindrical surface of a brush device for removing electrical currents from the rotor, said device including:

• a casing having a mounting flange thereon for attachment to said housing, there being an opening in said housing to receive the casing,
• a brush support including a pair of parallel support plates,
• a cap to which the plates are attached and which engages with the outer end of the casing,
• a brush arm pivotally supported between said plates and having an indicator thereon at the cap end,
• a brush mounted on said arm at the inner end and having metallic bristles thereon to engage said surface on the rotor, and
• means in the casing for pivoting the arm on its pivotal support to withdraw the brush from the shaft.

A brush device including:

• a relatively thin casing substantially rectangular in cross section and having a flange at one end,
• a brush mount fitting in said casing and including spaced parallel plates of nonconducting material,
• a cap to which said plates are secured, said cap being removably attached to said flange on the casing,
• a brush arm pivoted between said plates, the latter carrying a pivot pin on which the arm is mounted,
• a brush at the end of the arm remote from the cap, said brush having bristles extending at an acute angle to the brush arm, and
• means carried by said plates to engage a portion of the arm when a maximum wear has occurred on the brush.

A brush structure for removing electrical current from a rotary machinery shaft including:

• a casing having an end flange and having means thereon for attachment to the machinery,
• a brush support in said casing including spaced parallel non-magnetic plates slidable in said casing, said support having an end cap engaging said end flange,
• a brush arm between said plates and movable relative thereto,
• a brush mounted on the end of the arm remote from the end cap and in a position to engage the machinery shaft, and
• means limiting the movement to the brush arm relative to the plates.

A brush structure for use in rotary machinery having a housing and a shaft, said structure including:

• a relatively thin casing substantially rectangular in cross section and having a mounting flange for attachment to the housing,
• a brush mounting including spaced parallel plates of non-conducting material fitting removably within the casing,
• a brush arm positioned between the plates and movable relative thereto,
• a brush on one end of the arm in a position to engage the shaft, and
• a cap on the outer end of the casing remote from the brush, the position of the device on the machinery being such that the brush is urged in a direction to engage the shaft by gravity.