US 5,454,284 A · Commutator finishing methods and apparatus

Abstract

Commutators of armatures for electric motors or other dynamo-electric machines are finished by subjecting them to inspection and turning operations. The first inspection operation determines the minimum amount of material that can be cut while producing a high quality armature. This determination may indicate that no formal turning is required, only finishing. The turning operation, if applicable, cuts the commutator to a substantially cylindrical shape which is substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of the armature. The finishing operation, which may be performed by the same mechanism as the turning operation, imparts a desired axial roughness to the cylindrical commutator surface. The commutators may be inspected after the turning and finishing operations to generate data useful for such purposes as automatically modifying the turning and finishing operations performed on subsequent commutators.

Claims34

Dependent claims

An apparatus for finishing the surface of a commutator on a rotatable dynamo-electric machine armature such that the commutator surface is a substantially cylindrical shape and is substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of said armature, said apparatus comprising:

inspection means for determining if said surface is a substantially cylindrical shape and substantially concentric with the axis of rotation by generating data indicative of substantially the minimum amount of material that must be cut from said surface in order for said surface to be substantially cylindrical in shape and substantially concentric with the axis of rotation;
turning means for cutting said surface in response to said generated data, to a substantially cylindrical shape which is concentric with the axis of rotation if said inspection means determines that said surface is not substantially cylindrical in shape or if said surface is not substantially concentric with the axis of rotation;
and
finishing means for providing roughness to said substantially cylindrical and concentric surface whether or not said surface has been cut by said turning means.

1 more element

A method for finishing the surface of a commutator on a rotatable dynamo-electric machine armature such that the commutator surface is a substantially cylindrical shape and is substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of said armature, said method comprising the steps of:

inspecting said surface to determine if said surface is a substantially cylindrical shape and substantially concentric with the axis of rotation by generating data indicative of substantially the minimum amount of material that must be cut from said surface in order for said surface to be substantially cylindrical in shape and substantially concentric with the axis of rotation;
turning said surface in response to said generated data, to a substantially cylindrical shape which is concentric with the axis of rotation if said inspecting step determines that said surface is not substantially cylindrical in shape or if said surface is not substantially concentric with the axis of rotation;
and
finishing said surface to provide a roughness to said substantially cylindrical and concentric surface whether or not said surface has been cut by said turning step.

1 more element

Apparatus for successively finishing the surfaces of a plurality of commutators, each of which is disposed on a respective one of a plurality of rotatable dynamo-electric machine armatures, comprising:

means for inspecting each successive armature to determine if the surface of the commutator is a substantially cylindrical shape which is substantially concentric with the axis of rotation;
means for subjecting each successive armature to a turning operation responsive to said means for inspecting in which a minimum amount of material is cut from the surface of the commutator on that armature so that said surface is substantially cylindrical in shape and substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of said armature, unless said surface is already substantially cylindrical in shape and concentric with the axis of rotation;
means for detecting at least one characteristic of the commutators of at least selected ones of the armatures that have just been through said turning operation;
and
feedback means responsive to said means for detecting for automatically selectively modifying said turning operation for subsequent armatures based on the characteristic detected by said means for detecting.

2 more elements

A method for successively finishing the surfaces of a plurality of commutators, each of which is disposed on a respective one of a plurality of rotatable dynamo-electric machine armatures, comprising the steps of:

inspecting each successive armature to determine if the surface of the commutator is a substantially cylindrical shape which is substantially concentric with the axis of rotation;
subjecting each successive armature to a turning operation responsive to said inspecting step in which a minimum amount of material is cut from the surface of the commutator on that armature so that said surface is substantially cylindrical in shape and substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of said armature, if said surface if not already substantially cylindrical in shape and concentric with the axis of rotation;
detecting at least one characteristic of the commutators of at least selected ones of the armatures that have just been through said turning operation;
and
automatically selectively modifying said turning operation for subsequent armatures based on the characteristic detected by said detecting step.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Commutator finishing methods and apparatus

Life of this patent

Commutator finishing methods and apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims34