Rotatable insulator for holding electric motor brushes

An apparatus for positioning at least one motor brush in an electric motor having a motor housing, the apparatus, comprising:

• a base ring secured to the motor housing, the base ring having a first indexing portion;
• an upper ring disposed adjacent to and moveable relative to the base ring, the upper ring having a second indexing portion;
• an indexing member for engaging the first indexing portion and the second indexing portion for aligning the upper ring with the base ring;
• and
• a brush coupling member, including a bolt having a head portion and a tail portion;
• wherein:
• the upper ring includes at least one brush coupling member receiving portion, the at least one brush coupling member receiving portion including an enlarged portion sized to accommodate. the head portion of the bolt and a reduced diameter portion sized for receiving the tail portion of the bolt, and
• the enlarged portion of the at least one brush coupling member receiving portion includes at least one grip surface for engaging the head portion of the bolt and thereby preventing the rotation of the bolt relative the at least one brush coupling member receiving portion.

An apparatus for facilitating the changing of at least one motor brush in an electric motor having a motor housing, the apparatus comprising:

• an insulator ring secured to the motor housing and having a first surface disposed proximate to the motor housing, a second surface offset outward from the first surface and proximate to the at least one motor brush, and at least one brush coupling member receiving portion extending from the first surface to the second surface;
• at least one brush coupling member disposed within the at least one brush coupling member receiving portion and extending partially outwardly from the second surface, wherein the at least one brush coupling member secures the at least one motor brush to the insulator ring;
• and
• at least one biasing member disposed within the at least one brush coupling member receiving portion inward relative to the at least one brush coupling member, wherein:
• the insulator ring includes a base ring and an upper ring moveable relative to the base ring,
• the first surface of the insulator ring and the second surface of the insulator ring are disposed on the upper ring, and
• the base ring includes a third surface disposed adjacent to and in contact with the motor housing and a fourth surface offset outwardly from the third surface and proximate to the first surface of the upper ring.

An apparatus for facilitating the changing of at least one motor brush in an electric motor having a motor housing, the apparatus comprising:

• an insulator ring secured to the motor housing and having a first surface disposed proximate to the motor housing, a second surface offset outward from the first surface and proximate to the at least one motor brush, and at least one brush coupling member receiving portion extending from the first surface to the second surface;
• at least one brush coupling member disposed within the at least one brush coupling member receiving portion and extending partially outwardly from the second surface, wherein the at least one brush coupling member secures the at least one motor brush to the insulator ring;
• and
• at least one biasing member disposed within the at least one brush coupling member receiving portion inward relative to the at least one brush coupling member, wherein:
• the at least one brush coupling member receiving portion includes an enlarged portion and a reduced portion;
• and
• the at least one brush coupling member is a bolt having a head portion and a tail portion.

An apparatus for positioning at least one motor brush in an electric motor which has a motor housing, the apparatus comprising:

• a base ring having a first axially inwardly facing surface disposed adjacent to the motor housing, a second axially outwardly facing surface offset outward from the first axially inwardly facing surface, a first radially outwardly facing surface which defines the outward radial extent of the first axially inwardly facing surface and the second axially outwardly facing surface, a second radially outwardly facing collar surface disposed radially interiorly of the first radially outwardly facing surface, and a third axially outwardly facing surface which defines the depth of a first indexing member receiving portion;
• an upper ring moveable relative to the base ring and having a fourth axially inwardly facing surface disposed adjacent to the second axially outwardly facing surface of the base ring, a fifth axially outwardly facing surface offset outward from the fourth axially inwardly facing surface, a third radially outwardly facing surface which defines the outward radial extent of the fourth axially inwardly facing surface and the fifth axially outwardly facing surface;
• a fourth radially outwardly facing surface which is concentric with and disposed next to the collar surface of the base ring, and a second indexing member receiving portion which is defined by a fifth radially inwardly facing surface which extends from the fourth axially inwardly facing surface through to the fifth axially outwardly facing surface;
• and.
• an indexing member which is removably disposed within the first indexing member receiving portion and the second indexing member receiving portion for coupling the base ring and the upper ring together for preventing the motion of the upper ring relative to the base ring when the upper ring is in a first position relative to the base ring.