Grounding rope guide for a dynamo-electric machine
AssigneeCutsforth, Inc.
InventorRobert S. Cutsforth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shaft grounding apparatus including a grounding rope in electrical contact with ground, and an adjustable rope guide configured to guide the grounding rope on an electrically conductive surface of a rotating shaft of an electric machine. The adjustable rope guide includes a plurality of articulating segments configured to provide the adjustable rope guide with a variable radius of curvature to closely follow a radius of curvature of the rotating shaft.
Claims27
A shaft grounding apparatus, comprising:
- a grounding rope in electrical contact with ground;
- and
- an adjustable rope guide configured to guide the grounding rope on an electrically conductive surface of a rotating shaft, the adjustable rope guide being adjustable between a first position having a first radius of curvature and a second position having a second radius of curvature greater than the first radius of curvature to provide the adjustable rope guide with a variable radius of curvature to closely follow a radius of curvature of the rotating shaft.
A rope guide for a shaft grounding apparatus, the rope guide comprising:
- a first guide segment having a first end, a second end, and a channel extending from the first end to the second end for receiving a grounding rope therein;
- and
- a second guide segment having a first end, a second end, and a channel extending from the first end to the second end for receiving a grounding rope therein;
- wherein the channel of the first guide segment is aligned with the channel of the second guide segment;
- and
- wherein the first guide segment is pivotably coupled to the second guide segment.
A method of grounding a rotating shaft of a dynamo-electric machine, the method comprising:
- placing an electrically grounded rope in contact with a circumferential surface of the rotating shaft;
- positioning an adjustable rope guide over the rope, the adjustable rope guide configured to guide the rope on the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft, the adjustable rope guide including a plurality of articulating segments configured to provide the adjustable rope guide with a variable radius of curvature to closely follow a radius of curvature of the rotating shaft;
- and
- pivoting a first articulating segment of the adjustable rope guide relative to a second articulating segment of the adjustable rope guide to adjust the radius of curvature of the adjustable rope guide to match the radius of curvature of the rotating shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.