# US 8,541,916 B2 · Nut securing arrangement for electrical generator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,541,916 B2 - Document ID: US8541916B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/640,090 - Filed: 2009-12-17 - Published: 2011-06-23 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2009-12-17 - Assignees: Siemens Energy, Inc. - Applicants: Randy E. Whitener; Stephen T. Soto; Neil R. Smith - Inventors: Randy E. Whitener; Stephen T. Soto; Neil R. Smith - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8541916B2 ## CPC - H02K 19/38: Structural association of synchronous generators with exciting machines - B25B 13/48: for special purposes - B25B 23/00: Details of, or accessories for, spanners, wrenches, screwdrivers (bolt tensioners B25B29/02) - H02K 3/51: applicable to rotors only - H02K 7/085: {radially supporting the rotary shaft at only one end of the rotor (H02K7/086, H02K7/09 take precedence)} - F16B 39/106: {with a deformable locking element, e.g. disk or pin above the bolt head or nut, flattened into a hole or cavity within which the bolt head or nut is positioned} - H02K 5/22: Auxiliary parts of casings not covered by groups H02K5/06-H02K5/20, e.g. shaped to form connection boxes or terminal boxes - H02K 7/003: {Couplings; Details of shafts (means for mounting rotors on shafts H02K1/28)} - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - B25B: TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING, OR HOLDING - F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D) ## Abstract A system for securing a nut (24) used to compress a compliant seal (23) surrounding a radial conductor lead (21) of an electric generator (10). The generator has a rotor (11) with the radial conductor lead arranged in a radial lead bore (20) of the rotor and the seal coaxially arranged surrounding the radial lead. A receiving pocket (15) is arranged in a body of the rotor adjacent to the radial lead bore. The nut is arranged coaxially with the radial conductor lead, the nut including a seal contacting surface (35) and a ligament (26) arranged opposite the seal contacting surface, wherein a portion of the ligament is deformed into the receiving pocket to lock the nut against rotation, thereby maintaining a desired degree of compression on the seal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for securing a seal of an electric generator having a rotor with a radial conductor lead arranged in a radial lead bore of the rotor, comprising: a single receiving pocket arranged in a body of the rotor adjacent to and radially outward relative to the radial lead bore; a nut arranged coaxially with the radial conductor lead, the nut comprising: a seal contacting surface arranged at an axial face of the nut; and a radially outermost ligament arranged opposite the seal contacting surface, wherein any angular portion of the radially outermost ligament is deformed outwardly into the single receiving pocket to lock the nut against rotation about the radial lead, wherein an angular position of the nut is not dependent on an angular position of the single receiving pocket to lock the nut against rotation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the single receiving pocket is arranged remote from a rotor centerline axis location. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the single receiving pocket does not encompass a location of relative maximum cyclic stress of the rotor adjacent to the radial lead. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the single receiving pocket is arranged in a quadrant that contains a location of relative minimum cyclic stress of the rotor adjacent to the radial lead. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the single receiving pocket opens into the radial lead bore. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein nut further comprises a radially innermost ligament separated from the radially outermost ligament by a circumferential groove. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a tool having a nut contacting portion and a lever portion arranged opposite the nut contacting portion, the nut contacting portion sized and configured to mate with the nut for deforming the portion of the radially outermost ligament of the nut into the single receiving pocket of the rotor. ### Claim 8 An electric generator rotor radial lead seal arrangement, comprising: a rotor comprising a radial lead bore, and a single receiving pocket arranged adjacent to and radially outward relative to the radial lead bore on a surface of the rotor; a radial lead arranged in the radial lead bore; a compressible seal having an outer diameter configured to coaxially seal against the radial lead bore and an inner diameter configured to coaxially seal against the radial lead when the seal is compressed; a nut arranged on the radial lead the nut comprising: a contacting surface that compresses the compressible seal when the nut is threaded into the radial lead bore, and a ligament on a surface of the nut opposed the contacting surface; wherein any angular portion of the ligament may be deformed outwardly into the single receiving pocket to prevent rotation of the nut relative to the rotor, thereby maintaining a desired degree of compression on the seal, wherein an angular position of the nut is not dependent on an angular position of the single receiving pocket to lock the nut against rotation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the receiving single pocket is arranged remote from a rotor centerline axis location. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the single receiving pocket does not encompass a location of relative maximum cyclic stress of the rotor adjacent to the radial lead. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the single receiving pocket is arranged in a quadrant that contains a location of relative minimum cyclic stress of the rotor adjacent to the radial lead. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the ligament is an outermost ligament, and further comprising an innermost ligament also disposed on the surface opposed the contacting surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the single receiving pocket opens into the radial lead bore.