Drilling motor optical encoder mounting apparatus and method of installation
OwnerWatts C Cutter, IIIinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Control over an electric motor is especially critical in large drilling rigs and a means of accurately and quickly measuring the speed of the rotor of an electric motor and correlating that information with other real-time information has been hampered by the failure of the prior art to attach optical encoders to electric motors with precision. The present device attaches to arbor of a cap on the end of the rotor which provides a centralized and sealed shaft extending through a covering plate on the end of the motor and directly attaching to an optical encoder.
Claims5
An optical encoder attachment apparatus comprising:
- a bearing cap providing attachment means on a proximal end of the bearing cap to a rotor of an electric motor and a shaft on the distal end of the bearing cap;
- a bearing cap plate providing a centralized aperture permitting the shaft from the bearing cap to extend through the bearing cap plate, and a recess on said bearing cap plate for centering and seating an optical encoder;
- and,
- an optical encoder attached to the shaft of the bearing cap of the motor seated within the recess on the bearing plate.
A method of installation of an optical encoder on an electric drilling motor comprising:
- connecting a shafted bearing cap to a rotor of a motor;
- placing a bearing cap plate providing an centralized aperture therethrough over an end of the shaft extending through the aperture in the bearing cap plate from the bearing cap;
- positioning a guide over the shaft and seating the guide in a recess on the exterior surface of the bearing cap plate to center the shaft in the center of the bearing cap plate;
- commencing the affixation of the bearing cap plate to the body of the motor without binding the guide in the recess on the bearing cap plate as a result of uneven tightening of the affixation means;
- removing the guide after completion of the affixation of the bearing cap plate to the motor;
- and,
- seating and attaching the optical encoder in the recess to the shaft of the bearing cap extending through the aperture.
An optical encoder attachment on an electric drilling motor comprising:
- means for connecting a shafted bearing cap to a rotor of a motor;
- means for placing a bearing cap plate providing an centralized aperture therethrough over an end of the shaft extending from the bearing cap through the aperture in the bearing cap plate;
- means for positioning a guide over the shaft and seating the guide in a recess on the exterior surface of the bearing cap plate to align the shaft in the center of the bearing cap plate;
- means for affixation of the bearing cap plate to the body of the motor without binding the guide in the recess on the bearing cap plate as a result of uneven tightening of the affixation means;
- and,
- means for seating and attaching the optical encoder in the recess to the shaft of the bearing cap extending through the aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.