Brush holder apparatus, brush assembly, and method

A brush holder assembly for removably installing a conductive brush against a moving conductive surface of an electrical generator in a power plant without stopping motion of the conductive surface of the electrical generator, the brush holder assembly comprising:

• an elongate mounting block being elongated in a longitudinal direction between a lower end and an upper end of the elongate mounting block, and the elongate mounting block including a front face, a rear face, an aperture extending from the front face to the rear face for receiving attachment hardware to fixedly secure the rear face against a base of the electrical generator, and a stationary brush release that extends longitudinally upward from the lower end of the elongate mounting block, wherein the stationary brush release has a longitudinal length greater than a maximum width of the stationary brush release and a maximum thickness of the stationary brush release;
• and
• a brush holder component removably mountable to the elongate mounting block such that the brush holder component is detachable from the elongate mounting block without removal of the attachment hardware, the brush holder component comprising a brush box and a channel for receiving a portion of the elongate mounting block therein,
• the brush holder component further comprising a brush catch that is adjustable, in response to engagement with the stationary brush release that extends longitudinally upward from the lower end of the elongate mounting block, from a first position wherein the brush catch engages a lateral side of the conductive brush to a second position wherein the brush catch disengages the conductive brush.