Brush holder apparatus, brush assembly, and method

A method of removably attaching a brush holder component to an electrical generator in a power plant without stopping a moving conductive surface adjacent a conductive brush held by the attached brush holder component, the method comprising:

• slidably engaging a channel of a brush holder component with an elongate mounting block that is fixedly mounted to a base while a brush box of the brush holder component carries a conductive brush, the mounting block being elongated in a longitudinal direction between a lower end and an upper end of the mounting block, the mounting block including a front face, a rear face abutting the base, an aperture extending from the front face to the rear face for receiving a mounting fastener to fixedly secure the mounting block to the base, and a stationary brush release positioned proximate to the lower end of the mounting block and extending upward therefrom;
• advancing the brush holder component along the mounting block toward the moving conductive surface of the electrical generator so that the stationary brush release of the mounting block engages a brush catch of the brush holder component, the brush catch being spring biased to a first position for bearing against a lateral side of the conductive brush at a position above a lowermost edge of the brush box, wherein the brush catch is adjustable, in response to engagement with the stationary brush release, from the first position to a second position for disengaging the conductive brush;
• and
• releasably locking the brush holder component on the mounting block while the conductive brush extends from the lowermost edge of brush box and engages the moving conductive surface of the electrical generator.