Patents Assigned to Reliance Electric
  • Patent number: 6849804
    Abstract: A technique and system for insulating conductors is provided in which insulating tubes are formed by winding insulating tape on a mandrel, with two or more layers of tape being wound in the same or opposite helical directions. The layers are bonded to one another and multiple tubes are formed in a series which can be nestingly assembled. The tubes are selected based upon the insulation rating desired and the size of a conductor. The tubes are assembled on the conductor and bonded to one another and to the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Hudson
  • Patent number: 6844648
    Abstract: A winding pattern and technique for a stator of an electric motor is provided. The pattern is particularly well-suited for forming a four-pole, three-phase machine. The winding pattern permits concentric windings to be fully installed in slots of a stator core by machine in multiple steps. The concentric windings include windings which are singularly located within slots, and windings that share slots with other windings. The windings maybe inserted in the core slots by rotation of the core in an insertion station. Leads from the windings exit both ends of the core to facilitate channeling and termination of the windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Craig W. Luttrell, David M. Byrd
  • Patent number: 6836204
    Abstract: A technique is provided for insulating a winding or coil for an electrical machine such as a motor. The coil is wound and placed in a taping station. Multiple layers of insulating tape are applied along an end region with leads bent back from the end region. The taping station permits the leads to be then placed over the insulated end region, and the main body region of the coil is similarly taped in a continuous uninterrupted manner. The tape wrap pitch may be varied along certain regions, where increased dielectric strength is desired. Following the insulating tape application, an armor tape may be applied over both the end region and the main region of the coil in a continuous uninterrupted manner. The coil can then be finished and assembled in a machine such as an electric motor stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ray Thomas Reid, Jeffrey A. Hudson
  • Patent number: 6819018
    Abstract: Technique for reducing bearing current discharges in a system by increasing the surface area between the shaft and the frame of the system and thereby increasing the rotor to frame capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Melfi
  • Patent number: 6798096
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a system and method for facilitating cooling of a totally enclosed motor. A first thermal barrier is coupled to a first end bracket and is operable to insulate bearings from internal heat produced by the motor. Either an external fan located opposite the drive end of the motor, an externally mounted blower, or free ambient air convection may be employed to provide cooling air to the motor. An air deflector is coupled to the drive end of the motor to capture the cooling air and direct it as high velocity air over the first end bracket thereby keeping the bearings supported within the first end bracket cool. Alternatively, an external fan may be coupled to the drive end of the motor to provide cooling air to the first end bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Douglas Browne, Stephen T. Evon, William L. Subler, Jack Byron Whitley
  • Patent number: 6796739
    Abstract: A torsional joint assembly and method of making same having members of formed of dissimilar materials bonded together at calculated angles to result in essentially singularity-free joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Boris A. Shoykhet
  • Patent number: 6781264
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a system and method for integrating an electric motor with an electromagnetic brake. An integral field cup and front end shield is employed to function as both a brake field cup and a motor end shield. The integral field cup and front end shield houses a bearing assembly for the motor and an electromagnetic coil for the brake. Moreover, the integral field cup and front end shield operatively encloses the opposite drive end of the motor. In addition, an internal fan is positioned at the opposite drive end of the motor outside the brake and is operable to cool both the brake and the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David W. Conrad, David Reynolds
  • Patent number: 6768411
    Abstract: A stator assembly for use in an electromechanical machine includes an improved concentric winding arrangement. Groups of concentric coils are alternately inserted from both ends of the stator core. In other words, a first phase group is inserted from one end. The stator core is then rotated 180° for insertion of the second phase group. Next, the stator core is rotated back to its original position for insertion of the third phase group. The alternating process continues until all phase groups have been inserted. Preferably, the winding pattern utilizes a combination of full slots and shared slots, with full slots of different groups of the same phase being adjacent to one another. The invention permits the use of automated winding equipment in large inductions motors where hand insertion was often required in the past.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Craig W. Luttrell
  • Patent number: 6745640
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing worm shafts for a gearbox. The method comprises using a common worm shaft blank to produce worm gears for all of the gear ratios of a family of gearboxes. The common worm shaft blank has a defined outer diameter. The method may comprise establishing an axial pitch to enable the worm shaft to be adapted with a thread to produce a desired gearbox ratio using the common worm shaft blank. The method may comprise adapting the common worm shaft blank to produce the worm shaft thread for the desired gear ratio. The system comprises a family of gearboxes having a plurality of gear ratios. The worm shafts for each of the gearboxes is adapted from a worm shaft produced from a common worm shaft blank. The worm shafts may all have the same outer diameter at the thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Chuong H. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 6734584
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a system and method for facilitating cooling of a totally enclosed motor. A first thermal barrier is coupled to a first end bracket and is operable to insulate bearings from internal heat produced by the motor. Either an external fan located opposite the drive end of the motor, an externally mounted blower, or free ambient air convection may be employed to provide cooling air to the motor. An air deflector is coupled to the drive end of the motor to capture the cooling air and direct it as high velocity air over the first end bracket thereby keeping the bearings supported within the first end bracket cool. Alternatively, an external fan may be coupled to the drive end of the motor to provide cooling air to the first end bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Douglas Browne, Stephen T. Evon, William L. Subler, Jack Byron Whitley
  • Patent number: 6722016
    Abstract: A technique for separating the stator leads of an electric motor during the manufacturing process. The technique comprises a system having a lead gathering assembly, a lead separator, and a drive mechanism. The lead gathering assembly is adapted to gather together a plurality of stator windings extending from a stator. The lead separator having a plurality of teeth adapted to separate a stator winding from the plurality of stator windings gathered together by the lead gathering assembly. The drive mechanism is adapted to drive the lead separator into the plurality of stator windings. The lead separator has teeth to separate each of the stator windings gathered together by the lead gathering assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Hobart DeHart
  • Patent number: 6720692
    Abstract: An electromechanical machine includes a stator fixed with respect to a housing structure and a rotor fixed with respect to a driven shaft. The stator includes a magnetically permeable core having a plurality of parallel winding slots containing conductive windings. Coilheads are located at opposite axial ends of the magnetically permeable core where the windings turn to extend down a parallel winding slot. The motor is equipped with an electrostatic shield arrangement to reduce capacitive coupling between the stator and rotor during operation. The shield arrangement comprises a grounded conductive layer separated from the conductive windings of the stator by an insulative layer of cured resin material. Preferably, the conductive layer may be formed of a conductive paint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Sidney Bell
  • Patent number: 6705008
    Abstract: A system and method for sleeving a lead wire of a stator is provided. The stator includes a metal core and a plurality of lead wires extending from the metal core for providing electrical power and control signals to the stator. A gathering system is used to group the lead wires together. The lead wires are then separated and positioned by a separating system. Next, a single lead wire is secured with a grasping system and extended forward to an x, y, and z position in space. A sleeving system, fitted with an appropriately sized sleeve, is then guided along the lead wire so as to thread the sleeve with the lead wire. The stator or sleeving system is then rotated to sleeve another lead wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Charles Requet, III
  • Patent number: 6670733
    Abstract: Technique for reducing bearing current discharges in a system by increasing the surface area between the shaft and the frame of the system and thereby increasing the rotor to frame capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Melfi
  • Patent number: 6664682
    Abstract: A technique for securing a conduit box to a housing of an electric motor is disclosed. The technique includes forming a hollow extension from a surface of the conduit box. The conduit box is placed on a motor frame so that the hollow extension is inserted into a hole in the motor frame that passes into the hollow interior of the motor frame. The hollow extension is plastically deformed inside the motor housing to a greater width than the diameter of the hole in the motor housing so that the conduit box cannot be removed from the motor housing. A stator is placed in the motor housing and wiring is routed from the stator to the interior of the wiring box through a passageway formed by the hollow extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Donald H. Williams, Richard L. Boyd, W. Alan Ewing
  • Patent number: 6663349
    Abstract: A pump control system and a controller therefor are disclosed which operate a motorized pump in a controlled fashion. The controller provides a control signal to a motor drive according to a setpoint or according to a cavitation signal from a cavitation detection component in the controller. If the cavitation detection component determines that pump cavitation is likely or suspected, the controller may operate the pump motor according to the cavitation signal, in order to reduce or eliminate the cavitation condition, before resuming normal control according to the setpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Frederick M. Discenzo, Dukki Chung, Joseph K. Zevchek
  • Patent number: 6657333
    Abstract: A rotating coupling allows a vacuum chamber in the rotor of a superconducting electric motor to be continually pumped out. The coupling consists of at least two concentric portions, one of which is allowed to rotate and the other of which is stationary. The coupling is located on the non-drive end of the rotor and is connected to a coolant supply and a vacuum pump. The coupling is smaller in diameter than the shaft of the rotor so that the shaft can be increased in diameter without having to increase the size of the vacuum seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Boris A. Shoykhet, Burt Xudong Zhang, David Infante Driscoll
  • Patent number: 6656317
    Abstract: A technique and system for insulating conductors is provided in which insulating tubes are formed by winding insulating tape on a mandrel, with two or more layers of tape being wound in the same or opposite helical directions. The layers are bonded to one another and multiple tubes are formed in a series which can be nestingly assembled. The tubes are selected based upon the insulation rating desired and the size of a conductor. The tubes are assembled on the conductor and bonded to one another and to the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Hudson
  • Patent number: 6648336
    Abstract: A seal system is provided for a bearing. The bearing includes a housing having two sides and a bearing element disposed within the housing. The bearing element is disposed to facilitate motion of a rotating shaft. The seal system includes a seal carrier which is adapted to be mounted on the bearing housing. The seal carrier has a groove in an inner periphery wherein a seal is disposed within the seal carrier groove. The seal has a soft flexible lip which contacts the rotating shaft. A groove is formed in an outer periphery of the seal for receiving a retaining device. The seal and the seal carrier are mountable on either side of the bearing even when the two sides experience dissimilar environments such as vacuum on one side and a liquid spray on the other. The seal and/or the seal carrier may be split for facilitating simpler in-field installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory J. Kostrzewsky, Michael A. Shea, Qimin Dong
  • Patent number: 6648514
    Abstract: A sleeve bearing system is provided in which wear is reduced and thrust loading capabilities are offered. An inner ring is secured tightly to a rotating member via a collar. The inner ring forms a plain or sleeve bearing with a bearing set. The bearing set may be supported within a housing designed to be fitted to a machine frame. A thrust extension of the bearing set interfaces with the collar to transmit thrust loading on the rotating member to the bearing set and housing via the inner ring and collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James J. Cevasco, Alexander R. Diaz