Abstract: A method and apparatus providing for a small vehicle motor. The motor includes a motor shell, a drive shaft housing disposed in the motor, and an extended drive shaft disposed in the drive shaft housing. The extended drive shaft replaces conventional couplings and separate axles and thereby reduces the number of bearings needed. Noise and the possibility of misalignment are also reduced by the extended drive shaft of the motor, which is coupled directly to a vehicle axle drive gear.

Abstract: A method for making a core for one of a rotor and a stator for use in an electric motor, the core being formed from a plurality of laminations, includes forming a predetermined number of through-material slots in a first portion of a material stock, forming at least one angled interlocking projection in the material stock, the projection having a circumferential length and being formed so that at least a portion of the projection remains integral with the material stock, cutting the material stock to define a receiving opening corresponding to the interlocking projection, the receiving opening positioned relative to the projection at an angle &phgr; that is a whole number multiple of &bgr;, where &bgr; is an angle defined as a ratio of 360 degrees to the number of slots and cutting the material stock to form a first substantially circular lamination. Second and third laminations are formed in kind.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of making dynamoelectric machines which include use of two sheet metal cup-shaped members to form a housing that completely surrounds and encloses the stator. The stator is assembled with a can in such a manner that the core of the stator is completely contained within the can. Thereafter, a cap is positioned at the exposed face of the stator and the cap and can are joined together by a sheet metal fastening technique which displaces material from one superposed sheet into a second sheet of material. The can and cap are precision formed so that they will have precision sized and located bearing receivers and core retention regions. Both the cap and the can are provided with multiple flange locations which are utilized for fastening the can and cap together during the assembly process.

Abstract: A motor rotor or stator core is formed of a plurality of stacked generally circular laminations. The stack defines at least one inner lamination having laminations positioned adjacent to both sides of the lamination. Each lamination has a predetermined number of circumferentially equally spaced slots or bar elements extending radially at about an edge thereof. The inner laminations include at least one interlocking projection formed in one of the surfaces at a predetermined radial distance from the center of the lamination. The laminations further define at least one projection receiving region formed therein to engage the projection when the laminations arc in the stacked formation. The projection receiving region is spaced from the interlocking projection by an angle .phi. that is a whole number multiple of .beta., where .beta. is an angle defined as a ratio of 360 degrees to the number of slots. A method for making the stacked core is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of making dynamoelectric machines which include use of two sheet metal cup-shaped members to form a housing that completely surrounds and encloses the stator. The stator is assembled with a can in such a manner that the core of the stator is completely contained within the can. Thereafter, a cap is positioned at the exposed face of the stator and the cap and can are joined together by a sheet metal fastening technique which displaces material from one superposed sheet into a second sheet of material. The can and cap are precision formed so that they will have precision sized and located bearing receivers and core retention regions. Both the cap and the can are provided with multiple flange locations which are utilized for fastening the can and cap together during the assembly process.