Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Disassembling
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-16
2001-09-11
Hughes, S. Thomas (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Disassembling
C029S267000, C029S280000, C029S282000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286197
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to oil burner units, and more particularly to an apparatus and method used in maintenance of the oil burner units to remove drive couplings or drive coupling components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The operation and maintenance of oil burner units are well known. An oil burner unit typically includes a motor and an oil pump which are mounted directly opposite each other on the exterior of the oil burner unit housing. A drive coupling couples the motor shaft and the oil pump shaft so that the motor shaft drives the oil pump shaft. The motor shaft includes a flat portion (“flat”) which rotates the drive coupling.
The drive coupling, which is usually made of a plastic, is comprised of a first coupling end fitting that is disposed on the oil pump shaft, a second coupling end fitting that is disposed on the motor shaft, and a connector which connects the first and second coupling end fittings.
During maintenance of the oil burner unit, it is often necessary to remove the oil pump from the oil burner unit. When the technician pulls the oil pump from the oil burner unit, the drive coupling often splits into its components with the second drive coupling end fitting remaining disposed on the motor shaft. This happens because over a period of time the plastic of the second drive coupling end fitting bonds to the metal of the motor shaft and the plastic of the first drive coupling end fitting bonds to the metal of the pump shaft. In order to reinstall the drive coupling, or replace if broken, it is necessary to remove the second drive coupling end fitting from the motor shaft.
The pump opening in the oil burner unit housing is too small to allow a technician to insert his hand or a pliers to remove the second drive coupling end fitting from the motor shaft. The common practice is to pry the second drive coupling end fitting from the motor shaft by placing a screwdriver between oil burner fan blades and prying the second drive coupling end fitting from the motor shaft. This is often a hit and miss process and there is always a risk of damaging the fan blades. Further, even if the technician removes the second drive coupling end fitting from the motor shaft by this method, the fitting invariably falls inside the housing where it is difficult to reach.
In some oil burner units, there is no access for a screwdriver to the second drive coupling end fitting between the fan blades, either because the fan blades are located so close to each other or because burner design does not allow access to the second drive coupling end fitting. In these cases, the technician must remove the motor from the oil burner unit to remove the second drive coupling end fitting, which is time consuming and laborious. If the work is performed on a mobile home furnace, the technician must remove the whole oil burner unit from the furnace to have enough room to remove the motor, wherein such removal includes disassembly. The oil burner unit disassembly tends to destroy certain burner parts and is further time consuming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the art of oil burners.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tool which minimizes the amount of time a technician must spend to maintain an oil burner unit.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tool which minimizes a a technician's effort when attempting to remove a drive coupling or a drive coupling component in an oil burner unit.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a tool which is simple to produce, yet effective for removing a drive coupling or a drive coupling component in an oil burner unit.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a tool which is uniquely suited for removing a drive coupling or a drive coupling component in an oil burner unit.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a lightweight and easy to handle tool which is effective for removing a drive coupling or a drive coupling component in an oil burner unit.
It is even another object to provide an apparatus which makes it easier for a technician to remove a drive coupling or a drive coupling component from a motor shaft through an oil pump opening of an oil burner housing.
These and other objects are obtained in accordance with the present invention wherein there is provided an apparatus for removing at least one drive coupling component from an oil burner unit. The drive coupling comprises a first drive coupling end fitting disposed on an oil pump shaft, a second drive coupling end fitting disposed on a motor shaft and a drive coupling connector which connects the first and second drive coupling end fittings. The apparatus comprises a handle having a proximal and a distal end, a front wall contiguous with the distal end of the handle and including a proximal exterior surface and a distal interior surface, a receiver contiguous with the interior surface of the front wall for receiving at least one drive coupling component, the receiver having an interior surface and a longitudinal axis, and an engagement member contiguous with the distal end of the receiver, the engagement member having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the receiver, the engagement member including an interior surface for engaging a distal end of the second drive coupling end fitting.
The apparatus of the present invention preferably includes at least one pry receptor disposed on the handle for receiving a prying instrument, wherein the at least one pry receptor includes at least one opening disposed through said handle.
The apparatus of the present invention also preferably includes a lip disposed on the proximal end of the handle and a downwardly disposed beveled portion at the distal end of the handle, such that the bottom of the distal end of the handle is integral with the bottom of the exterior surface of the front wall.
It is also preferable that the interior surface of the receiver includes an arch shaped portion and the interior surface of the receiver includes a geometry which is substantially the same size and shape as a portion of the exterior surface of the second drive coupling end fitting.
Alternatively, the interior surface of the receiver can include a geometry which is substantially the same size and shape as a portion of the exterior surface of the drive coupling.
It is also preferable that the apparatus of the present invention be solid cast.
A method for removing at least one drive coupling component from an oil burner unit is also contemplated by the present invention. The drive coupling comprises a first drive coupling end fitting disposed on an oil pump shaft of an oil pump, a second drive coupling end fitting disposed on a motor shaft and a drive coupling connector which connects the first and second drive coupling end fittings. The method comprises removing the oil pump, placing an apparatus through the oil pump opening and underneath the at least one drive coupling component, wherein the apparatus comprises:
a handle having a proximal and a distal end, the handle including at least one pry receptor for receiving a prying instrument;
a front wall contiguous with the distal end of the handle and including a proximal exterior surface and a distal interior surface;
a receiver contiguous with the interior surface of the front wall for receiving at least one drive coupling component, the receiver having an interior surface and a longitudinal axis; and
an engagement member contiguous with the distal end of the receiver, said engagement member having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the receiver, the engagement member including an interior surface for engaging a distal end of the second drive coupling end fitting; and
inserting the pry instrument in said pry receptor, and prying said at least one drive coupling component from said motor shaft.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3619887 (1971-11-01), McLaughlin
patent: 4768271 (1988
Greenwood Alan
Polkhovskiy Nikolay
Giglio David
Hughes S. Thomas
Omgba Essama
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