Supports – Machinery support – Bracket
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-09
2002-04-30
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Machinery support
Bracket
Reexamination Certificate
active
06378834
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a hub ring employed in mounting a rotating shaft of an electrical device, for example an electric motor, to a supporting bracket. In particular, the present invention pertains to a hub ring that reduces or eliminates the transmission of vibration from the shaft to the supporting bracket and is provided with an integral locking mechanism that automatically secures the hub ring to the supporting bracket when the hub ring is positioned on the bracket without the need for separate attachment parts and/or fasteners.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Hub rings have long been employed in the prior art in mounting electrical devices such as electric motors to supporting brackets. Vibration damping hub rings are generally comprised of an inner, annular damper constructed of a resilient material such as rubber and an outer, annular ring constructed of a more rigid material such as plastic or metal. Hub rings are usually employed in pairs with the annular dampers of the hub rings being mounted over bearings or bushings mounted on the opposite ends of the motor shaft and the outer rigid rings of the hub rings being mounted on support brackets.
FIG. 1
shows one example of a prior art hub ring
12
mounted on a support bracket
14
. The support bracket
14
is one of a pair of support brackets
14
,
16
that support an electric motor
18
by supporting opposite ends of the motor shaft
22
. In the example shown, each support bracket
14
,
16
is constructed from a flat piece of metal that is stamped or in some other equivalent manner formed with a base portion
24
and an arm portion
26
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the arm portion
26
of each bracket is bent at a right angle relative to the base portion
24
. When the base portion of each bracket is attached to a support surface, for example that of an electric appliance, each arm portion positions an arcuate support surface
28
of each arm at a vertical height above the base portion that is sufficient to support the electric motor
18
above each base portion. Although only one support surface
28
of the two bracket arms
26
is visible in
FIG. 1
, they are both configured in the same manner. At the opposite ends of the support surface
28
each arm is formed with a pair of outwardly projecting catches
32
. Each of the catches
32
has a latch surface
34
on its underside.
The support brackets
14
shown in
FIG. 1
are only one example of support brackets that have been employed in supporting electrical devices such as motors. There are many other types of support brackets that are used for the same purpose, however most have the common features of an arcuate support surface and a pair of latch surfaces at opposite ends of the support surface.
The support surface
28
of the bracket
14
to the right in
FIG. 1
is shown supporting a prior art hub ring
12
attached to the bracket.
FIG. 2
shows the prior art hub ring
12
removed from the support bracket. The hub ring
12
is basically comprised of an outer annular ring
36
constructed of metal, plastic or other similar rigid material and an inner annular damper
38
constructed of rubber or other similar resilient material. The outer ring
36
has a cylindrical peripheral surface with an annular groove
42
formed into the surface forming a pair of annular rims
44
at axially opposite sides of the groove. The groove
42
has an axial dimension or width that is sized to receive the support surface
28
of the bracket in a tight fit, preventing any axial movement of the hub ring
12
relative to the bracket
14
when the hub ring is mounted on the bracket. The annular damper
38
is molded, glued or secured to the interior surface of the outer ring
36
in some other equivalent manner. In the embodiment of the hub ring shown in
FIG. 2
, the damper is formed with four radially inwardly projecting surfaces
46
that are dimensioned to fit in tight friction engagement around the exterior of a bearing or bushing mounted on the shaft
22
of the motor
18
. Alternatively, the interior surface
48
of the damper could be dimensioned to fit in tight friction engagement around the bearing or bushing supporting the motor shaft
22
.
Referring back to
FIG. 1
, the prior art hub ring
12
is shown mounted on the right side support bracket
14
with the damper
38
engaging around a bearing
52
mounted on the motor shaft
22
. The hub ring
12
is positioned on the support bracket
14
with the support surface
28
of the bracket engaging in the annular groove
42
of the ring. In the example shown in
FIG. 1
, the hub ring
12
is securely held on the bracket support surface
28
by a pair of curved straps
54
constructed of a rigid material such as metal, plastic or other similar rigid material. Each of the straps are the same and are formed with an elongated slot
56
adjacent one end and a fastener hole
58
adjacent the opposite end. In securing the hub ring
12
to the support bracket
14
, the straps
54
are positioned on the bracket as shown to the right in
FIG. 1
with the pair of arm catches
32
extending through the slots
56
of the brackets and with the fastener holes
58
of the brackets aligned at the top of the hub ring
12
. A screw
62
and nut
64
fastener is then attached through the aligned holes
58
of the straps and is tightened down, thereby securing the hub ring
12
to the support bracket
14
. This attachment process is repeated for a hub ring mounted on the motor shaft
22
at the opposite end or left hand end of the motor shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
shows a variation in the prior art mechanism for attaching a hub ring to a support bracket where the pair of curved straps are replaced by a single strap
66
having an inverted U-shape. The single strap
66
is constructed of metal, plastic or other similar resilient material. It is formed with a pair of elongated slots
68
adjacent its opposite distal ends and with a U-shaped bend
72
at its center. The center U-shaped bend
72
gives the single strap a resiliency in addition to the resiliency of the material from which the strap is constructed. In securing the hub ring
12
to a support bracket
14
employing the single strap
66
, one of the elongated slots
68
is first attached over one of the arm catches
32
of the support bracket and the strap
66
is stretched over the top of the hub ring
12
. Stretching the strap
66
causes the U-shaped bend
72
to open slightly enabling the elongated slot
68
on the opposite end of the strap to pass over the other arm catch
32
and engage with the latch surface
34
of the catch, thereby attaching the single strap
66
onto the support bracket securing the hub ring to the support bracket. In a variation of this attaching mechanism, a screw and nut fastener
74
can be provided through the U-shaped bend
72
. The fastener
74
can be tightened down to constrict the single strap
66
over the top of the hub ring
12
to further secure the hub ring to the support bracket
14
.
FIG. 4
shows a still further variation of a hub ring
76
that is similar to the previously described prior art hub rings except that it is provided with an integral attachment mechanism. The hub ring shown in
FIG. 4
is usually constructed of resilient plastic and includes a center ring
78
dimensioned to fit in tight friction engagement around a bearing or bushing
82
mounted on the motor shaft
84
. An outer ring
86
surrounds the center ring
78
and is connected to the center ring by a plurality of curved, resilient spring members
88
. The hub ring
76
is held to the support bracket
14
by integrally formed flexible attaching straps
92
that have slotted openings (not shown) near their distal ends. The attaching straps
92
are shown in their operative position in
FIG. 4
securing the hub ring
76
to the support bracket
14
. In at rest or free positions of the attaching straps
92
the resiliency of the straps moves them to positions that are spaced radially outward from the arm catc
Emerson Electric Co.
Ramirez Ramon O.
Thompson & Coburn LLP
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