Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Kenneth P Heuer

Ronald Dale Gentry

Richard A Van Sickle

Xen L Small

Richard A Sickle

A method of securing a tubular metallic magnet retainer to a tubular metallic frame of a dynamoelectric machine, the tubular frame having an annular internal surface, the steps comprising, forming an annular end surface at an end of said tubular frame that is located at an angle to said annular internal surface of said frame, an intersection of said annular end surface and said internal annular surface of said frame forming an annular first ridge, inserting said magnet retainer into said tubular frame, bending an annular end portion of said magnet retainer into engagement with said annular surface on said frame to thereby form a second annular ridge on said magnet retainer that is aligned with said first annular ridge, moving a welding electrode that has an annular tapered surface into engagement with said second ridge, a shape of said tapered surface on said welding electrode being such that there is annular line contact between a portion of said tapered surface on said welding electrode and said second ridge, and causing a welding current to flow through said electrode and through said first and second ridges to cause an annular imperforate weld to be developed between said first and second ridges.

Method of making frame and magnet assembly for a dynamoelectric machine

A frame and magnet assembly for a dynamoelectric machine. The assembly includes an imperforate frame member formed of metallic magnetic material. A one-piece tubular imperforate stainless steel magnet supporting part is disposed within the frame. The magnet supporting part has pockets that contain permanent magnets. The opposite ends of the frame have annular chamfered or tapered surfaces which intersect a tubular inner surface of the frame to define annular ridges. Annular end portions of the magnet support are bent into engagement with the tapered surfaces on the frame to thereby provide ridges on the magnet support that are aligned with the ridges on the frame. The ridges on the frame are welded to the ridges on the magnet support by a welding current that is supplied to a pair of welding electrodes that respectively engage the ridges on the magnet support. The welding electrodes have annular tapered surfaces which have line contact with the ridges on the magnet support.

Frame and magnet assembly for a dynamoelectric machine

A frame and magnet assembly for a dynamoelectric machine. The assembly includes an imperforate frame member that is formed of metallic magnetic material. A one-piece tubular imperforate magnet supporting part formed of nonmagnetic stainless steel is disposed within the frame. The magnet supporting part has a plurality of circumferentially spaced open-ended pockets and a permanent magnet is located in each pocket. The magnet supporting part has circular rims located at opposite ends of the supporting part. These rims are welded to the frame by circular imperforate continuous weld joints that extend throughout the entire circumference of the rims. These weld joints provide a hermetic seal that will not allow the entry of foreign substances, such as salt spray, into contact with the permanent magnets.

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Greenfield, IN, United States of America

Kenneth P Heuer