Kohler Company

Martin W Heinrich

Richard D Van Maaren

Jonathan D Churchill

Jeffrey L Bracht

Donald R Fischer

James A Ten Hoven

Richard L Sleder

Scott J Haugstad

Randall J Poirier

Matthew F Slana

A method of attaching a stepper motor to a throttle shaft provides constant torque transmission by connecting the shafts coaxially with a coupling that accommodates limited shaft misalignment and movement. In the preferred embodiment, the coupling comprises a fork, parallel to, and attached to, one shaft that receives a pin, perpendicular to, and attached to, the second shaft. The coupling permits the coaxial attachment of the shaft without the necessity of maintaining precise mounting tolerances.

Throttle with co-axial stepper motor drive

A brushless alternator for an engine-generator set has a housing for mounting to the engine. Raised ribs define an internal bore of the housing, the bore having a constant diameter to mount the stator and the exciter field assembly, both of which have the same laminations. The ribs also define cooling air flow paths through the housing. A fan is mounted outside of the housing at the free end of the housing to draw air into the engine end, through the housing and out the free end.

Brushless alternator

An enclosure for an engine and a generator which is adapted to be positioned in the front of a motor vehicle and adjacent an inlet for the coolng air of the vehicle engine. A housing encloses both an engine and a generator, and there are separate air inlet openings and air outlets for the engine and the generator. In a preferred manner the air outlet duct for the engine extends to the outside of a motor vehicle and laterally thereof with the air outlet adapted to accommodate an exhaust pipe for a generator engine. Also preferably the air inlet and outlet for the generator are disposed at a 90 degree angle from each other.

Enclosure for engine driven generator set

An acoustical enclosure for a marine engine generator set includes a squirrel cage fan powered mechanically by the engine and mounted over a large opening in an end of the enclosure. Air inlets are provided to admit external air into the enclosure. A large air flow results, allowing the generator to be operated at full capacity, even at elevated ambient temperatures. Noise is prevented from escaping out of the opening in the end of the enclosure by having the fan placed directly over the opening, where the solid plate of the squirrel cage fan reflects a portion of the noise back into the enclosure where it is absorbed by sound absorbing material lining the inside of the enclosure. A fan duct surrounds the fan and a cover is placed over the duct. The cover is also lined with sound absorbing material to further attenuate any noise not reflected back by the fan.

Acoustic enclosure for marine engine generator set

A compact generator unit including a cooling system in which the engine and generator are mounted at points outside of the perimeter of the generator fan such that the generator fan serves to cool both the generator and the engine.

Growing community of inventors

Cedar Grove, WI, United States of America

Martin W Heinrich