A.o. Smith Corporation

Aos Holding Company

Robert M Schurter

Timothy H Houle

Karl W Richter

Robert H Palmerton

Alan Edward Lesak

Robert J Heideman

Benjamin Joseph Bolton

Charles J Bishop

Vaughn A DeVorse

Edward Y Byaliy

Patrick J Bourke

An electric machine having a stator, a rotor, a first intermediate portion, an end cap, a second intermediate portion, and a second end cap. The first and second intermediate portions partially cover the stator. The electric machine further includes a fastener that couples the first and second end caps.

Electric machine and method of assembling the same

A water heater that includes a tank, an electrical component, and an electrical circuit. The tank defines a water chamber and includes an outer surface. The electrical component is coupled to the outer surface of the tank and extends from the outer surface of the tank. The electrical circuit electrically connects the electrical component and provides electricity to the electrical component when the electrical circuit is closed and does not provide electricity to the electrical component when the electrical circuit is open. A door assembly is movable between an open position and a closed position, and the door assembly includes a connecting device mounted to the door assembly. The connecting device closes the electrical circuit when the door assembly is in the closed position and opens the electrical circuit when the door assembly is in the open position.

Door insulator with safety plug

A rotor in which shaft portions are welded directly to the ends of a rotor stack by friction welding, which eliminates the need for a shaft hole in the rotor stack, thus providing a rotor in which each lamination has an unstamped, solid center, and the rotor has no other bores therein. As a result, no scrap is generated and motor efficiency is improved because the rotor has no bores therein. In addition, the amount of shaft material needed is also reduced because the shaft does not extend through the rotor stack.

Apparatus and method for attaching a shaft to an electric motor rotor

A combination punch and rivet tool, the tool being adapted to be mounted on the end of a robot arm, the tool comprising a C frame having two opposed sides, a punch die mounted on one side of the C frame, an anvil slidably mounted on said one side adjacent the punch die and selectively movable between a first position away from the punch die and a second position over the punch die, and a combination cylinder mounted on the other side of the C frame opposite the punch die, the combination cylinder comprising a coaxial inner punch and an outer rivet forming tool.

Tool for punching and riveting including a combination cylinder

An accumulator (10) has a freely movable, flexible and deformable bladder (20) with a single relatively rigid ring (40) stationarily secured thereto and defining a circle on the bladder which remains substantially uniplanar with itself during the flexing and deforming movement of the bladder but moves with the bladder along variable deformation planes of random orientation. The bladder freely and randomly flexes and deforms such that the circle is randomly oriented along random and varying planes during movement of the bladder during a cycle.

Accumulator with randomly uniplanar bladder collapse

A pressure vessel (10) has partially telescoped upper and lower shells (12, 14), a diaphragm (20a) with a peripheral edge (26) trapped and sealed between the shells (12, 14), and compression structure (50, 52) on the inner side (44a) of the peripheral edge (26) of the diaphragm (20a) reducing the amount of diaphragm material requiring compression and also increasing the compression of the bulge (42) of the peripheral edge (26) of the diaphragm (20a) in the bulge (34) of the upper wall section (18) of the lower shell (14) to enhance the seal thereat. The compression structure includes one or more internal ribs (50, 52) on the inner side (44a) of the peripheral edge (26) of the diaphragm (20a) such that the inner cylindrical wall portion (38) of the lower wall section (16) of the upper shell (12) compresses the internal ribs (50, 52) and subjects the bulge (42) of the peripheral edge (26) of the diaphragm (20a) to a direct force to provide the noted increased compression of the bulge (42) of the peripheral edge (26) of the diaphragm (20a), and such that the inner cylindrical wall portion (38) of the lower wall section (16) of the upper shell (12) engages and compresses the first rib (50) to apply a radial outward force compressing the peripheral edge (26) of the diaphragm (44a) radially outwardly against a tapered wall portion (54) of the upper wall section (18) of the lower shell (14) which also compresses the peripheral edge (26) of the diaphragm (44a) downwardly into the widest radial area portion of the bulge (34) of the upper wall section (18) of the lower shell (14) to enhance the seal thereat, all while still maintaining ease of telescoped assembly of the shells (12, 14), and such that the radial force on the ribs (50, 52) from the inner cylindrical wall portion (38) of the lower wall section (16) of the upper shell (12) is allowed to spread the ribs (50, 52) axially into less compressed areas (74, 82) to enable the noted reduction in the amount of diaphragm material requiring compression.

Pressure vessel with diaphragm compression seal

An improved combination anode mount and hot water outlet for a water heater. The water heater includes a tank to contain water to be heated and the tank has an upper head with an opening therein. An annular internally threaded spud is welded to the upper surface of the head in alignment with the opening in the head. The anode mount and hot water outlet includes a tubular metal body having an upper threaded end which is threaded to the spud. A wall or closure extends transversely across the body intermediate the ends and divides the body into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. Ports are provided in the body and establish communication between the tank and the upper chamber and serve to conduct heated water from the tank. The upper end of an anode formed of a metal electro-negative to steel is mounted in the lower chamber of the body and the steel core wire of the anode is welded within a hole in the transverse wall. The tubular body can be coated with a corrosion resistant metal and the portions of the body exposed to water in the tank and also be provided with an outer plastic coating.

Combination anode mount and hot water outlet for water heater

A combination anode mount and hot water outlet for a water heater. The water heater includes a steel tank to contain water to be heated and has an upper head formed with an opening therein. An annular internally threaded spud is secured to the upper surface of the head with the axis of the spud being located eccentrically with respect to the axis of the head opening. An elongated body or support formed of an electrically insulating material, such as plastic, extends through the opening in the head and a cam shaped flange extends laterally from the upper end of the body and is disposed within the spud and is supported on the upper surface of the head. The body is formed with an outlet passage which communicates with the interior of the tank so that heated water in the tank can flow through the passage for discharge. An anode is secured to the lower end of the body and an electrical connector embedded in the body is connected to the anode and extends upwardly and is exposed at the cam flange. By rotating the body within the opening in the head, the cam will wedge against the threads of the spud to lock the body against rotation and provide a positive electrical connection between the electrical connector and the spud.

Combination anode mount and hot water outlet utilizing a cam lock

A composite tubular structure, such as a vehicle drive shaft. The ends of a fiber reinforced resin tubular member are formed with a plurality of longitudinal slots and each slotted end of the tubular member is positioned in overlapping relation with a cylindrical sleeve portion of a metal yoke. A cylindrical metal collar is disposed around the overlapping joint and spaced portions of the collar are deformed inwardly by electromagnetic energy into contact with the sleeve of the yoke. The deformed portions can be mechanically interlocked with the sleeve by welding or the like. With this construction, the torsional load is transmitted through the deformed portions of the collar and the edges of the tubular member bordering the slots to provide an improved mechanical connection between the fiber reinforced tubular member and the yokes.

Method of forming composite tubular structure

A fill valve for a water heating system. An expansion tank is provided with a flexible diaphragm which divides the tank into a water chamber and a closed gas chamber. A fill valve assembly is mounted within an opening in the tank and includes a valve body having an axial passage and a radial passage connects the axial passage to a water inlet. One end of the axial passage communicates with the water chamber of the expansion tank, while the opposite end of the axial passage communicates with the water heating system. The central portion of the axial passage defines a valve seat and a hollow valve member is mounted for sliding movement in the axial passage, and the inner end of the valve member extends into the tank in position to be contacted by the diaphragm. Mounted on the valve member is an annular valve which is biased to engage the valve seat. A plurality of ports extends laterally of the valve member and provides communication between the inlet and the interior of the valve member. When the liquid in the water heating system expands, the diaphragm will be flexed inwardly causing the valve to be biased to a closed position to prevent water from entering through the inlet. When the volume of water in the heating system contracts, the diaphragm will flex outwardly moving the valve member within the valve body to open the valve and permit water to flow from the inlet to the heating system.

Fill valve for a water heating system

A pressure vessel (1) includes a pair of shells (2,3) which are suitably joined together. A flexible diaphragm (12) is disposed within the vessel and sealingly mounted to the vessel walls adjacent the joint. The lower shell wall (5) has a radially outwardly extending offset (17) and bulge (19) forming an interior groove (20) for receiving a projection (16) on the diaphragm. The bulge merges into an inwardly tapered wall (21) which in turn merges into an axial cylindrical wall (23) having a terminus edge (24). The upper shell wall (4) has a pair of spaced radially inwardly extending offsets (25,28). The upper (25) of said pair of offsets provides an abutment (26) receiving the terminus edge (24) of the lower shell. An axial cylindrical wall (29) between the pair of inward offsets press-fittingly engages the upper edge portion (23) of the lower shell. A further cylindrical wall (30) extends downwardly from the lower (28) of said pair of offsets and compressingly engages the diaphragm (12) so that it tends to ride down the inclined ramp-like tapered wall (21) and tightens into the groove (20) during assembly. The further cylindrical wall (30) merges into an inwardly tapered protective lip (32).

Growing community of inventors

Elm Grove, WI, United States of America

Robert M Schurter