Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Thomas J Donnelly

Herbert E Ferree

Michael D Hecht

Thomas R Wagner

An improved electric actuator is provided, having in association therewith a resolver. The actuator includes a stationary and a rotatable housing, and an electric motor within it. The electric motor drives the rotary housing through a speed reducing harmonic drive mechanism. The actuator has an opening in the rotary housing, and a cavity inwardly of the opening having a mating anchoring element connected with the stationary housing. A modular resolver is provided, of a shape and size to have a major portion of it occupy the cavity provided in the actuator, and having a mating part for engaging the mating part of the stationary housing, upon assemblage of the resolver to the actuator. A rotatable part of the resolver is secured to the rotary housing. A heat dissipation system is provided, including a fan mounted on a rotary member of the actuator and a closed circuit for the passage of air between the fan and a heat conductive plate forming a part of the stationary housing. Stability for the rotary housing is provided by widely spaced ball bearings supporting a rotary shaft extending from the rotary housing, the ball bearings being located at the maximum axial spacing within the stationary housing. In addition, an electromagnetic brake of lightweight construction is provided to prevent rotation of the rotary housing, and the resolver includes a coupling of the bellows type for elastic isolation from distortion of the parts, due to stresses between the fixed and rotary parts of the resolver.

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Monroeville, PA, United States of America

Thomas J Donnelly