A.o. Smith Corporation

Crane Pumps & Systems, Inc.

Other

William James Watkins

Chih Min Lin

William Louis Mehlhorn

Ming C Kuo

Norman Richard Long

Mark Kowalak

Frank Edward Staigl, Iii

Janice Arline Fitzgerald

John R Belko

Bruce B Ordway

Ron D Hirth

Jevon Darvell Reynolds

Oscar Romero

Norm R Long

Randal A Oyster

A pump has a housing that defines a pump chamber () with a fluid inlet and outlet (). An impeller () is mounted for rotation in the pump chamber. A raceway () is in floating axial relationship with the impeller and divides the pump chamber into an inlet chamber (), an impeller chamber () and a discharge chamber (). The raceway has preferably two flow channels, in separated end-to-end arrangement. Each flow channel has an inlet passage and an outlet passage, establishing a fluid conduit from the inlet chamber to the impeller chamber and then to the discharge chamber. A spring () provides resistance to axial movement of the raceway away from the impeller. A seal chamber () formed on the raceway and pressurized by the fluid, urges the raceway towards the impeller.

Dual channel compliant turbine pump

A turbine pump that permits an impeller to stay compliant with a raceway by the use of a preloaded floating raceway that operates by utilizing fluid floating on both side of the raceway within the pump. Exemplary embodiments of the pump include a mounting frame that is adapted to engage the pump to a drive source; an end frame that is adapted to attach to the mounting frame and includes an inlet section and an outlet section that facilitate fluid flow entering and exiting the pump; a motor shaft enclosed within the mounting frame; a floating raceway that is situated within the end frame and positioned around the distal end of the motor shaft, and includes an inlet passage, an outlet passage and a bypass hole fixed relative to the position of the inlet passage and the outlet passage; a spring located at the top of the floating raceway and at least partially contained within a corresponding cavity located in the end frame that is preloaded to help maintain a desired clearance between the floating raceway and the impeller; and an impeller secured to an distal end of the motor shaft.

Turbine pump with floating raceway

An assembly controls the liquid level in a vessel in which a submersible pump is disposed. The assembly has a switch housing and a float housing, arranged proximate to each other. A switch in the switch housing selectively energizes a motor associated with the pump. When a float disposed in the float housing moves in response to a change in the liquid level of the vessel, the movement is coupled to the switch by a pair of magnets arranged in attractive relationship to each other. One of the magnets is in the switch housing and the other is in the float housing. The magnets interact by providing force fields that acts through a wall that separates the switch housing and the float housing. A lever on which the switch housing magnet is positioned tilts the magnets away from alignment as they approach each other, reducing the increase in attractive force therebetween.

Switch and float assembly for a pump

A device for interfacing power from an electrical supply having power terminals, that permits implementation of a wide range of power cord lengths and voltage connection combinations. The device includes a body having a cord side and an appliance side. The body has four or more terminals located on the cord side of the body, with one terminal being a ground terminal. At least one electrical connecting device is adapted to connect terminals. In a first configuration, the device is used at a lower voltage. In a second configuration, the device is used at a higher voltage.

Multi-voltage pump with discreet voltage cords

An electric motor includes a stator, a housing supporting the stator and having a bearing seat with an inner surface and an inner end, a bearing having an outer surface, a shaft rotatably supported by the bearing, and a rotor supported by the shaft. The motor also includes a tolerance ring having an interior surface, an exterior surface disposed against the bearing seat inner surface, and a plurality of elastic corrugations. Each of the elastic corrugations projects radially from the interior surface, defining a shoulder section disposed between the bearing and the inner end of the bearing seat. The shoulder section generates a spring force against the bearing to axially and radially support the bearing and to axially preload the bearing.

Method for assembling an electric motor using a slip fit tolerance ring

A motor assembly comprises a first end frame, a second end frame including at least one air outlet aperture, an air shroud surrounding a stator between the first end frame and the second end frame, the air shroud cooperating with the stator to form at least one air passage, and cooperating with the first end frame to form at least one air inlet aperture. The motor assembly also comprises a fan mounted on the rotating shaft, the fan operable to generate an air flow of ambient air through the at least one air inlet aperture, the at least one air passage and the at least one air outlet aperture.

Totally enclosed fan cooled motor

A terminal board includes an attachment portion engageable with an end cap and defines an attachment plane that is substantially parallel to an end plane defined by the end cap, and a first terminal portion adapted to receive a first terminal wire. The first terminal portion defines a first terminal plane that intersects the end plane to define an included angle. The included angle is between about 40 degrees and 80 degrees.

Electric machine having a tilted voltage adjustment

An electric machine assembly having an electric machine. The electric machine can include a first speed circuit and a second speed circuit. In some constructions, both speed circuits can be of a permanent split capacitor design. At least one of the speed circuits can include a switch that is controlled by the controller to limit current through an auxiliary circuit of the unused speed circuit when certain conditions exist.

Multiple-speed electric machine and method of operating the same

An apparatus comprising a driven element, a driving element operably coupled to the driven element, and a shield coupled to the driving element such that the shield at least partially covers at least one of the driven element and the driving element. The driven element includes a housing with an outer surface. The outer surface has a first raised portion and a first non-raised portion, the first non-raised portion at least partially surrounding the first raised portion, the first raised and first non-raised portions define a first surface pattern. The shield has an outer surface with a second raised portion and a second non-raised portion. The second non-raised portion at least partially surrounds the second raised portion, defining a second surface pattern substantially similar to the first surface pattern.

Combination shield and conduit box cover

An electric motor including having a housing, a stator fixed relative to the housing, a shaft rotatable about a motor axis, a rotor supported by the shaft for rotation with the shaft relative to the stator, a terminal board fixed relative to the housing, and first and second electrical terminals supported by the terminal board. The electric motor also includes an operating condition selection device including a moveable portion supported by the terminal board for pivotable rotation about a second axis between a first position corresponding to a first operating condition and a second position corresponding to a second operating condition. At least a portion of the moveable portion substantially remains in a fixed axial position relative to the second axis while pivoting between the first and second positions. The electrical terminals are accessible through a conduit receiving aperture for testing purposes.

Electric motor having a terminal board

An electric motor selectively connectable to receive one of a plurality of supply voltages, the plurality of supply voltages comprising a low supply voltage and a high supply voltage. The motor can comprise a stator having a first winding and a second winding, a shaft rotatable about a motor axis, and a rotor supported by the shaft for rotation with the shaft relative to the stator. The motor can also comprise a voltage selection device, a first motor protector, and a second motor protector. The voltage selection device can include a first setting and a second setting and can be configured to connect the first winding in parallel with the second winding when set to the first setting and to connect the first winding in series with the second winding when set to the second setting. The first motor protector can be configured to limit current through the first winding and the second winding when an overload condition exists. The second motor protector can be configured to limit current through the first winding and the second winding when the voltage selection device is set to the first setting and the electric motor is connected to a high supply voltage.

Dual voltage electric motors

An electric motor having an integrally formed bonding apparatus that allows an installer to quickly and efficiently bond the electric motor to a bonding grid of a bonding area. A fastener having a head is inserted into an aperture of the housing of the electric motor such that a bonding conductor is captured between the housing and the head. The bonding conductor is electrically coupled to the housing via direct contact between the bonding conductor and the housing and/or via indirect contact through the fastener. An integrally formed surface of the housing prevents the bonding conductor from moving out from under the head.

Electric motor bonding apparatus

A bonding lug apparatus for devices such as electric motors installed within a distance of a fluid-holding apparatus such as pools, hot tubs, spas, and the like, is provided that includes a fastener having a head and a bonding lug having an aperture that receives the fastener such that a bonding conductor of a bonding grid of the fluid-holding apparatus area is captured between the head of the fastener and the bonding lug. The bonding lug apparatus bonds the electric motor to the bonding grid of the fluid-holding apparatus area when the bonding lug apparatus is electrically coupled to the electric motor and the bonding conductor.

Electric motor bonding lug apparatus

A three phase two-pole induction motor includes a three phase winding wound as a two-pole winding with an effective full pitch wound winding connected in a double delta connection. Each pole group includes a plurality of coils wound as a concentric winding or as a short pitch lap wound equivalent winding. A 36 slot stator is illustrated and includes each phase winding wound with 2 coil units each having 2 coil groups. Each coil group has 3 concentric coils and in the illustrated concentric winding the one phase winding has one group with coil sides in slots 1-3 and 16-18 and the second group in slots 19-21 and 34-36. The next phase winding has similar coils in slots 4-6 and 25-27 and in slots 7-9 and 22-24. The third phase winding has similar coils in slots 10-12 and 31-33 and in slots 13-15 and 29-30. The coil sides of each of the two groups are connected to form a full pitch winding. Thus, coil sides in slots 1-19, in 7-25 and in 13-31 are connected to form an effective coil spanning a full pitch of 18 slots. The coil groups of different phase windings are connected in the double delta circuit connection including a series circuit connection for starting, and a parallel circuit connection for running. The simplified full pitch winding for the double delta motor winding connection allows the motor to accelerate to operating speed in the start winding connection and also reduces the starting current while minimizing side pull effects and the rate of temperature rise.

Growing community of inventors

Tipp City, OH, United States of America

William James Watkins