AU3342901A - Locomotive air compressor with an electric motor supported by an external bearing - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION Invention Title: LOCOMOTIVE AIR COMPRESSOR WITH AN ELECTRIC MOTOR SUPPORTED BY AN EXTERNAL BEARING The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:

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LOCOMOTIVE AIR COMPRESSOR WITH AN ELECTRIC MOTOR SUPPORTED BY AN EXTERNAL BEARING FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates, in general, to an air-cooled multi-cylinder, two-stage air compressor and motor combination for a railway locomotive and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a crankshaft of such air compressor driven by an electric motor being supported by an external bearing.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The invention taught in this patent application is closely related to the invention taught in the following co-pending patent application, LOCOMOTIVE AIR COMPRESSOR WITH MOTOR SUPPORTED BY OUTSIDE BEARING, Serial No. which is being filed concurrently herewith. These patent applications are assigned to the same assignee and the teachings therein are incorporated into this application by reference thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is well known that multi-cylinder air compressors are used on freight and passenger locomotives to supply compressed air to the operating and control equipment of a railway air brake system.

Many of these prior art air compressors have a pair of low pressure cylinders and a high pressure cylinder mounted on and supported by a crankcase in the usual manner and contain pistons which are actuated by connecting rods driven by a rotary crankshaft. One end of the crankshaft is coupled with and driven by a suitable rotatable prime mover, such as an electric motor. The other end of the crankshaft is keyed and threadably attached by a locknut to the hub and wheel of a cooling fan assembly.

There are advantages of having the compressor directly driving the cooling fan. When the demand and speed of the air compressor increase, the speed and cooling capacity of the fan is proportionally increased. The fan can only stop turning when the S compressor stops working or ceases to rotate. It has been found that the use of a separate electric motor for driving the cooling fan is unreliable since failure of the motor would result in the loss of the cooling effect and could allow the temperature of the rotating compressor to rise to dangerously high levels which could cause deterioration of the lubricating oil and could result in seizure of the air compressor.

The crankshaft driven by the electric motor does not, in prior art, have any support on the motor end of the shaft. This is the opposite end of the shaft from the fan. As the shaft rotates, in time, it may tend to vibrate and may possibly wobble. Any movement of the shaft, other than the rotatable movement which it is designed to have, may cause problems with the motor.

Proper operation requires that there be a space between the stator and the rotating portion of the motor. This space must be maintained. If the rotor contacts or rubs against the stator, problems with the motor may occur. On the other hand it is also important to keep the space between the stator and rotor to a minimum because as the space increases there is a loss of efficiency and of the power of the motor. Thus, the space is 4 necessary but it must be kept as small as possible. When the shaft vibrates or wobbles it may cause the rotor to rub against the stator and, thus, adversely affect the motor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an external mount assembly for supporting a rotatable shaft member driven by an electric motor.

The external mount assembly comprises a bearing support member being disposed in a substantially vertical plane and a bearing member mounted on the bearing support member. Such bearing member is connectable with the rotatable shaft member for supporting such rotatable shaft member thereby reducing extraneous vertical and horizontal movement of such rotatable shaft member while permitting such rotatable shaft member to rotate freely.

A second embodiment of the invention provides that in combination with a multi-cylinder two-stage air compressor in which an electric motor is used to drive a rotatable shaft member of said air compressor, there is an external mount for supporting the rotatable shaft member of the air compressor. Such external mount comprises a bearing support member disposed in a substantially vertical plane and a bearing member mounted on the bearing support member. Such bearing member is connectable to the rotatable shaft member of the air compressor for securing the rotatable shaft member thereby reducing extraneous vertical and horizontal movement of the rotatable shaft member while permitting such rotatable shaft member to rotate freely.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a support for the crankshaft external to the motor housing in an air compressor/electric motor combination so as to reduce any vibration of the shaft.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an outside support for the crankshaft in an air compressor/electric motor combination so as to reduce the possibility of the rotor rubbing against the stator.

10 An additional object of the present invention is to provide a support for the crankshaft in an air compressor/electric motor combination that is mounted on the housing of the electric motor.

These and various other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent after a full reading of the 15 following detailed description, particularly, when read in conjunction with the attached drawings as described below and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an axonometric prior art drawing of a multi-cylinder, two stage air compressor.

Figure 2 is a block schematic diagram of an embodiment of the invention in combination with a multi-cylinder, two stage air compressor of the type shown in Figure 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED AND ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Prior to proceeding with the more detailed description of the present invention it should be noted that, for the sake of clarity, identical components which hive identical functions have been designated by identical reference numerals throughout the several views illustrated in the drawings.

Reference is now made to Figure 2. Illustrated therein is a 0 block diagram of the present invention in combination with a multi-cylinder, two stage air compressor, generally designated as 10, coupled with a predetermined electric motor, generally ooooe S designated as 20. Such multi-cylinder, two stage air compressor contain pistons which are actuated by connecting rods driven by a :i"15 rotary crankshaft 2. One end of the crankshaft 2 is to the hub and *o wheel of a cooling fan assembly 16. The other end of the crankshaft 2 is driven by a predetermined electric motor 20. Over a period of time the crankshaft 2 as it rotates may tend to vibrate or wobble. Any movement of the crankshaft 2 other than the rotatable movement which it is designed to have can create problems.

Proper operation of the motor requires that there be a space between the stator 4 and the rotor 6, which is the rotating portion of the motor. This space must be maintained. If rotor 6 comes into contact with or rubs against the stator 4, problems with the motor 20 may occur. It is also important that this space be kept to a minimum because as the space increases there is a loss of efficiency and of the power of the motor.

The present invention provides an external support, generally designated 30, to support the crankshaft 2 and thus prevent or at least minimize any extraneous vertical or horizontal movement of the crankshaft 2. There is an upright bearing support member 12. A bearing member 14 is mounted on such upright bearing support member 12. Such bearing member 14 is connectable with the crankshaft 2 of such air compressor 10. Such bearing member 14 and 10 such upright bearing support member 12 supports the crankshaft thereby minimizing any extraneous movement of the crankshaft 2.

eoeoe S Since the bearing member 14 freely rotates it does not impede any rotatable movement of the crankshaft 2. In an embodiment of the :i invention such bearing member 14 is a split bearing. It is also an embodiment of the invention that such bearing member 14 is connected to an outer end of such crankshaft 2.

The upright bearing support member 12 is connected to the motor housing that is presently used to enclose such motor The connection may be made by modifying the cover portion of such housing such that the bearing member 14 can come in contact with and secure the crankshaft 2. However, it is within the scope of the invention that such upright bearing support member 12 may replace the present cover portion of the motor housing of such predetermined electric motor 20. Such external mount 30 may be i-ncluded in new compressor assemblies and it may be retrofitted into air compressor units that are presently in use.

While both the presently preferred and a number of alternative embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above it should be understood that various other adaptations and modifications of the present invention can be envisioned by those S persons who are skilled in the relevant art of air compressor systems without departing from either the spirit of the invention S or the scope of the appended claims.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art !publication is referred to herein, such reference does not 'constitute an admission that the publication forms a part S of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

For the purposes of this specification it will be clearly understood that the word "comprising" means "including but not limited to", and that the word "comprises" has a corresponding meaning.

Claims (11)

1. An assembly for supporting a rotatable shaft member driven byan electric motor, said assembly comprising: a bearing support member disposed in a substantially vertical plane; and a bearing member carried by said bearing support member and connectable with such rotatable shaft member for supporting such rotatable shaft member thereby reducing extraneous vertical :i and horizontal movement of such rotatable shaft member while permitting such rotatable shaft member to rotate freely.

2. An assembly for supporting a rotatable shaft member oo driven by a electric motor, according to claim 1, wherein said bearing support member is connected to a cover of a housing of such electric motor.

C. e S3. An assembly for supporting a rotatable shaft member driven by a electric motor, according to claim 1, wherein said bearing support member provides a cover for such housing of such electric motor.

4. An assembly for supporting a rotatable shaft member driven by a electric motor, according to claim i, wherein said bearing member is a split type bearing.

An assembly for supporting a rotatable shaft member driven by a electric motor, according to claim 4, wherein said bearing member is connected to outer end of such rotatable shaft member.

6. An assembly for supporting a rotatable shaft member driven by a electric motor, according to claim 2, wherein said assembly is mounted externally to such motor housing. *e eo S"

7. In combination with a multi-cylinder two-stage air compressor in which an electric motor drives a rotatable shaft member of said air compressor, the improvement comprising an externally mounted assembly for supporting said rotatable shaft member of said air compressor, externally mounted assembly including: a bearing support member disposed in a substantially vertical plane; and 0*04 a bearing member carried by said bearing support member and connectable with said rotatable shaft member for supporting said rotatable shaft member thereby reducing extraneous vertical. and horizontal movement of said rotatable shaft member while permitting said rotatable shaft member to rotate freely.

8. A combination of a multi-cylinder two-stage air compressor and an external mount assembly for supporting a rotatable shaft member of said air compressor, according to claim 7, wherein said bearing support member is connected to a cover of a housing of said electric motor.

9. A combination of a multi-cylinder two-stage air compressor and an external mount assembly for supporting a rotatable shaft member of said air compressor, according to claim 8, wherein said bearing support member provides a cover for said housing of said electric motor. S.

10. A combination of a multi-cylinder two-stage air compressor and an external mount assembly for supporting a rotatable shaft member driven by a electric motor, according to 0 claim 7, wherein said bearing member is a split type bearing. *00 II00

11. A combination of a multi-cylinder two-stage air compressor and an external mount assembly for supporting a rotatable shaft member driven by a electric motor, according to claim 10, wherein said bearing member is connected to an outer end of said rotatable shaft member. Dated this 3rd day of March 2001 WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia