GB2032193A

GB2032193A - Mounting Alternators on i.c. Engines

Info

Publication number: GB2032193A
Application number: GB7841307A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Clayton J W
Current assignee: Clayton J W
Priority date: 1978-10-20
Filing date: 1978-10-20
Publication date: 1980-04-30
Also published as: GB2032193B

Abstract

An alternator support bracket comprises a boss 10 and two arms 12, 13 extending therefrom each arm having a mounting lug 14, 15 with a mounting hole 16, 17 arranged at equal distances from a passage 20 though the boss such that the bracket can be fixed by its lugs to the normal mounting means of, for example, an alternator designed for right-hand mounting to an internal combustion engine, the boss then permitting the mounting of the alternator and bracket to an engine normally accepting a left- hand mounting alternator. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or Relating to Mounting Means The present invention concerns mounting means, especially but not exclusively a support bracket for alternators or dynamos of internal combustion engines.

In the following specification reference will be made to alternators although it should be realised that this term is intended to include also dynamos.

Alternators for internal combustion engines are driven by a pulley and as a result the mounting for the alternator is required to provide adjustment such that the tension in a belt driving pulley can be adjusted. The alternator is mounted by a single bolt off set from the alternator axis and at the rear thereof and a pair of bolts co-operating with an alternator front plate. The front plate is not symmetrical about its axis and one of the front pair of bolts is arranged to be co-axial with the rear bolt to provide a pivot axis about which adjustments in the position of the alternator may be made. The other bolt is arranged on the same pitch circle as the said one bolt and equally spaced on the other side of the median transverse axis of the alternator. It is intended for mounting in a slot or the like so that the alternator may be fixed in the adjusted position.This arrangement means that an alternator which is arranged for mounting on the left hand side of an engine is not suitable for mounting on the right hand side of a similar engine.

As there are only relatively few alternator designs in use with a multiplicity of internal combustion engines a supplier of alternators requires to stock both right hand and left hand mounting alternators which in all other respects are similar. Often this leads to high stock levels. It is an object of this invention to obviate this disadvantage.

According to the present invention there is provided alternator mounting means comprising a member with two arms extending therefrom, each arm terminating in a mounting lug provided with E mounting hole coinciding with mounting holes in the alternator, the member having a mounting hole whose axis is arranged equidistant from the axis of both mounting holes whereby said mounting means can convert a left hand mounting alternator for use as a right hand mounting alternator and vice versa.

Preferably the arms and the lugs are fabricated from sheet steel and are similarly shaped.

Preferably the rear face of the lugs are coplanar with the front face of the member and the thickness of the member is equal to the thickness of the alternator mounting plate whereby the device can be mounted in front of or behind the alternator mounting plate.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows diagrammatically a perspective view of an alternator mounting means, part of an alternator and a mounting slide being shown in phantom lines.

An alternator mounting means comprises a cylindrincal boss 10 from which extend two sheet steel strip arms 12, 13, one arm being the mirror image of the other. At the free end of each arm 12, 13 there is provided a mounting lug 14, 1 5 which has a mounting hole 1 6, 1 7 passing therethrough. The thickness of the boss 10 is equal to the thickness of the mounting flange or front plate 1 8 of the alternator and the front face of the boss is co-planar with the rear faces of the mounting lugs 14, 1 5. Conveniently, therefor, the thickness of the arms 12, 13 is equal to the thickness of the boss 10 and the lugs 14, 1 5 are fixed by welding to the front edge of the arms 12, 13.

It will be realised that to enable the mounting means to be used such that a right hand mounting alternator front plate 1 8 can be used on the left hand side of an engine the position of a through passage 20 in the boss must coincide with the position of a mounting hole in the alternator flange for a right hand mounting alternator. Thus the axes of the mounting holes 16, 17 and 20 are arranged on an imaginary circle whose centre is the longitudinal axis of the alternator and are equispaced around this circle.

As a result a left hand mounting alternator, for example, that shown in the drawings, can be mounted on the right hand side of the engine, as shown by sandwiching one lug 14 between the normal alternator mounting bolt about which the alternator is intended to pivot, bolting the other lug 1 5 to the alternator directly rather than to a mounting slide as would be the case when mounting the alternator on the left hand side of the engine and bolting the boss 10 of the device to the mounting slide 22.

Thus the mounting device of the invention is suitable for converting a right hand mounting alternator for use as a left hand mounting alternator or a left hand mounting alternator for use as a right hand mounting alternator, so that a stockist of alternators need only stock one type of alternator and convert these alternators for use on the opposite hand by supplying a mounting means. It will be realised also that in view of the dimensions and shape of the mounting device it can be arranged either to the front of or the rear of the alternator mounting plate 18 without any conversion and similarly the engine mounting slide 22 can be arranged to the front of or to the rear of the boss 10 without any conversion.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, for example rather than being fabricated the device can be cast. The lugs 14, 1 5 are described as being welded to the arms 12, 13 but they could be formed integrally therewith during a strip stamping operation and deflected to their in-use position.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. Alternator mounting means comprising a member with two arms extending therefrom, each arm terminating in a mounting lug provided with a mounting hole coinciding with mounting holes in the alternator, the member having a mounting hole whose axis is arranged equidistant from the axis of both mounting holes whereby said mounting means can convert a left hand mounting alternator for use as a right hand mounting alternator and vice versa.

2. Alternator mounting means as claimed in claim 1, in which the arms and the lugs are fabricated from sheet steel and are similarly shaped.

3. Alternator mounting means as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the rear face of the lugs are co-planar with the front face of the member and the thickness of the member is equal to the thickness of the alternator mounting plate whereby the device can be mounted in front of or behind the alternator mounting plate.

4. Alternator mounting means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

5. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.