A motor assembly includes: a motor housing including: at least one brush receptacle having top and bottom ends; a locking element extending from the top end toward the bottom end; and a housing spring member; at least one brush holder apparatus including: a brush holder housing sized to be received within the brush receptacle, including: an upper surface and a lower surface; a receiving aperture; and an open end; a brush spring enclosed by the brush holder housing; and a brush located inside the brush holder housing; wherein the brush holder apparatus is inserted inside the brush receptacle; and wherein the housing spring member urges the brush holder apparatus toward the top end such that the locking element is received inside the receiving aperture.

Devices and methods of use for brush holder assemblies are disclosed. Brush holder assemblies including a mounting block and a brush holder are disclosed. Also illustrated is a brush holder assembly including a first portion in sliding engagement with a second portion. In some embodiments the brush holder includes a channel, such that at least a portion of the mounting block is disposed within the channel of the brush holder.

Various embodiments include a brush holder apparatus. In one embodiment, a brush holder apparatus for receiving a brush includes: a first support member; a box member affixed to the first support member; and a cam member operably connected to the first support member, the cam member configured to retain the brush against an inner surface of the box member.

A rotating brush assembly for an electric motor, including a commutator and a plurality of brushes, each of the brushes rotatingly mounted on an axle disposed between arms coupled to respective first and second brush holders, wherein the brush holders are urged toward said commutator with a spring, and wherein the brushes rotate in a direction opposite the direction in which the commutator rotates.

An isostatic brush holder (10) comprises a central body (12), one or more arms (14, 14) rotationally disposed in proximity of the opposite ends of said central body (12), and defining a first and a second end (16, 16), and a plurality of brushes (20) cooperating with at least one elastic element (22), where said arms (14, 14) define the respective first ends (16) of quick release snap catches (24, 24), said arms being pivoted to each other at the second ends (16), said arms being further connected in a swivelling manner and in proximity to said second ends (16) at the opposite ends of said central body (12).

A device may include a first end, a second end, and a coupler configured to extend through an aperture from a first side to a second side of a motor cover. The coupler includes a head portion, a conduit portion extending from the head portion towards the second end, and a first bore axially extending through the coupler. The device may include a brush holder extending through the first bore. The brush holder includes a cylindrical body, a socket at the first end, and a receptacle at the second end. The device may include a first lock nut including a first threaded bore axially extending through the nut. The device may be configured to enable a grounding brush to contact a motor shaft to provide a current discharge path to ground to reduce an erosion of the motor components including the motor shaft and rolling bearing elements.

An externally excited electric machine comprises a rotor as well as a contact device having at least one sliding contact element positioned against a contact segment of the rotor for transmitting an exciter current, wherein the sliding contact element is integrated in an electromagnetic actuator, by which it can be controlled to move between a position lying against the contact segment and a position spaced apart from it.

Disclosed herein is a brush wear indicator comprising and brush (3) moveable within a holder (2). The brush (3) is urged against a collector surface (10) of a rotor by a spring (4) which is mounted to a bracket (6) supported by the holder (2). A proximity sensor (5) is mounted to either a) the spring (4) or the brush (3), or b) a non-moveable part of the indicator which includes the bracket and configured to determine the distance to a) the non-moveable parts or b) the spring (4) or brush (3), respectively. The proximity sensor (5) in electrical communication with a CPU configured to determine the amount of wear that has occurred to the at least one brush (3) depending on the distance determined by the sensor (5) between the spring (4) or the brush (3) and the non-moveable parts.

An electric motor includes a rotor including a rotating shaft extending in an axial direction, a commutator attached to the rotating shaft, a brush including a front end surface coming into contact with the commutator and a rear end surface positioned on a side opposite to the front end surface, a constant load spring including a first spiral portion and a second spiral portion each made of a strip-shaped wire material wound in a spiral shape, and including a fixed end on the front end surface side of the brush, and a pressing member coming into contact with the rear end surface of the brush to press the brush against the commutator with a load from the constant load spring.

A discharge device for discharging electric currents from a rotor part of a machine having a shaft. The discharge device has a displaceable contact element received at least partially in a guide unit and serving to form an electrically conductive sliding contact between a sliding contact surface of the contact element provided for forming the sliding contact and a shaft contact surface, the contact element being connected to the guide unit and/or a retaining element of the machine in an electrically conductive manner and the contact element being pre-loaded towards the shaft contact surface by a spring element, the contact element being wetted at least partially by a lubricating and cooling fluid, the guide unit comprising a guiding part for receiving the contact element and a retaining part for receiving the guiding part, the retaining part and the guiding part forming a duct for the lubricating and cooling fluid.