Rotor and rotor shaft for molten metal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138892-B2
Application number	US-201514791166-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A molten metal rotor receives and retains an end of a molten metal rotor shaft. The rotor shaft has one or more projections at the end received in the rotor. The rotor has an inner cavity, a top surface with an opening leading to the inner cavity, and at least one abutment. The opening includes one or more portions for allowing each projection to pass through the opening and into the inner cavity. The rotor and/or shaft are then rotated so at least one of the outwardly-extending projections is under the top surface of the rotor and is against an abutment. A molten metal pump, rotary degasser scrap melter or other device used in molten metal may utilize a rotor/shaft combination as disclosed herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotor shaft having a first end that is received in a coupling and a second end connected to a rotor having a rotor cavity, the second end having at least one outwardly-extending projection that is received and retained in the rotor cavity in order to connect the second end to the rotor; wherein the rotor shaft has an annular outer surface and the at least one outwardly-extending projection extends outward at least ½″ from the annular outer surface; the rotor further having a top surface with a rotor opening through which the second end of the rotor shaft passes into the rotor cavity, the rotor opening having at least one elongated section through which the at least one outwardly-extending projection passes, wherein the rotor cavity has a diameter and the rotor opening has a width, the width of the rotor opening being less than the diameter of the rotor cavity, and the rotor cavity including at least one abutment against which the at least one outwardly-extending projection is positioned when the second end of the rotor shaft is in the rotor cavity and the rotor and rotor shaft are rotated relative one another.

2. The rotor shaft of claim 1 that is comprised of one or more of the group consisting of: graphite and ceramic.

3. The rotor shaft of claim 1 wherein the second end has a plurality of outwardly-extending projections.

4. The rotor shaft of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of outwardly-extending projections are spaced equidistant from one another.

5. The rotor shaft of claim 3 that has three outwardly-extending projections.

6. The rotor shaft of claim 5 , wherein the rotor cavity has three abutments.

7. The rotor shaft of claim 5 , wherein rotor opening includes three elongated sections.

8. The rotor shaft of claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of outwardly-extending projections extends outward at least ½″ from the annular outer surface.

9. The rotor shaft of claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of outwardly-extending projections comprises ceramic.

10. The rotor shaft of claim 3 that further includes the rotor connected to the second end of the rotor shaft, the rotor having the rotor cavity in which the second end of the rotor shaft is positioned, and a top surface with a rotor opening, the rotor opening leading to the rotor cavity and having a plurality of elongated sections configured so that a single one of the plurality of outwardly-extending projections passes through a single one of the plurality of elongated sections, and the rotor cavity includes a plurality of abutments, and a single one of the plurality of outwardly-extending projections is positioned against a single one of the plurality of abutments when the rotor and rotor shaft are rotated relative one another.

11. The rotor shaft of claim 3 , wherein the rotor opening includes a plurality of elongated sections.

12. The rotor shaft of claim 1 , wherein the at least one outwardly-extending projection comprises ceramic.

13. The rotor shaft of claim 1 that further includes the rotor connected to the second end of the rotor shaft, the rotor cavity having the second end of the rotor shaft positioned therein, and a top surface with a rotor opening through which the second end of the rotor shaft passes into the rotor cavity, the rotor opening having at least one elongated section through which the at least one outwardly-extending projection passes, and the rotor cavity including at least one abutment against which the at least one outwardly-extending projection is positioned when the rotor and rotor shaft are rotated relative one another.

14. The rotor shaft of claim 13 , wherein the rotor cavity has a diameter and the rotor opening has a width, the width of the rotor opening being less than the diameter of the rotor cavity.

15. The rotor shaft of claim 13 , wherein the rotor opening has a first width that does not include the at least one elongated section and a second width that includes the at least one elongated section, the first width being less than the second width.

16. The rotor shaft of claim 15 , wherein the rotor cavity has a diameter and the first width and second width are each less than the diameter.

17. The rotor shaft of claim 13 , wherein the top surface of the rotor comprises ceramic.

18. A molten metal pump comprising:
(a) a motor;
(b) a motor shaft extending from the motor and having an end;
(c) a coupling that couples to the end of the motor shaft;
(d) a rotor shaft having a first end that is received in the coupling and a second end for connecting to a rotor, the second end having at least one outwardly-extending projection that is received and retained in a rotor cavity in order to connect the second end to the rotor; wherein the rotor shaft has an annular outer surface and the at least one outwardly-extending projection extends outward at least ½″ from the annular outer surface; and
(e) wherein the rotor has a top surface with a rotor opening through which the second end of the rotor shaft passes into the rotor cavity, the rotor opening having at least one elongated section through which the at least one outwardly-extending projection passes, and the rotor opening has a first width that does not include the at least one elongated section and a second width that includes the at least one elongated section, the first width being less than the second width, and the rotor cavity including at least one abutment against which the at least one outwardly-extending projection is positioned when the second end of the rotor shaft is in the rotor cavity and the rotor and rotor shaft are rotated relative one another.

19. The molten metal pump of claim 18 , wherein the rotor opening includes a plurality of elongated sections.

20. The molten metal pump of claim 19 , wherein the rotor opening includes three elongated sections.

21. The molten metal pump of claim 18 , wherein the rotor cavity has a diameter and the rotor opening has a width, the width of the rotor opening being less than the diameter of the rotor cavity.

22. The molten metal pump of claim 18 , wherein the rotor cavity has a diameter and the first width and second width are each less than the diameter.

23. The molten metal pump of claim 18 , wherein the top surface of the rotor comprises ceramic.

24. The molten metal pump of claim 18 , wherein the rotor shaft is comprised of one or more of ceramic and graphite.

25. A rotary degasser comprising:
(a) a motor;
(b) a motor shaft extending from the motor and having an end;
(c) a coupling that couples to the end of the motor shaft;
(d) a rotor shaft having a first end that is received in the coupling and a second end for connecting to a rotor, the second end having at least one outwardly-extending projection that is received and retained in a rotor cavity in order to connect the second end to the rotor; wherein the rotor shaft has an annular outer surface and the at least one outwardly-extending projection extends outward at least ½″ from the annular outer surface; and
(e) wherein the rotor has a top surface with a rotor opening through which the second end of the rotor shaft passes into the rotor opening cavity, the rotor opening having at least one elongated section through which the at least one outwardly-extending projection passes, and the rotor cavity including at least one abutment against which the at least one outwardly-extending projection is positioned when the second end of the rotor shaft is in t

Assignees

• Cooper Paul V
• Molten Metal Equipment Innovations Llc

Inventors

• Cooper Paul V

Classifications

• F27D3/14

  Charging or discharging liquid or molten material · CPC title

• F27D3/16

  Introducing a fluid jet or current into the charge (F27D3/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F27D99/00

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• F27D27/005

  Pumps · CPC title

• F16C3/02

  Shafts; Axles · CPC title