Axial bolt-in cage stator frame assembly and method for assembling a stator

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention is embodied in a stator cage design that allows parallel manufacturing of the stator frame and core, thereby reducing cycle time.
The core is formed by stacking a plurality of laminations, each defined by a plurality of lamination sectors that each have one or more grooves or cutouts defined at spaced locations about the outer periphery thereof.
The grooves or cutouts of axially adjacent laminations are aligned to define longitudinal grooves for receiving keybars, each of which preferably has a generally circular cross section.
Core flanges are disposed at least at each longitudinal end of the stacked laminations and include a plurality of apertures therethrough for receiving the respective keybars.
Compression bands are circumferentially disposed about the stacked lamination and keybar assembly to hold the keybars in the circumferential groves of the laminations thereby arch-binding the core, radially locking the stacked laminations.
The core is then concentrically assembled into a stator frame.
The stator frame includes frame support plates for being bolted to the flanges of the stator core and radially extending frame section plates disposed at spaced locations along the length thereof between the frame support plates.
The radially compressed core assures that the core punchings/lamination sectors remain in position with no binding agent required.
Since there is no gap between the adjacent lamination sectors, they are self locking under radial compression.
Moreover, by providing round keybars with no dovetails, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, and pressing them against complimentarily circular depressions on the core outer surface, the keybars are self located.
The radial fit between the keybar and core depression assures no back of core chatter which can occur with traditional keybar dovetails creating noise and excessive core to keybar dovetail clearances.