GB1150598A - Improvements in and relating to Eddy Current Retarders - Google Patents

Abstract

1,150,598. Vehicle brake arrangements. LABAVIA S.G.E. 18 Nov., 1966 [2 Dec., 1965; 12 Feb., 1966], No. 51722/66. Heading B7H. [Also in Division H2] In an eddy current retarder, e.g. for braking the independently rotatable non-driven wheels on each side of a vehicle such as a trailer, comprising a stator 1, 1a, 2, and two rotors 3, 4 mounted for rotation on respective coaxial mutually rotatable shafts 5, 6 mounted by respective bearings 9, 11, there is provided structurally separate from such bearings an axial thrust device 7 which limits relative axial movements between the shafts in the direction in which they are urged by the magnetic attraction between the rotors and stator. The shafts are mounted in further bearings 10, 12, and the bearings may be of the plain, ball, roller or needle types and in Fig. 2 are contained in grease cases (21, 22); they are mounted in a bush 8 fixed to stator support 2 connected to the vehicle chassis. In another embodiment, Fig. 3, the device comprises taper roller bearings (107, 112) adjusted to zero clearance or a prestressing and forming with the shafts 5, 6 a unit mounted as a single shaft. The two rotors alternatively may be disposed between two rows of stator electromagnets. In Fig. 4, the shafts 5, 6 are connected through trailer wheel shafts A 1 , A 2 , speed multiplier devices M 1 , M 2 , and friction brake drums T 1 , T 2 , to the wheels, not shown.