Brush (electric)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In electrical engineering, brushes conduct current between stationary wires and moving parts, most commonly in a rotating shaft. Most importantly, in an electric motor, an alternator or electric generator, the coils of the rotor have to be connected. To accomplish this, two metal (copper or brass) 'slip rings' are affixed on the shaft and springs press braided copper wire 'brushes' onto the rings which conduct the current. Later, these copper wire brushes were replaced with carbon blocks — but these blocks are still called brushes. As the brushes are slowly abrased they might have to be replaced, provided this is possible at all. If the copper rings are split in parts with "interlaced" connections, the arrangement is called a commutator.

An extensive library of carbon brushes can be found at: http://www.repcoinc.com/carbon_brushes_fld/carbon_brushes.asp. You can search by manufacturer and physical description.