US 12,350,772 B1
Apparatus and method for extracting a seized yaw piston from a wind turbine housing
Chad Badertscher, Ransom, IL (US); Zachary Chervinko, Ransom, IL (US); and David Feltman, Ransom, IL (US)
Filed by Chad Badertscher, Ransom, IL (US); Zachary Chervinko, Ransom, IL (US); and David Feltman, Ransom, IL (US)
Filed on Oct. 26, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/927,996.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/545,932, filed on Oct. 26, 2023.
Int. Cl. B23P 19/04 (2006.01); B23P 6/02 (2006.01); B23P 19/02 (2006.01); F03D 80/50 (2016.01)
CPC B23P 19/04 (2013.01) [B23P 6/02 (2013.01); B23P 19/025 (2013.01); F03D 80/50 (2016.05); F05B 2230/70 (2013.01); F05B 2230/80 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for removing a yaw piston seized inside a housing of a wind turbine, comprising:
(A) a boring motor configured for manual controllable axial material removal from the yaw piston;
(B) a boring plug configured for threaded insertion into the housing comprising a plug flange, a threaded boring barrel, and a boring hole,
(C) wherein the boring plug further comprises a plurality of retention screws, threadably extending from the plug flange and through the threaded boring barrel, configured to press against a piston rim, to prevent movement of the yaw piston during operation of the boring motor;
(D) a boring mounting plate configured to releasably attach the boring motor to the boring plug;
(E) a boring cutter configured to remove a center core from the yaw piston,
(F) a boring shaft operably connecting the boring cutter to the boring motor;
wherein the boring shaft is configured to pass through the boring hole and into a piston cavity, and to rotate the boring cutter at a predefined speed to facilitate removal of the center core;
(G) a rotary motor configured for manual, controllable axial rotation of a cutting wheel, the cutting wheel being operably connected to the rotary motor via a cutting wheel shaft;
(H) a rotary mounting plate configured to releasably attach to the rotary motor;
(a) wherein the rotary mounting plate, with the rotary motor attached, is configured to rest on a housing rim, positioning the cutting wheel at a ring cut-off plane;
(b) wherein the rotary motor is further configured for manual circular movement, enabling a separating cut along the ring cut-off plane, to separate a mushroomed piston ring from a piston barrel;
(I) a puller tool, configured to fit inside the piston barrel resting on a piston puck, having
(a) two wedge plates, semicircular in shape with edges, sandwiched together by a clamp;
(b) the two wedge plates further comprising a threaded wedge hole positioned between them;
(J) a puller screw configured to be inserted through the threaded wedge hole to spread the two wedge plates apart into the separating cut made by the cutting wheel, providing a grip to extract the piston barrel from the housing;
(K) a hydraulic tubular actuator configured to provide force by extending or retracting, enabling controlled movement of the puller screw;
(L) a threaded connector configured to releasably attach the puller screw to the hydraulic tubular actuator;
(M) a tube spacer configured to provide spacing between the housing and the hydraulic tubular actuator;
(N) a plurality of manual tools for breaking the mushroomed piston ring enabling removal of the mushroomed piston ring and the piston puck.