Abstract: A resin coating system includes a coating station for applying resin to dynamo-electric machine components such as electric motor armatures, one or more other stations adjacent to the coating station, a conveyor for transporting components through the coating station where the components are carried by holders holding at least one end of the components without touching the body portion of the components, another conveyor for transporting components through the other stations where the components are carried by holders supporting the body portion of the components, and a transfer device for transferring uncoated and coated components between the two conveyors. The holders attached to the conveyor in the coating station are capable of rotating the components about the longitudinal axis of each component during the coating operation for an even application of the resin to the component.

Abstract: A reel changing device which includes at least two reel holders, where each reel holder is for holding a reel of insulation material, and a support member to which each reel holder is rotatably mounted is provided. The support member is movable so that each reel holder can be positioned to provide insulation material to the insulating machine. In one embodiment of the invention, the support member is rotatable about an axis to provide insulation material to the insulating machine. In another embodiment of the invention, the support member is linearly movable to provide insulation material to the insulating machine. The reel changing device of the present invention can be incorporated into a system for expeditiously providing insulation material to an insulating machine.

Abstract: A transfer mechanism is operatively disposed between a conveyor for dynamo-electric machine parts (such as electric motor armatures) and apparatus for simultaneously processing a plurality of those parts (e.g., by winding coils of wire on those parts). The transfer mechanism delivers processed parts to the conveyor and receives unprocessed dynamo-electric machine parts from the conveyor, one at a time in a single alignment position, at least partly concurrent with the processing of other parts. Loss in production time due to wire breakage at the processing apparatus is reduced by substantially instantaneously controlling the broken wire (e.g., by retracting that wire relative to the associated wire dispenser) while continuing to move the wire dispensers.

Abstract: A dynamo-electric core which has a lamination stack defining an axial bore therethrough is wrapped by a wire coil having a coil lead. A mounting member is axially movable within said axial bore between a first position and a second position. A coil lead anchoring structure is positioned adjacent an end portion of said mounting member and is axially movable with said mounting member. When the mounting member is in the first position, there is adequate space for winding apparatus and fusing apparatus for placing and securing the coil lead to the coil lead anchoring structure. When the mounting member is in the second position, the axial length of the dynamo-electric core is reduced.

Abstract: An improved conveying system in a parallel processing production line for dynamo-electric machine components having a magnetic core, the conveying system having a main conveyor extending along all of the processing machines of the production line and a load/unload device for transferring components between the main conveyor and a selected processing machine. Components to be processed are loaded directly from the main conveyor onto the load/unload device without the use of an intermediate conveyor. The load/unload device has a base platform with an alignment area at which transfer between the load/unload device and either the main conveyor or a selected processing machine occurs. Two component holders (e.g., collets) are movably mounted on the base platform for alternate positioning at the alignment area. The load/unload device alternately positions the gripping ends of the component holders adjacent the main conveyor and a selected processing machine.

Abstract: An improved conveying system in a parallel processing production line for dynamo-electric machine components having a magnetic core, the conveying system having a main conveyor extending along all of the processing machines of the production line and a load/unload device for transferring components between the main conveyor and a selected processing machine. Components to be processed are loaded directly from the main conveyor onto the load/unload device without the use of an intermediate conveyor. The load/unload device has a base platform with an alignment area at which transfer between the load/unload device and either the main conveyor or a selected processing machine occurs. Two component holders (e.g., collets) are movably mounted on the base platform for alternate positioning at the alignment area. The load/unload device alternately positions the gripping ends of the component holders adjacent the main conveyor and a selected processing machine.

Abstract: A pallet and system for transporting armatures along an armature manufacturing line, where the armatures may change in configuration at different stations of the manufacturing line, accommodates the various configurations without requiring a change of pallets at a station at which a configuration change occurs. The pallet has multiple sets of seats, each set corresponding to one of the configurations that the armature may assume during processing. Whenever the configuration of the armature changes from a first configuration to a second configuration, the armature, having been removed from a set of seats that accommodates the first configuration, is replaced in a set of seats accommodating the second configuration. One way of accomplishing the transfer is, after lifting the armature from the first set of seats, allowing the pallet to advance by the distance separating the first and second sets of seats.

Abstract: A resin coating system includes a coating station for applying resin to dynamo-electric machine components such as electric motor armatures, one or more other stations adjacent to the coating station, a conveyor for transporting components through the coating station where the components are carried by holders holding at least one end of the components without touching the body portion of the components, another conveyor for transporting components through the other stations where the components are carried by holders supporting the body portion of the components, and a transfer device for transferring uncoated and coated components between the two conveyors. The holders attached to the conveyor in the coating station are capable of rotating the components about the longitudinal axis of each component during the coating operation for an even application of the resin to the component.

Abstract: Stators having wave wound coil for electric motors or other dynamo-electric machines are manufactured by a production line having a series of interconnecting conveyors running to various processing workstations. The workstations are of three primary types: wave coil forming and insertion stations, prefinishing stations and a final finishing stations. Every workstation of a given type may process any or all phases of a given stator. The stators are transported along the conveyor by pallets which are encoded with information denoting the production status of the stator on the pallet. By providing the workstations with the capability to read the encoded information and adapt themselves for processing based on that information, efficiency is increased because the first available workstation may be selected and individual workstations may be bypassed if other than normal operating conditions are occurring in a workstation without impacting the entire production line.

Abstract: An improved conveying system in a parallel processing production line for dynamo-electric machine components having a magnetic core, the conveying system having a main conveyor extending along all of the processing machines of the production line and a load/unload device for transferring components between the main conveyor and a selected processing machine. Components to be processed are loaded directly from the main conveyor onto the load/unload device without the use of an intermediate conveyor. The load/unload device has a base platform with an alignment area at which transfer between the load/unload device and either the main conveyor or a selected processing machine occurs. Two component holders (e.g., collets) are movably mounted on the base platform for alternate positioning at the alignment area. The load/unload device alternately positions the gripping ends of the component holders adjacent the main conveyor and a selected processing machine.

Abstract: A tensioner for an armature winder which significantly reduces instantaneous increases in wire tension during winding or lead connection. System controls control the drag of a hysteresis brake, monitor wire tension via a load cell, and control a dancer arm's position through limit sensors and a closed-loop proportional valve (which regulates the pressure within an air cylinder coupled to the dancer arm). These system controls significantly reduce instantaneous increases in wire tension during winding, during the start of winding, and during lead connection. A wire breakage detection device also monitors the wire during winding and signals the system controls if wire breakage is detected. Upon such detection, a rapid discharge valve discharges the air cylinder, and flyer arm rotation is halted prior to the wire becoming unthreaded from the flyer arm.

Abstract: A transfer mechanism is operatively disposed between a conveyor for dynamo-electric machine parts (such as electric motor armatures) and apparatus for simultaneously processing a plurality of those parts (e.g., by winding coils of wire on those parts). The transfer mechanism delivers processed parts to the conveyor and receives unprocessed dynamo-electric machine parts from the conveyor, one at a time in a single alignment position, at least partly concurrent with the processing of other parts. Loss in production time due to wire breakage at the processing apparatus is reduced by substantially instantaneously controlling the broken wire (e.g., by retracting that wire relative to the associated wire dispenser) while continuing to move the wire dispensers.

Abstract: An improved conveying system in a parallel processing production line for dynamo-electric machine components having a magnetic core, the conveying system having a main conveyor extending along all of the processing machines of the production line and a load/unload device for transferring components between the main conveyor and a selected processing machine. Components to be processed are loaded directly from the main conveyor onto the load/unload device without the use of an intermediate conveyor. The load/unload device has a base platform with an alignment area at which transfer between the load/unload device and either the main conveyor or a selected processing machine occurs. Two component holders (e.g., collets) are movably mounted on the base platform for alternate positioning at the alignment area. The load/unload device alternately positions the gripping ends of the component holders adjacent the main conveyor and a selected processing machine.

Abstract: Insulating strip material for dynamo-electric machine parts (e.g., for armature core slot liners) is fed out intermittently by a reciprocating assembly which releasably clamps the strip material during at least a portion of the assembly's stroke in one direction. The material that has been fed out is cut off, formed into the desired shape (if necessary), and inserted into the dynamo-electric machine part during further motion of the reciprocating assembly.

Abstract: An objective and non-destructive test of the fused joints in an armature, that can be used on every armature being manufactured on an armature manufacturing line, as well as apparatus for performing that test, are provided. The armature is immersed in an acoustic coupling medium. Acoustic pulses, preferably ultrasonic pulses, are beamed onto the commutator tang/wire interface region of a commutator tang/bar fused joint or the fused joint itself and an acoustic signature is measured. The quality of the joint can be determined by comparing the acoustic signature to a predetermined acoustic signature of known quality. A testing station on an armature production line includes a mechanism for removing the armature from the production line, immersing it in the coupling medium, and rotating it as each joint in the commutator of that armature is checked.

Abstract: An improved conveying system in a parallel processing production line for dynamo-electric machine components having a magnetic core, the conveying system having a main conveyor extending along all of the processing machines of the production line and a load/unload device for transferring components between the main conveyor and a selected processing machine. Components to be processed are loaded directly from the main conveyor onto the load/unload device without the use of an intermediate conveyor. The load/unload device has a base platform with an alignment area at which transfer between the load/unload device and either the main conveyor or a selected processing machine occurs. Two component holders (e.g., collets) are movably mounted on the base platform for alternate positioning at the alignment area. The load/unload device alternately positions the gripping ends of the component holders adjacent the main conveyor and a selected processing machine.

Abstract: The balance of rotors for dynamo-electric machines (e.g., electric motor armatures), which are wound with two diametrically opposite, simultaneously applied coils of wire, is improved by ensuring that wire is fed to both coils in substantially similar quantities. This can be accomplished by monitoring the lengths of the two wires as they are fed to the armature using wire sensors located adjacent to the flyer. Alternatively, wire sensors can be provided to monitor the rate at which wire is being fed towards respective flyers and to measure the rate of change of the lengths of those portions of the wires that are supported by the winding machine dancer arms. A control system processes the measurements from these sensors. A wire tensioner having a hysteresis clutch is also provided that allows the tension applied to a wire being wound to be adjusted rapidly. The wire tensioner also picks up slack that may develop in the wire.

Abstract: Electric motor stators can have coils wound on their poles which coils have more turns than the poles could normally support by augmenting the pole with additional structures to support the added coil turns. The additional structures can be only temporarily associated with the stator, e.g., by adding them to the winding shrouds which are customarily applied to the stator during winding. Alternatively these additional structures can be permanent but non-magnetic portion of the stator, e.g., by adding them to the terminal board members of the stator.

Abstract: An improved conveying system in a parallel processing production line for dynamo-electric machine components having a magnetic core, the conveying system having a main conveyor extending along all of the processing machines of the production line and a load/unload device for transferring components between the main conveyor and a selected processing machine. Components to be processed are loaded directly from the main conveyor onto the load/unload device without the use of an intermediate conveyor. The load/unload device has a base platform with an alignment area at which transfer between the load/unload device and either the main conveyor or a selected processing machine occurs. Two component holders (e.g., collets) are movably mounted on the base platform for alternate positioning at the alignment area. The load/unload device alternately positions the gripping ends of the component holders adjacent the main conveyor and a selected processing machine.

Abstract: Armatures for dynamo-electric machines are balanced during manufacture by measuring the unbalance of the armature assembly prior to winding the coils on the armature. The numbers of turns of wire in at least some of the coils subsequently wound on the armature are then adjusted so that the unbalance of the resulting coils compensates for the unbalance of the armature prior to coil winding. Alternatively, one or more extra turns of wire that are short-circuited at the commutator may be added to help balance the armature. In addition, masses may be added to the armature to ensure that it is balanced dynamically as well as statically.