Abstract: Electric motor armatures are wound by moving a wire dispensing member relative to the armature so that the wire dispensing member itself guides the wire precisely into position on the armature and so that no additional wire guides or shrouds are needed to guide the wire and keep it out of contact with portions of the armature that it should not contact. The relative motion between the armature and the wire dispensing member is preferably under programmable control so that the apparatus can be readily reprogrammed when different types of armatures are to be wound. Specially shaped wire dispensing members may be employed.

Abstract: A system for processing components which are to be transferred to second system. Portions of the system are selectively controlled so that when demand from the second system is stopped, processing of the components is allowed to be completed as needed. The system includes a preparation station which is stopped once demand is stopped, a processing station which continues to process components until such process can be safely stopped without producing unusable finished products, and a waiting station which is stopped once demand is stopped. The capacity of the waiting station is adjustable in order to accommodate components which must be passed out of the processing station so that other components may be passed through the processing station to complete all uninterruptable processes.

Abstract: Structures which facilitate changing the shrouds which are used to guide armature coil wires into the slots in electric motor armatures during armature coil winding are shown. The shrouds may need to be changed when armatures of different sizes are to be wound. The disclosed structures provide secure mounting of the shrouds, but also allow the shrouds to be removed and replaced without the need for tools. Other elements which are needed for operating on the armature may also be removably mounted, or may be mounted on the shroud so that when the shroud is changed, these other elements are also automatically changed.

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 consumption of each wire as it is fed to its respective coil, and adjusting the tension with which at least one wire is fed to its coil to substantially equalize the wire consumptions. Alternatively, the tension at which both wires are fed to the coils is monitored, and the tension of at least one wire is adjusted to equalize the tension of the two wires.

Abstract: A wire winding machine is provided that allows the connection of electric motor armature coil leads to slot-type commutators. The machine uses rotations of a flyer and rotations of the armature to perform much of the needed movement during the lead attachment process. The system uses a guide member to guide the wire into the commutator slots during rotation of the flyer. The guide member guides wire from the flyer toward the slots during both the initial insertion of the wire and the subsequent process of forming a loop in the wire.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for changing the collet assembly or armature-holding assembly of an armature winding machine are provided. The apparatus permits the collet assembly and selected sleeves of the armature-holding assembly to rotate about a longitudinal axis, while preventing undesirable translation along the axis. The apparatus permits translation of at least one other sleeve. The collet assembly may be removed from the armature-holding assembly to accommodate armature shafts of various diameters. Alternatively, the entire armature-holding assembly may be removed and replaced as a single unit, to accommodate commutators of various diameters. The change-over process can be automated.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for winding the stator of an electric motor with two wires simultaneously are provided. The apparatus includes a stator winding needle having two separate wire delivery channels. The leads of the two wire to be wound are passed through the winding needle and are held by start lead holders. When winding is complete, the wires are identified by a lead pulling apparatus which rotates in a predetermined direction to grip an appropriate wire. The lead pulling apparatus draws each of the wires to a termination lead holder. Each wire is gripped and cut by a gripping assembly, which holds the cut leads in a predetermined position to facilitate winding of a subsequent stator.

Abstract: Method and Apparatus for fusing electrical conductors to electric motor parts including a movable contact sensor (45) or optical sensor for determining the perpendicular distance of a reference plane of an electric motor part to be fused from a fusing apparatus and using this measured distance to control the fusing operation.

Abstract: A wire tensioner maintains wire in a winding machine at a substantially constant tension during the process of winding coils for electrical components such as armatures. The tensioner has a pulley wheel that is driven by a bidirectional drive unit. During operation, the pulley wheel either feeds wire toward a workpiece or draws wire back, depending on the nature of the tension correction required.

Abstract: An auxiliary member is provided with gripping means for temporarily securing the leads of wire coils wound around the poles of a stator. When the stator reaches the winding station of the manufacturing process, both the stator and the auxiliary member can be transferred to the winding machine, where the leads of the stator coils are gripped by the gripping means. When winding has been completed, the stator and the auxiliary member are transferred to a terminating station where the coil leads are finally anchored to the terminal receptacles of the stator.

Abstract: A wire gripper which facilitates insertion of a wire and which retains wires of varying thickness. The wire gripper includes a first member biased towards a second member so that the first and second members are tangent to one another until a wire is inserted. An inserted wire rests on a receiving member beyond the point of tangency of the two members. The two members are resiliently urged together to prevent the inserted wire from leaving the wire receiving member.

Abstract: A method of winding coils on an armature in which the start and finish leads for the first coils to be wound are wrapped around the armature shaft between the armature core and commutator so that these leads are supported by the shaft and are largely out of the way when the later coils are wound. The start and finish leads for the later coils are not wrapped around the armature shaft, but rather run more directly to the commutator as in conventional side pattern winding.

Abstract: Apparatus for fusing electric motor parts (e.g., fusing electric motor armature coil leads to the commutator of the armature) includes positive control of the elements which move to perform the fusing cycle so that the fusing cycle stroke can begin at any desired location. This facilitates shortening the stroke and making it constant despite changes or deviations in the workpieces being fused. It also facilitates withdrawal of the fusing head to a location which is more remote from the workpiece when the fusing electrode is to be changed due to wear. In fusing machines having a rotating turret which carries several fusing electrodes, the mass of the moving parts is reduced by mounting the actuator which reciprocates the turret on the frame of the machine, and by deriving the motion required to rotate the turret from the reciprocation rather than from a separate actuator.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for changing the collet assembly or armature-holding assembly of an armature winding machine are provided. The apparatus permits the collet assembly and selected sleeves of the armature-holding assembly to rotate about a longitudinal axis, while preventing undesirable translation along the axis. The apparatus permits translation of at least one other sleeve. The collet assembly may be removed from the armature-holding assembly to accommodate armature shafts of various diameters. Alternatively, the entire armature-holding assembly may be removed and replaced as a single unit, to accommodate commutators of various diameters. The change-over process can be automated.

Abstract: Structures which facilitate changing the shrouds which are used to guide armature coil wires into the slots in electric motor armatures during armature coil winding are shown. The shrouds may need to be changed when armatures of different sizes are to be wound. The disclosed structures provide secure mounting of the shrouds, but also allow the shrouds to be removed and replaced without the need for tools. Other elements which are needed for operating on the armature may also be removably mounted, or may be mounted on the shroud so that when the shroud is changed, these other elements are also automatically changed.

Abstract: Multiple electric motor parts are processed simultaneously by apparatus which removes the parts from a conveyor (on which the parts are side by side in a substantially horizontal plane), repositions the parts so that they are vertically above one another, processes the parts while they are thus repositioned, and then returns the parts to the conveyor in their original side by side relationship in a horizontal plane. In addition, a gripper apparatus for electric motor components that can be used to grip components of different sizes, and that can rotationally index electric motor components of different sizes, is provided. The gripper apparatus has two oppositely facing gripper arms with complementary V-shaped faces sized to accommodate a range of sizes of components. The arms are moved together in unison to center and grip the component. After the component has been gripped, an indexing pawl rotates the component.

Abstract: A high frequency surge tester includes a high frequency detection circuit which is used to detect microfracture defects in the insulation of wire on wound coils. The high frequency detection circuit includes a high-pass filter which isolates an errant voltage response so that it can be integrated and compared to threshold limits to determine the magnitude of defects. The surge tester also detects shorts between coils and shorts between turns of the same coil.

Abstract: Gripper apparatus for electric motor components that can be used to grip components of different sizes, and that can rotationally index electric motor components of different sizes, is provided. The gripper apparatus has two oppositely facing gripper arms with complementary V-shaped faces sized to accommodate a range of sizes of components. The arms are moved together in unison to center and grip the component. After the component has been gripped, an indexing pawl rotates the component. A tooth is urged against the component and stops the rotation when it enters a depression or slot in the component, indicating that the desired angular position has been reached.

Abstract: A pallet system for supporting a workpiece (such as an electric motor stator or rotor) during processing of the workpiece includes a pallet member on which a workpiece holder can be removably placed. The workpiece holder may have multiple workpiece-engaging sites, each of which is adapted to hold a differently configured workpiece, and multiple pallet-engaging sites, each of which is associated with a respective one of the workpiece-engaging sites and any one of which can be used to engage the pallet so that the workpiece holder can hold a workpiece of the appropriate configuration at the associated workpiece-engaging site. Methods and apparatus for storing and manipulating the workpiece holders are also disclosed.

Abstract: The axial end portions of the insulating members which are used to line the longitudinal channels formed between circumferentially adjacent, radially inwardly projecting poles in a stator (e.g., an electric motor stator) are protected from damage by the wire being wound by providing terminal boards at each axial end of the stator having portions which overhang the axial ends of the insulating members. Temporary wire grippers may also or alternatively be mounted on the axial ends of the stator (e.g., on the above-mentioned terminal boards) for temporarily holding the leads of the stator coils prior to permanent termination of those leads on permanent terminals on the terminal boards.