Abstract: An improved coil forming machine for spreading a simple coil and forming its end turns into a shape to fit into the slots of a rotor or stator. A carriage is mounted to a support frame for free floating lateral movement. The carriage has two sections which are movable laterally closer together and further apart. Each section carries one of the two clamps at each end of the coil forming machine. A hydraulic cylinder moves the sections apart during the spreading operation and the free floating carriage goes to its equilibrium position at which the forces applied to opposite end turns are always equal.