Abstract: A winding form assembly for a stator winding machine includes a pair of winding forms mounted on a stator pole piece and a latch assembly for latching the winding forms to one another. Two ways to support the forms on the pole piece and two latch mechanisms are disclosed.

Abstract: A stator winding machine has a turret plate mounted for rotation about a vertical axis with stator clamp mechanisms mounted at spaced locations around its periphery for clamping stators to the turret plate with the axes of the stators coplanar with the axis of reciprocation and oscillation of the winding shuttle used to wind coils on the stators. The turret plate is repeatedly indexed in one direction about its vertical center axis to repeatedly sequentially move each of the stator clamp mechanism to a load/unload station, an optional idle station, a winding station, a coil lead terminating station, and then back to the load/unload station. Parts of the machine are quickly replaceable and other parts are programmably adjustable to accommodate different stator configurations.

Abstract: Stator coils having lead wires inserted into temporary wire clamps (36) at a winding station are electrically tested before the coil lead wires are removed from the temporary clamps. In one aspect, the clamps each include a jaw (54) formed with a wire-engaging surface (88) which scrapes the insulating coating off from a lead wire as it is inserted therein. The clamps are electrically connected to terminal members (90) which are engageable by electrical test terminal members (100). In a modification, the clamps include a wire-scraping jaw having, in addition to a body formed with a sharpened or knife edge, a shield having wire-guiding surfaces engageable by a lead wire being inserted into the clamp. The wire-guiding surfaces are located adjacent the knife edge and are so positioned that the depth of the insulated wire scraped or cut away by the knife edge is only a few thousandths of an inch.

Abstract: Depending on the diameter of the wire wound into coils on a stator core, it is desirable to adjust the distance that the wire exit nozzle of a stator needle tip is spaced from the longitudinal axis of the winding head. An adjustable winding head comprising a needle head and one or more needle tips pivotally mounted on the needle head. Pivotal movement of the needle tips relative to the needle head changes the distance that the wire exit nozzles thereof are spaced from the longitudinal axis of the needle head. Adjustment is carried out preferably while the winding spindle is stationary, requires only simple tools, and does not require removal of the needle tips from the needle head.

Abstract: For use with a robot having an end effector for connecting stator coil lead wires to trough-shaped terminals, tamper members are slidably mounted on a terminal crimping and lead wire cutting member. Air actuators drive the tamper members toward the terminals when the end effector is manipulated to place the lead wires into the terminal troughs.

Abstract: When a stator start wire is held outwardly away from a stator pole piece as a stator coil is being wound, the segment of wire, termed the first end turn herein, extending from the outwardly-placed start wire across the front end face of a stator being wound may interfere with the proper formation of the coil. Such interference is reduced or eliminated by extending the first end turn over a movable slack wire forming blade. When the slack wire forming blade is initially engaged with the first end turn, it pivots with the front placing blade to move the start wire away from the pole piece and increase the length of the first end turn. After the coil is partially wound, the slack wire forming blade is moved away from engagement with the first end turn so that the first end turn becomes slack and, therefore, does not interfere with the completion of the winding or the coil.

Abstract: A stator coil lead wire is extended over the end turns of coil from which the lead wire is extended and inserted into a terminal member adjacent the opposite side of the same coil. A tooling assembly is provided having a coil shield which prevents the lead wire from becoming disengaged from the coil end turn and moving toward the center of the stator core. Additionally, a wire guide finger is provided which is movable toward and away from the stator core for enabling the lead wire to be inserted between closely spaced terminal members.

Abstract: Pivotal jaws of wire clamps that temporarily grip stator coil lead wires are spring biased to clamp stator coil lead wires thereto when the lead wires are inserted into the clamps at a winding station, and are biased by respective air actuators to ensure release of the lead wires at a coil lead terminating station.

Abstract: Stator coils having lead wires inserted into temporary wire clamps at a winding station are electrically tested before the coil lead wires are removed from the temporary clamps. The clamps each include a jaw formed with a wire-engaging surface which scrapes the insulting coating off from a lead wire as it is inserted therein. The clamps are mounted on an electrically insulating support and are electrically connected to terminal members which are engageable by electrical test terminal members.

Abstract: A stator winding machine has a turret plate mounted for rotation about a vertical axis with stator clamp mechanisms mounted at spaced locations around its periphery for clamping stators to the turret plate with the axes of the stators coplanar with the axis of reciprocation and oscillation of the winding shuttle used to wind coils on the stators. The turret plate is repeatedly indexed in one direction about its vertical center axis to repeatedly sequentially move each of the stator clamp mechanism to a load/unload station, an optional idle station, a winding station, a coil lead terminating station, and then back to the load/unload station. Parts of the machine are quickly replaceable and other parts are programmably adjustable to accommodate different stator configurations.

Abstract: To reduce manufacturing cycle times, after a stator core is transferred by a transfer carriage along a track from a winding station to a coil lead terminating station at which lead wires extending from the coils to temporary wire clamps on the transfer carriage are connected by an industrial robot to terminal members on the stator core, the stator core is clamped to the track and the transfer carriage returned to the winding station immediately after the last lead wire to be removed from a temporary wire clamp is removed so that the transfer carriage returns to the winding station while the last lead wire is being connected to terminal member on the stator core.

Abstract: A stator winding machine has a turret plate mounted for rotation about a vertical axis with stator clamp mechanisms mounted at spaced locations around its periphery for clamping stators to the turret plate with the axes of the stators coplanar with the axis of reciprocation and oscillation of the winding shuttle used to wind coils on the stators. The turret plate is repeatedly indexed in one direction about its vertical center axis to repeatedly sequentially move each of the stator clamp mechanism to a load/unload station, an optional idle station, a winding station, a coil lead terminating station, and then back to the load/unload station. Parts of the machine are quickly replaceable and other parts are programmably adjustable to accommodate different stator configurations.

Abstract: A stator winding machine has a turret plate mounted for rotation about a vertical axis with stator clamp mechanisms mounted at spaced locations around its periphery for clamping stators to the turret plate with the axes of the stators coplanar with the axis of reciprocation and oscillation of the winding shuttle used to wind coils on the stators. The turret plate is repeatedly indexed in one direction about its vertical center axis to repeatedly sequentially move each of the stator clamp mechanism to a load/unload station, an optional idle station, a winding station, a coil lead terminating station, and then back to the load/unload station. Parts of the machine are quickly replaceable and other parts are programmably adjustable to accommodate different stator configurations.

Abstract: To produce a slack condition in a lead wire that extends from a stator coil to a terminal receptacle mounted on the stator core, the lead wire is bent over a wire guide finger adjacent the terminal receptacle. This increases the length of the lead wire segment between the coil and the terminal receptacle so that the lead wire will be somewhat slack. This also materially decreases the tension on the lead wire where it enters the receptacle, and avoids the abrupt, wire-weakening, right-angled bend resulting from the present practice. A method and an apparatus are provided for appropriately positioning the wire guide finger.

Abstract: Pivotal jaws of wire clamps that temporarily grip stator coil lead wires are spring biased to clamp stator coil lead wires thereto when the lead wires are inserted into the clamps at a winding station, and are biased by respective air actuators to ensure release of the lead wires at a coil lead terminating station.

Abstract: A stator winding machine has a turret plate mounted for rotation about a vertical axis with stator clamp mechanisms mounted at spaced locations around its periphery for clamping stators to the turret plate with the axes of the stators coplanar with the axis of reciprocation and oscillation of the winding shuttle used to wind coils on the stators. The turret plate is repeatedly indexed in one direction about its vertical center axis to repeatedly sequentially move each of the stator clamp mechanisms to a load/unload station, an optional idle station, a winding station, a coil lead terminating station, and then back to the load/unload station. Parts of the machine are quickly replaceable and other parts are programmably adjustable to accommodate different stator configurations.

Abstract: A stator winding machine is provided with a male winding form having a pair of connecting rods and a female winding form having sockets that slidably receive the connecting rods. The winding forms are handled by manipulation of winding form carriages and are clamped to one another and to the stator by a clamp mechanism integrated into the female winding form that grips the male connecting rods. Each clamp mechanism comprises a movable clamp member biased into engagement with the male connecting rods and a movable release member confined within the female winding form. The release member is partly in the path of a conventional carriage-mounted winding form-support pin at the time it enters the female winding form so that the release member is moved by such support pin in a direction to cause it to move the movable clamp member away from the male connecting rods and thereby relieve clamping pressure. In one embodiment, the release member is a pivotal lever confined within the female winding form.

Abstract: Connection of stator coil lead wires to terminals with channels is accomplished using an industrial robot and tooling for guiding the lead wires into the terminal channels and for crimping the lead wire to the terminals before the wires are severed. Also, lead wire placing assemblies are provided with hooks at each end of a stator being wound for holding the start wires away from the stator pole pieces.