Method of attaching armature coil leads to commutator bars

• US 3,911,563 A
• Filed: 03/25/1974
• Issued: 10/14/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micafil Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Dale L. Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Dale L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanham, C. W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walkowski, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US05/454,678
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 29/593,597-598,605,23MW,23P,25CM,25E,25R,25C,25D,28F,23R 356/150-155,172,196,198,237,240,241,141 250/233,224,231SE,236 310/233,236,179,199 73/37.6,DIG.11,432L 72/9 242/7.03,7.5R,7.5A,7.5B,7.5C
• US Class Current: 29/597
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 39/32 Connections of conductor to commutator segment
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/09 by laying conductors into slotted rotors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49011 Commutator or slip ring assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49012 Rotor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53009 with comparator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53157 Means to stake wire to commutator or armature

Abstract

A method of winding armatures which uses sensing instrumentalities to identify the actual characteristics of the unwound armature core assembly, automatically compares a record of those characteristics with a definition of a completely satisfactory armature core assembly, utilizes the results of that comparison to initiate the winding operation if the comparison is favorable, or withholds initiation of the winding operation if the comparison is unfavorable, and by which the identity of the actual characteristics of the armature core assembly are recorded in the memory of a computer to be used in effecting accurate indexing of the armature core assembly by means of an electric motor to which it is directly coupled and which motor is controlled by the computer.

Claims

1. In the method of winding armatures and the like, wherein coils of wire are wound onto defined portions of a core assembly by means of an automatic winding machine, and wherein acceptability of the finished product requires the characteristics of the core assembly to satisfactorily meet, within limited tolerances, a predetermined norm, the improvement which comprises:

A. before any wire is wound onto the core assembly and by means of sensing instrumentalities operatively related to the core assembly, producing a record that reflects the actual characteristics of the core assembly;

B. by means of a computer type instrumentality comparing said record with a definition of the charcteristics of the core assembly already recorded in said computer type instrumentality, and which definition identifies said predetermined norm; and

C. utilizing the results of said comparison to produce a signal which 1. automatically initiates the winding operation in the event said comparison establishes that the actual characteristics of the core assembly satisfactorily meet said norm;

or 2. withholds initiation of the winding operation in the event said comparison reveals that the actual characteristics of the core assembly do not satisfactorily meet said norm.

2. initiation of the winding operation is withheld in the event said comparison reveals that the armature core assembly is defective in any respect.

3. In the method of winding of an armature wherein an armature core assembly comprising a slotted core and a segmented commutator mounted on a common shaft is placed in an automatic armature winding machine by which coils of wire are successively wound into paired slots in the core and lead wires to and from successively wound coils are attached to selected commutator segments, the improvement which comprises:

A. before any wire is wound onto the core of an armature core assembly in position in the machine, and by means of sensing instrumentalities incorporated in said machine, producing a record that reflects the actual characteristics of the armature core assembly;

B. by means of a computer type instrumentality, comparing said record of the actual characteristics of the armature core assembly with a definition of those characteristics of an armature core assembly that is satisfactory; and

C. utilizing said comparison to produce a signal that effects initiation of the winding operation by the winding machine in the even said comparison establishes that the sensed actual characteristics of the armature core assembly in the machine meet said definition within prescribed tolerances, or withholds initiation of the winding operation in the event said comparison reveals that the sensed actual characteristics of the armature core assembly in the machine fail to meet said definition within the prescribed tolerances.

4. The method of claim 3, further characterized by:

automatically effecting removal of the unwound armature core assembly from the machine in the event said comparison establishes that the sensed actual characteristics of the armature core assembly fail to meet said definition within the prescribed tolerances.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the wire is guided into the paired slots by shrouds that embrace the armature core assembly and require the armature core to be in a position of rotation at which the mouths of the paired core slots occupy a predetermined positional relationship with respect to said shrouds, and further characterized by:

A. including in said comparison that takes place in the computer type instrumentality, a comparison of the sensed locations of the mouths of said paired core slots with a definition of the predetermined positional relationship thereof with respect to said shrouds; and

B. in response to said comparison, automatically imparting rotation to the armature core assembly as needed to bring the paired core slots into said predetermined positional relationship with respect to said shrouds.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the attachment of the wire leads to the portions of the commutator segments to which they are to be attached is effected by lead attaching instrumentalities that require a predetermined positional relationship between said portion of the selected commutator segment and said lead attaching instrumentalities, and which relationship is established by relative rotation between the armature core assembly and said lead attaching instrumentalities, and further characterized by:

A. including in said comparison that takes place in the computer type instrumentality, a comparison of the sensed location of the portion of the commutator segment to which a lead is to be attached, with a definition of the correct position of said portion of the commutator segment to which the lead is to be attached; and

B. in response to said comparison, automatically effecting relative rotation between the armature core assembly and said lead attaching instrumentalities as needed to bring the same into their correct positional relationship.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said relative rotation is effected by rotating the armature core assembly.

8. In the method of winding armatures on an automatic armature winding machine, wherein an armature core assembly having a slotted core and a segmented commutator mounted on a common shaft is placed in the machine to have the machine automatically and successively wind coils of wire into paired slots in the core and attach the leads that extend from and to successive coils to certain of the commutator segments, the improvement which comprises the steps of:

A. recording in a computer type instrumentality, data that correctly defines the characteristics of an armature core assembly that is free of any defects;

B. before any wire is wound onto each armature core assembly placed in the winding machine, and by means of sensing instrumentalities operatively related to the armature core assembly in the machine, producing a record that reflects the actual characteristics of that armature core assembly;

C. introducing said record of the actual characteristics of that armature core assembly into said computer type instrumentality;

D. by means of said computer type instrumentality, comparing said record of the actual characteristics of the armature core assembly with said recorded data; and

E. utilizing the results of said comparison to produce a signal by which

9. In the method of winding armatures, the improvement set forth in claim 8, further characterized by:

effecting automatic removal from the winding machine of any armature core assembly that said comparison has found to be defective.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said sensing of the actual characteristics of each armature core assembly is done by effecting relative rotation between said sensing instrumentalities and the armature core assembly about the axis of the latter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said relative rotation results from rotating the armature core assembly about its axis while said sensing instrumentalities are held against rotation about said axis.

12. In the method of winding armatures which begins witH placement of an unwound armature core assembly having a slotted core and a segmented commutator on a common shaft in an automatic armature winding machine by which coils of wire are successively wound into paired core slots and wire leads to and from the successively wound coils are attached to parts of selected commutator segments, said core slots and said parts of the commutator segments comprising two different series of circumferentially spaced wire receiving means, each of which travels in a circular orbit as the armature core assembly is rotated about its axis, and which machine requires the paired core slots into which wire is to be wound to be in predetermined angular positions before the winding operation begins, and also requires the wire receiving part of the commutator segments to which a lead is to be attached to be in a predetermined angular position before the attachment of the lead can be effected, the improvement by which said angular positions of said wire receiving means are accurately and quickly achieved, and which comprises:

A. rotating the unwound armature core assembly about its axis through a predetermined angle to thereby carry both series of wire receiving means around their respective orbits;

B. while the unwound armature core assembly is thus rotated and by means of sensing instrumentalities identifying the locations of the individual wire receiving means with respect to a point in the orbit of each of said series, and recording that information in a retrievable manner;

C. thereafter between the winding of the successively wound coils and by power means capable of effecting minute increments of rotation as well as fast rotation through substantial angles, effecting incremental rotation of the armature core assembly to successively bring the paired core slots into winding receiving position and also bring said wire receiving parts of the commutator segments into a lead receiving position; and

D. by means of a computer-type instrumentality into which said recorded information has been fed, so controlling said power means that the paired core slots are quickly and accurately brought into winding receiving position and the lead receiving parts of the commutator segments are likewise quickly and accurately brought to the lead receiving position.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said power means is an electric motor.

14. In the method of winding armatures of the type in which the wire leads connecting the coils that are wound onto the core of the armature are attached to their respective commutator bars by stuffing them into slots cut into the bars, the improvement whereby, preparatory to the stuffing operation, accurate alignment is assured between each commutator bar slot and the means employed to stuff the wire leads into the slots, which improvement comprises the steps of:

A. before any wire is wound onto the armature core, rotating the same through substantially one complete turn;

B. as the unwound armature core is thus rotated, sensing the location of each commutator bar slot with respect to the full circumference of the commutator and recording that information;

C. at the completion of the winding of each coil, effecting relative rotation between the commutator and the means employed to stuff the wire leads into its slots, to bring a predetermined commutator bar into juxtaposition to the lead stuffing means; and

D. utilizing said recorded information to control the angle through which said relative rotation takes place and thereby bring the slot in said predetermined commutator bar and the means employed to stuff the leads into the slots into accurate alignment.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the location of the commutator bar slots is sensed by closing an electric circuit by means of a sensor positioned to recognize the passage of a commutator bar slot as the commutator is rotated.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said sensor is light sensitive, and the passage of a commutator bar slot past a given point during rotation of the commutator, allows a light beam to impinge upon the sensor.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said sensor is responsive to a fluid pressure differential, and the passage of a commutator bar slot past a given point during rotation of the commutator, subjects the sensor to said fluid pressure differential.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the location of the commutator bar slots is sensed by the impingement of a light beam onto a light sensitive sensor so located that the light beam is interrupted by the portions of the commutator bars flanking their slots.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said sensed locations of the commutator bar slots are recorded in the memory bank of a computer;

wherein said relative rotation is produced by electrically controllable drive means; and

wherein the operation of said drive means is controlled by said computer.

20. In the method of winding armatures of the type in which the wire leads connecting the coils that are wound onto the core of the armature are attached to their respective commutator bars by stuffing them into slots cut into the bars, the improvement whereby, preparatory to each stuffing operation, accurate alignment is assured between the commutator bar slot and the means employed to stuff the wire leads into the slot, which improvement comprises the steps of:

A. before any wire is wound onto the armature core, sensing the location of the slots in the commutator bars with respect to one another around the circumference of the commutator;

B. feeding the slot location information along with a record of exactly equispaced subdivisions of the circumference of the commutator into the memory bank of a computer;

C. from the information thus fed into the memory bank of the computer and by means of the computer, calculating and recording the exact location of the center of each commutator slot with respect to a zero position of rotation of the commutator; and

D. between coil winding operations, and by means of a motor controlled by the computer using the said information fed into its memory bank, effecting relative rotation between the commutator and the means employed to stuff leads into the commutator bar slots to bring the same into exact alignment preparatory to the connection of each lead to its respective commutator bar.

21. In the method of winding armatures, the improvement defined in claim 20, wherein said relative rotation between the commutator and the means employed to stuff leads into the commutator slots is produced by drivingly connecting the armature with said motor and thereby rotating the commutator while the means employed to stuff leads into the slots is restrained against rotation about the axis of the armature.

22. In the method of winding armatures, the improvement defined in claim 20, wherein the sensing of the slot locations is done by rotating the armature to carry the slots in its commutator bars sequentially past a sensor operable to produce a signal as each slot passes the same.

23. In the method of winding armatures, the improvement defined in claim 22, wherein the record of equispaced subdivisions of the circumference of the commutator is produced with a shaft encoder rotating in unison with the armature.

24. In the method of winding armatures of the type in which the wire leads connecting the coils that are wound onto the core of the armature are attached to their respective commutator bars by stuffing them into slots cut into the bars, the improvement whereby, preparatory to each stuffing operation, accurate alignment is assured between the commutator bar slot and the means employed to stuff the wire leads into the slot, which improvement comprises the steps of:

A. before any wire is wound onto the armature core, moving a photocell into juxtaposition to the end of the commutator to which the slots open;

B. directing a light beam onto the coMmutator and towards the core of the armature at such an angle to its axis that the light beam can pass through the slots and impinge upon the photocell as the commutator is rotated;

C. connecting a shaft encoder to the commutator to rotate therewith;

D. simultaneously rotating the commutator and the encoder to produce a series of encoder-produced signals that are precisely equispaced and another series of photocell produced signals that identify the passage of the leading and trailing edges of the commutator bar slots into and out of said light beam;

E. correlating said encoder-produced and said photocell-produced signals by feeding them into a computer memory;

F. with the computer using the information thus fed into its memory, calculating the location of the center of each commutator bar slot with respect to a zero position of rotation of the commutator and entering the results of said calculation in the computer memory;

G. moving the photcell out of the way;

H. initiating and proceeding with the coil winding operation by which a series of connected coils is wound onto the core of the armature and the leads connecting the coils of the series are attached to bars of the commutator by lead stuffing means which stuffs the leads into slots cut into the bars; and

I. by means of a motor controlled by the computer and between the successive coil winding operations, effecting such relative rotation between the lead stuffing means and the commutator as needed to effect exact alignment between the lead stuffing means and the slot in the commutator bar into which said means is about to stuff leads.

25. In the method of winding an armature and attaching the lead wires that connect the coils of its winding to the bars of the armature commutator by stuffing the lead wires into slots cut into the commutator bars, and wherein a lead stuffing tool constrained to reciprocation along a path radial to the axis of the armature stuffs the leads into the commutator bar slots, the improvement whereby, preparatory to each lead stuffing operation, accurate alignment is assured between the commutator bar slot and the path to which the lead stuffing tool is constrained, which improvement comprises:

A. rotating the unwound armature and a shaft encoder coupled thereto through one full turn;

B. during that rotation of the unwound armature, sensing the locations of the commutator bar slots with respect to a scale consisting of minutely and uniformly spaced subdivisions of that full turn derived from the output of the shaft encoder;

C. feeding said slot location information into the memory bank of a computer;

D. by means of the computer and utilizing the information fed into its memory bank, calculating and recording the location of the center of each commutator bar slot with respect to a zero position of rotation of the commutator;

E. initiating and proceeding with the winding of the armature; and

F. by means of the computer controlling the operation of a motor that is drivingly connected with the armature to index the same at the conclusion of each coil winding operation and accurately align one of the commutator bar slots with the path to which the lead stuffing tool is constrained.