Stator winding method and apparatus

• US 6,267,317 B1
• Filed: 05/31/1995
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Globe Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Globe Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Beakes, John M., Heaton, Mark E., Dolgas, Patrick A., Clemenz, Gary E., Newman, Lawrence E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matecki, Katherine A.
• Application Number:
  US08/456,093
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 242/1.1 R, 242/1.1 A, 242/1.1 E, 295/96, 296/05
• US Class Current: 242/432.4
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/095 by laying conductors around salient poles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49071 by winding or coiling

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.

Claims

1. Stator processing apparatus comprising:

a table member mounted for rotation in a substantially horizontal plane about a substantially vertical axis;

a plurality of stator holders mounted on said table member, said stator holders being angularly spaced from one another about said substantially vertical axis, each of said stator holders including first and second jaw members movable relative to one another so that a stator can be releasably held between said jaw members; and

first, second, and third work stations disposed adjacent to said table, said work stations being angularly spaced from one another about said substantially vertical axis so that by rotation of said table about said substantially vertical axis, each of said stator holders can be successively disposed adjacent said first, second, and third work stations, said first work station including means for placing a stator in a stator holder disposed adjacent said first work station, said second work station including means for winding at least one coil of wire having at least one coil lead on a stator in a stator holder disposed adjacent said second work station, and said third work station including means for anchoring to a stator in a stator holder disposed adjacent said third work station the coil lead of the coil wound on that stator.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein each stator has a longitudinal axis, and wherein each stator holder holds a stator with its longitudinal axis substantially horizontal when said stator holder is adjacent said second work station.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein each stator holder holds a stator with its longitudinal axis at least approximately intercepting said substantially vertical axis when said stator holder is adjacent said second work station.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said means for placing includes means for removing a stator from a stator holder disposed adjacent said first work station prior to operation of said means for placing to place a stator in that stator holder.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein each of said stator holders comprises:

means for resiliently urging said first and second jaw members toward one another in order to hold a stator.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein said apparatus further comprises:

means disposed adjacent said first work station for selectively moving said first and second jaw members of a stator holder disposed adjacent said first work station away from one another by overriding the operation of said means for resiliently urging in order to release a stator.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein each of said stator holders comprises:

a jaw support structure on which said first and second jaw members are mounted.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

means for producing relative motion between said second work station and a stator holder disposed adjacent said second work station, said relative motion being parallel to a substantially horizontal axis which passes through that stator holder and at least approximately intercepts said substantially vertical axis.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

at least one roller for producing relative motion between said second work station and a stator holder disposed adjacent said second work station, said relative motion being parallel to a substantially horizontal axis which passes through that stator holder and at least approximately intercepts said substantially vertical axis.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein each of said stator holders comprises:

a jaw support structure on which said first and second jaw members are removably mounted.

11. A machine for winding a plurality of stators each having an associated longitudinal axis, stack diameter and stack height, said machine comprising:

a table mounted for rotation about a first substantially vertical axis;

first, second, and third stations spaced from one another around said table, wherein said first station is a winding station having one or more winding needles;

means for selectively rotating said table about said first axis so that said table moves relative to said first, second, and third stations;

a plurality of stator supports spaced around the periphery of said table, each stator support being adapted to receive and hold a stator and having a pair of opposing clamping members for releasably clamping said stator thereto; and

means for providing relative radial motion between said winding station and a first stator support rotated into position adjacent said winding station so as to position said one or more winding needles adjacent said first stator support.

12. The machine defined in claim 11 wherein said pair of opposing clamping members are adapted to be replaced so that said machine is adapted to accommodate a plurality of stators having different stack diameters.

13. The machine defined in claim 11 wherein said stator supports include a spring for biasing at least one of said clamping members towards said stator for releasably clamping the stator.

14. The machine defined in claim 11 wherein said stator supports hold said stators so that they are wound with their axes substantially horizontal.

15. The machine defined in claim 11 wherein said pair of opposing clamping members can accommodate a stator having a first stator diameter and wherein said pair of opposing clamping members can be removed from said machine and replaced with another pair of opposing clamping members that can accommodate a stator having a second stator diameter different from said first stator diameter.

16. The machine defined in claim 11 having four stator supports equally spaced around the periphery of said table.

17. The machine defined in claim 11 wherein said stator supports can accommodate a plurality of stators having different stack heights without adjusting said stator supports.

18. The machine defined in claim 11 wherein said means for providing relative radial motion comprises means for moving a winding head radially relative to said first substantially vertical axis.

19. A method for winding a plurality of stators, each having an associated longitudinal axis, stack diameter, and stack height, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a table mounted for rotation about a first substantially vertical axis;

providing a first station and a second station spaced from one another around said table, wherein said first station is a stator loading and unloading station and wherein said second station is a stator winding station having one or more winding needles;

providing a plurality of stator supports spaced around the periphery of said table, each stator support being adapted to receive and hold a stator at said first station and to hold the stator so that it is wound at the winding station with its longitudinal axis oriented substantially horizontal;

releasably clamping a first stator at the loading and unloading station with a first pair of removable opposing clamping members, said first stator having a first diameter;

rotating said table so as to position said first stator adjacent said winding station;

providing relative motion between said rotated first stator and said winding station so as to position said one or more winding needles adjacent said first stator;

winding said first stator with at least one coil of wire; and

rotating said table so as to return said wound stator to the load and unload station.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

unloading said first stator from said first pair of removable opposing clamping members;

removing said first pair of removably opposing clamping members from said stator support; and

replacing said first pair of removable opposing clamping members with a second pair of removable opposing clamping members so as to be able to releasably clamp a second stator at the loading and unloading station, said second stator having a second diameter different from said first diameter.

21. The method defined in claim 20 wherein the first and second stators have different stack heights and wherein substantially no adjustment to said stator supports has to be made in order to accommodate such different stack heights.

22. The method defined in claim 19 wherein said step of releasably clamping said first stator with a first pair of removable clamping members includes the step of biasing at least one of said clamping members towards said first stator for releasably clamping the stator.

23. The method defined in claim 19 wherein said step of providing a plurality of stator supports includes the step of providing four stator supports equally spaced around the periphery of said table.

24. A machine for winding a plurality of stators, said machine comprising:

a table mounted for rotation about a first substantially vertical axis;

first second, and third stations spaced from one another around said table, wherein said first station comprises a load and unload station;

means for selectively rotating said table about said first axis so that said table moves relative to said first, second and third stations;

a plurality of stator supports spaced around the periphery of said table, each stator support being adapted to receive and hold a stator and having a pair of opposing clamping members for releasably clamping said stator thereto, said clamping members being able to be moved between an unlocked position and a locked position wherein said stator is clamped; and

a stationary actuator located adjacent said load and unload station for moving said clamping members between the unlocked position and locked position so as to allow a stator to be loaded and unloaded from said machine when said clamping members are in the unlocked position.

25. The machine defined in claim 24 wherein said stationary actuator is attached to a stationary base of said machine.

26. The machine defined in claim 25 wherein said stationary actuator provides an actuation force in a substantially vertical direction for moving said clamping members between the locked position and unlocked position.

27. The machine defined in claim 25 having four stator supports equally spaced around the periphery of said table.

28. The machine defined in claim 24 wherein said stator supports include a spring for biasing at least one of said clamping members towards said stator for releasably clamping the stator.

29. The machine defined in claim 24 wherein said stationary actuator comprises an air actuator.

30. A method for winding a plurality of stators, each having an associated longitudinal axis, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a table mounted for rotation about a first substantially vertical axis;

providing a first station and a second station spaced from one another around said table, wherein said first station is a stator loading and unloading station and wherein said second station is a stator winding station;

providing a plurality of stator supports spaced around the periphery of said table, each stator support being adapted to receive and hold a stator at said first station and to hold the stator so that it is wound at the winding station with its longitudinal axis oriented substantially horizontal, said plurality of stator supports each including a pair of opposing clamping members for releasably clamping said stators, and said clamping members being able to be moved between an unlocked position and a locked position wherein said stators are clamped;

providing a stationary actuator adjacent said stator load and unload station for moving said clamping members between the unlocked position and locked position so as to allow a stator to be loaded and unloaded from said machine when said clamping members are in the unlocked position;

loading a first stator in a first stator support by actuating said stationary actuator;

rotating said table so that a second stator support is positioned adjacent said stator loading an unloading station;

loading a second stator in said second stator support by actuating said stationary actuator before said first stator is unloaded from said first stator support;

winding said first stator with at least one coil of wire at the winding station;

rotating said table so as to return said wound stator to the stator load and unload station; and

unloading the first stator from the first stator support by actuating said stationary actuator.

31. The method defined in claim 30 further comprising the step of providing a third station spaced from said first station and a second station around said table, wherein said third station is a termination station.

32. The method defined in claim 30 wherein said step of loading said first stator in a first stator support includes the step of releasably clamping said first stator with a pair of opposing clamping members.

33. The method defined in claim 30 wherein said step of providing a plurality of stator supports includes the step of providing four stator supports equally spaced around the periphery of said table.