A retaining jig 11 is provided comprising a retaining part 15 which moves together with a nozzle 33 performing a cyclic motion, and holds a wire W paid out from the nozzle 33, a displacing means 13 which transports the wire W in the outer circumferential direction of a stator 1 while the wire is held, and a releasing means 15a which releases the hold on the wire W transported to a predetermined position in the outer circumferential direction by the displacing means. A core guide 21 is further disposed which guides the wire W into the stator when the wire W held by the retaining jig 11 is guided in the outer circumferential direction relative to an opening 4 in the stator 1.

A method and apparatus for lacing stator coil windings and leads is provided. Lacing of the stator coil windings and leads is performed during an automated process which occurs while the stator is situated on a pallet which is moved by a conveyer belt through a manufacturing facility. The pallet includes an inner ring and an outer ring rotatably disposed therein. The inner ring supports the stator and allows the stator to be rotated during lacing. The outer ring is rotated at the same rotational speed and direction as the inner ring and includes a plurality of clips for releasably securing leads of the stator. The pallet further includes a lead lift assembly which is movable in a substantially vertical direction. Upon introduction of the pallet to a lacing station in the manufacturing facility, a vertical positioning device engages the lead lift assembly from beneath the pallet and raises the assembly to a predetermined height. Further, a drive gear engages the outer ring and serves to rotate the outer and inner ring according to a predefined lacing protocol. During lacing, the lead lift assembly positions the leads of the stator such that the leads are laced in a desired manner.

A method of lacing coils of electric machines by using a needle having an open eye, said needle being movable relative to the coils mounted onto an indexable support, and a feeder of cord, wherein the needle is rotatable about its axis and the feeder is movable about the needle axis at an angular speed twice the needle speed, whereby a wrapping of the cord around the needle is obtained during the radial movement of the latter. An apparatus carrying out the method comprises an eccentric control assembly for the feeder, with two plates slidable on roller bearings in vertical and horizontal direction, respectively. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

A methodology of sleeving at least one lead of a stator is provided. The methodology includes the steps of robotically selecting at least one of the stator leads, and robotically positioning an insulating sleeve over the stator lead.

Methods and apparatus for terminating dynamoelectric machine component wire coil leads in situ in automated wire coil winding machines are provided. A shape-forming wire-termination fixture is disposed about the front face of the dynamoelectric machine component. After the wire coils have been wound, a movable wire gripper is used to grasp and manipulate the starting and ending wire leads of the wound coils one at a time. The wire leads are terminated by deforming them around the wire-termination fixture to form freestanding geometrical patterns in them. Machine component-holding pick and place devices may be used to remove components with terminated wire leads from the winding machine for further processing.