Tool for Manufacturing Coils for Dynamoelectric Machines and Method Therefor

Abstract

A tool and method for winding and forming a field coil for field assembly, such as a stator, includes separable tool halves defining a winding cavity therebetween. The winding cavity receives magnet wire that is wound therein, such as by rotating the tool or a winding nozzle. The magnet wire generally conforms to the shape of the winding cavity such that when the tool halves are separated, a field coil having a net shape is produced. Once the magnet wire is sufficiently deposited within the winding cavity, wires of the coil may be bonded together either through a resistive heating process such as by passing an electrical current through the coil or through other heating or chemical bonding methods to thereby maintain the net shape of the field coil once it is removed from the tool.

1 . A coil winding tool for forming a coil for a dynamoelectric machine, comprising separable tool halves that when mated together, define a winding cavity therebetween. 
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the tool halves include a male tool half and a female tool half, the male tool half having a projection with a surface, the female tool half having a concave surface defining a concavity into which the projection of the male tool half extends when the male and female tool halves are mated together, the surface of the projection of the male tool half and the concave surface of the female tool half defining the winding cavity therebetween. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the surface of the projection of the male tool half is arcuate. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the female tool half includes a main body having opposed shoulders, the opposed shoulders having inwardly facing arcuate surfaces that together define a concave surface, the male half having a projection that has an arcuate surface, the arcuate surface of the projection of the male tool half and the concave surface of the female tool half defining the winding cavity therebetween. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein one of the male and female tool halves has an alignment recess into which an alignment projection of the other one of the male and female tool halves is received to align the male and female tool halves. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the alignment projection and the alignment recess are disposed centrally in their respective tool halves. 
   
   
       7 - 19 . (canceled)