Patent GB-1344854-A (GB)
Title: Lacing machine for stator coils
IPC: H02K15/00
Filed: 1971-11-22
Abstract: 1344854 Lacing stator coils LINK ENG CO 22 Nov 1971 [25 Feb 1971] 54185/71 Heading B8G The machine illustrated laces thread around the exposed portions of electrical coils wound in a stator housing. The embodiment described laces the coils at both ends of the stator simultaneously but it may be modified such that the coils are laced first at one end, whereafter the stator housing is turned over and the remaining coil ends are laced. Fig. 14 shows the stator mounted on a horizontal ring gear 169 such that the axis of the stator is vertical. One stator winding is shown in cross-section at 236 and 237. The lacing threads 205, 206 pass up through concentric tubes 87, 88 and then out through horizontal fingers 202, 203. The tubes 87, 88 are reciprocated vertically such that the fingers 202, 203 continually reciprocate towards and away from each other so as to carry the threads 205, 206 to settings above and below the stator coils 236, 237. Needles 234, 235, that reciprocate back and forth in a manner described below, co-operate with the threads 205, 206 issuing from the vertically reciprocating fingers 202, 203 in a manner causing these threads to become laced around the stator coil ends 236, 237. At the completion of a coil lacing operation a Geneva mechanism causes the ring gear 169 to be rotated by one step so that the next unlaced coil winding of the stator is aligned with the lacing station defined by the fingers 202, 203 and the needles 234, 235. Claim 1 is directed to a horizontal and rotatably driven shaft 17, Fig. 2, and: (a) first means 137, Fig. 6, drivable by the shaft 17 for angularly oscillating needle holding bars 134, 136 about their own longitudinal axes; (b) second means drivable by the shaft 17 for raising and lowering frames 122, 129, Fig. 6, on which the needle  holding bars 134, 136 are mounted; (c) third means 76, 77, 141, Fig. 6, drivable by the shaft 17 for reciprocating the needle holding bars 134, 136 back and forth along their own axes; (d) means drivable by the third means (c) for rotating the stator in increments of angular movement; (e) the thread laying tubes 87, 88 within the stator; and (f) fourth means drivable by the shaft 17 for reciprocating the tubes 87, 88 in timed relation with the vertical reciprocation of the frames 122, 129 carrying the needle bars 134, 136. Description of the means (a) to (f) referred to above.-(a) The first means drivable by the shaft 17 is a cam-plate 31, Fig. 2, having a cam track into which a roller 47 projects. The roller 47 is mounted on and oscillates a link 48. Link 48 oscillates a further link 56 that carries a gear sector 58 meshing with a bevelled gear 59 on a shaft 61. The shaft 61 extends into the aforesaid means 137, Fig. 6, wherein bevel gears couple the shaft 61 to the needle bars 134, 136 and cause these needle bars to be oscillated about their own axes. (b) The second means drivable by the shaft 17 is a cam-plate (34) that has cam tracks on its opposite faces, these cam tracks being out of phase by 180 degrees. Rollers 72, Fig. 2, extend into these tracks and reciprocate a pair of rods 73, 74. Rod 73 is coupled to the lower needle carrying frame 129, Fig. 6, and rod 74 is coupled to the upper needle  carrying frame 122. In this manner the frames 122, 129 are reciprocated towards and away from each other. The frames 122, 129 carry on one side bosses 133, 135 through which the needle bars 134, 136 extend; and on the other side the housing means 137 through which the needle bars also extend. The needle bars thus reciprocate up and down with the frames 122, 129. (c) The third means drivable by the shaft 17, Fig. 2, is a vertical shaft 43 coupled to an eccentric head 76. A connecting rod 77, Fig. 6, couples the eccentric head 76 to a block 141 slidably mounted on horizontal rods 139. Block 141 carries upstanding slide bars 142 on which blocks 143 slide. The needle bars 134, 136 are mounted in these blocks 143 and thus follow the horizontal reciprocation of the block 141.  The blocks 143 carry releasable connections which permit said third drivable means to continue to advance when a needle on the end of a needle bar strikes an obstruction. (d) The shaft 43, Figs. 2 and 12, has a sprocket 78 that is geared by a chain 79 to a second sprocket 101 having an eccentrically mounted downwardly projecting finger 103. The finger 103 cooperates with a Geneva-wheel 104 to give a step-by-step rotation of a shaft 105. The shaft 105 carries a gear-wheel that meshes with the ring gear 169 on which the stator housing is mounted. Means are provided for moving the Genevawheel out of reach of the finger 103 to increase the dwell time between the stator support advancements.  The chain 79 also causes the concentric tubes 87, 88 to oscillate in unison about their longitudinal axes. This is achieved by a drive from the chain 79 to an eccentric 108 rocking a T-arm 97. .T-arm 97 co-operates with a flat on tube 88 to rock tube 88 whilst permitting tube 88 to slide up and down. A pin and slot connection between tubes 88 and 87 causes the two tubes to rock in unison whilst permitting the tubes to move axially relatively to each other. (e) The tubes 87, 88 have already been substantially described above and the means for reciprocating them is now described below. (f) The fourth means that is drivable by the shaft 17 to reciprocate the tubes 87, 88 vertically in timed relation with the vertical reciprocation of the frames 122, 129 carrying the needle bars 134, 136 comprises a cam-plate 44, Figs. 2 and 16. The cam-plate 44 is engaged by rollers 81 and 82 mounted on-roller supporting arms that are biased towards the plate 44 by compression spring 270.  One roller supporting arm rocks a boss 83 and causes spaced arms 85 on this boss to rock upwardly and downwardly. The other roller supporting arm rooks a further boss 83 and causes spaced arms 86 to rock upwardly and downwardly in opposite directions to the up and down movement of the arms 85. This up and down movement of the arms 85, 86 is transmitted to the tubes 87, 88. Operation of the needles 234, 235 and fingers 202, 203.-As illustrated in Fig. 14 the fingers 202, 203 have moved vertically apart so as to cause the thread ends to extend upwardly and downwardly to the outside of the stator coil ends 236, 237. At the same time the horizontal needles 234, 235 have moved vertically apart and then axially forward to hook said thread ends. The needles then retract axially and, at the same time, rotate about their axes, to a setting in which their hooks 238 do not snag the thread loops 239 already looped over the needles. The needles then move towards each other, as do the fingers 202, 203 so that the lacing operation may be repeated on the inside of the coil ends. A pump 262 delivers oil to the shaft 17 via a plurality of oil delivery tubes 258. The oil descends to a reservoir for recirculation.