Patent ID: 7797977

Claim:
A system for producing a helical stator, comprising: a stamping die which receives a metal strip and outputs a stator core strip having a base portion and spaced tangs extending from the base portion; a guide receiving said stator core strip; a strip feed wheel having teeth engaging the stator core strip to drive the stator core strip in a feed direction to a bending region; at said bending region an outside pressure member positioned to apply pressure at an outside edge of said strip base portion and with an inside pressure wheel having a plurality of teeth, a backstop surface of said teeth positioned to contact an inside edge of said base portion between adjacent tangs to support said base portion as the strip is being bent by said outside pressure member, said inside pressure wheel having gaps between said teeth and for receiving said tangs; and a winding arbor receiving the bent strip to collect multiple turns of said bent strip to form said helical stator.