GB2082482A - Electric machine field winding device - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus to form and locate field windings on a core of an axial flux electric machine, the apparatus including a wire delivery tube which loops wire through slots on the core to form the windings. the tube is moved in a radial and angular direction relative to the core. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electric machine field winding device The present invention relates to the construction of electric machines and more particularly but not exclusively to the construction of parallel flux machines.

In the manufacture, e.g. of parallel flux electric motors, the field windings of the stator are generally wound manually. This is both inaccurate and time consuming, and therefore costly.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

There is disclosed herein an apparatus to wind and locate field windings on a core of an axial flux electric machine, said core having an end face with radially extending slots, said machine comprising a frame to support said core with said slots exposed; wire delivery means to locate wire loops on said core and extending through said slots so as to form said field windings; relative motion means to cause relative movement between said wire delivery means and said core, said motion means including, angular movement means to cause relative rotation between said delivery means and said core about the axis of said core, and radial movement means to cause radial movement of said delivery means and said core; and control means to cause intermittant alternate actuation of said angular movement means and said radial movement means so that said delivery means forms said loops.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 schematically depicts an apparatus to wind the field windings on the stator of a parallel flux electric motor; Figure 2 is a schematic side elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the wire delivery portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of the drive for the wire delivery means of Fig. 3; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the field wire compacting arrangement of Fig. 1 employed in the apparatus of Fig. 1; Figure 6 schematically depicts a drive for the table supporting the core, as depicted in Fig. 1; Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the wire compactor illustrated in Fig. 5; Figures 8 and 9 schematically illustrate an alternative arrangement for the drive of Fig. 6;; Figure 10 schematically depicts a still further arrangement for the drive of Fig. 6; Figure 11 is a side elevation schematically depicting the primary drive arrangement for the apparatus of Fig. 1; Figure 12 is a plan view of the primary drive of Fig. 11; Figure 13 is an end elevation of the drive of Fig. 11; and Figure 14 is a graph illustrating a vertical drive shaft compared to the annular displacement of a crank both employed in the primary drive of Fig. 11.

The apparatus 10 is adapted to wind the field windings 11 on to the core 1 2 of an electric machine. e.g. the core 12 could form part of the stator of a parallel flux electric motor. The core 1 2 has radially extending slots 1 3 within which the wire 14 is looped to form the field windings 11.

In Fig. 1 there is depicted one assembly 1 6 which is adapted to form the field windings 11. However, it should be appreciated that several assemblies 1 6 could be placed at various locations around the platform 1 7 so that several of the field windings 11 may be simultaneously wound. The assembly 1 6 includes a tubular member 1 5 through which the wire 14 passes. The tubular member 1 5 and more particularly its inner radial extremity is moved radially with respect to the central axis 1 8 of the core in addition to being moved vertically and angularly with respect to the core 12.

To provide for these various movements the core 1 2 is mounted on a rotatable table 1 9 while the tubular member 1 5 is adjustably attached to a pivotably movable arm 20 which is rotatable about the pin 21. The pin 21 is attached to a yoke 22 which is mounted on a slide 23. The slide 23 is received on a guide rail 24 mounted on the platform 1 7.

Radial movement of the tubular member 1 5 with respect to the axis of the core 1 2 is achieved by longitudinal movement of the slide 23 on the rail 24. Vertical movement of the tubular member 1 5 relative to the core 1 2 is achieved by pivoting movement of the arm 20 about the pin 21. While angular movement of the tubular member 1 5 with respect to the core 1 2 is achieved by rotation of the table 1 9 about the axis of the core 1 2. This angular movement is generally intermittent and takes place inbetween radial movements of the tubular member 1 5.

Now with reference also to Figs. 11 to 14 wherein there is depicted the primary drive assembly 25 for the winding apparatus 10.

The primary drive assembly 25 includes a driven shaft 26 rotatably supported in the main frame 27. The shaft 26 drives a crank 28 having a crank pin 29 from which extends a push rod 30. Also rotatably supported by the main frame 27 is a vertical shaft 31 which is driven by the pin 29 by means of a lost motion coupling 32. The coupling 32 includes two vertically extending rods 33 which are sequentially engaged by the pin 29 as it is rotated about the axis of the shaft 26. The rods 33 are fixed to an arm 34 which in turi is attached to the vertical shaft 31. Accordingly, by engagement of the pin 29 with the rods 33 the arm 32 is caused to oscillate angularly around the shaft 31. The limitations of this angular oscillation are defined by adjustable stops 35.

Now again referring more particularly to Fig. 1 it can be seen that the shaft 31, as depicted in Figs. 11 and 12, has at its upper extremity a crank lever 36 which is provided with a slot 37. The table 1 9 is rotatably driven by a gear 40 which measures with a gear 42 attached to the table 19. The gear 40 is in turn attached to a shaft 41 from which extends a lever 38 The lever 38 is provided with a pin 39 which projects into the slot 37.

Upon oscillating angular movement of the shaft 31 the gear 40 is caused to also oscillate angularly to cause angular oscillation of the table 1 9.

The primary drive assembly 25 as mentioned earlier also includes a push rod 30 which is pivotably coupled to the pin 29 and to the lower extremity of the vertically extending beam 43 which is slidably held by the main frame 27. Accordingly, upon rotation of the crank assembly 28 the beam 43 is caused to oscillate vertically. Extending from the beam 43 is an arm 44 to which is attached two parallel plate members 45. These plate members 45 are engaged by a series of linkages which drive the winding assembly 1 6. This linkage system includes a primary link 46 which is pivotally coupled by means of a bracket 47 and pin 48 to the table 17, one extremity of the link 46 has a pin 49 which is engaged between the two plates 45 so that upon vertical movement of the two plates 45 the link 46 is caused to oscillate angularly about the pin 48.This link system further includes an L-shaped link 50 which is pivotally coupled to the bracket 47 by means of a pin 51. The link 50 has a slot 52 which engages a pin 53 fixed to an extremity of the link 46. Thus again the link 50 is caused to oscillate angularly about the pin 51 in harmony with the link 46. The other extremity of the link 50 is provided with a slot 54 which engages a pin 55 attached to the yoke 22.

Accordingly, the angular oscillation of the link 50 causes back and forth reciprocation of the slide 23.

To provide the inner extremity of the tubular member 1 5 with vertical movement relative to the core 1 2 and as described earlier the arm 20 is caused to oscillate about the pin 21. This oscillation is caused by an extension 56 of the arm 20 having a pin 57 engaged within a slot 58 in a bracket 59. As the slide 23 is caused to reciprocate along the rail 24 the pin 57 is caused to travel along the slot 58 thereby causing rotation of the arm 20 about the pin 21. As each loop of the field wirlrailng 11 is planad op the corp 1 2 th loops are pushed against each other so as to be tightly packed by means of a press disc 60 which is attached to an arm 61 formed integral with the beam 43.The disc 60 is coupled to the arm 61 by means of a central pin 62 and a spring 63 so that the disc 60 may move vertically relative to the arm 63 within limits. Thus as the beam 43 reciprocates the disc 60 is brought into contact with the loops of the field winding 11.

Now turning to Figs. 8 to 10 wherein there is depicted various means of adjusting the extent of the angular oscillation of the table 1 9 by regulating the oscillation of the arm 38. As a first example as depicted in Figs. 8 and 9 the crank 36 could consist of an assembly which includes a solenoid 64 which moves a pin 65 by means of a connecting rod 66. this pin 65 would then be engaged within a slot of the lever 38. By adjusting the position of the pin 65 by means of the solenoid 64 the angular movement of the arm 38 would then be regulated.

As a further alternative there is depicted in Fig. 10 a similar means of adjusting the oscillation of the table 1 9 depicted in Fig. 6.

Both these arrangements include an assembly to replace the link 36. These assemblies include a main body 67 which has a slot 68 within which is located a pin 69. The pin 69 is held in position by means of a threaded member 70 which passes through and threadably engages the pin 69. Accordingly, by rotating the threaded member 70 the pin 69 is caused to travel along the slot 68. The link 38 of Fig. 1 would then be provided with a slot 71 which is engaged by the pin 69.

Accordingly, by rotating the threaded member 70 the pin 69 would be caused to engage within a different position within the slot 71 thereby varying the angular oscillation of the link 38.

Claims (7)

1. An apparatus to wind and locate field windings on a core of an axial flux electric machine, said core having an end face with radially extending slots, said machine comprising a frame to support said core with said slots exposed; wire delivery means to locate wire loops on said core and extending through said slots so as to form said field windings; relative motion means to cause relative movement between said wire delivery means and said core, said motion means including, angular movement means to cause relative rotation between said delivery means and said core about the axis of said core, and radial movement means to cause radial movement of said delivery means and said core; and control means to cause intermittant alternate actuation of said angular movement means and said radial movement means so that said delivery means forms said loops.

2 The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said angular motion means includes a mounting for said core, said mounting being rotatably fixed to said frame and adapted to securely engage said core to rotate the core about said longitudinal axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2 wherein said radial movement means comprises a movable support for said member, and guide means to restrain said support to move in a radial direction relative to said axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said member is pivotally mounted on said support so as to be pivotably movable in a plane within which said axis lies, and said apparatus further includes longitudinal movement means adapted to move said member longitudinally relative to said core.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said longitudinal movement means includes means engaging said support to cause oscillation thereof within said plane.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said control means causes said tubular member to move toward said core at the radially outer and inner extremities of its radial movement via operation of said longitudinal movement means.

7. An apparatus to manufacture and locate field windings on a core of an axial flux electric machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.