In each coil (10), between a first radial section formed by a winding-start section (10a) and a second radial section formed by a winding-end section (10b) of a winding (10A), the circumferential lengths of the winding lap sections formed by said winding change in a continuous or stepped manner. For a first coil, the sequences within two slots (22) of the winding constituting the first coil are reversed with respect to one another by a twisted section (10d) between a first coil end (12a) and a second coil end (12b) of the first coil. The first coil and next second coil form a lap winding in which the twisted sections of the first and second coils are three-dimensionally entwined. The lap winding of said twisted sections continues for the third and subsequent coils, and the first coil end and the second coil end of each coil are continuous without spaces at the end surfaces of a core (20).

The present invention was contrived through attention being focused on the following in a prior-art distributed-winding coil: a solenoid configuration in which winding wires are to be wound is preserved when initially formed, but this configuration tends to be loosened during subsequent steps, and the initial winding sequence of the winding wires, or the position of the winding wires relative to each other, tends to be disrupted, and accordingly must be prevented, when a certain force is applied and the necessary bending or deformation is induced in coils with distributed winding in which the solenoid configuration is preserved, or when the coils are ultimately inserted into slots. Therefore, as a solution, the present invention provides a holding tool 30 provided with: at least two substrates 32 linked at one end so as to be able to open and close; an outlet 31 formed at the other end of the substrates 32; and a holding space 32a capable of opening on the outlet 31 side, and holding the first accommodation portion 11a or the second accommodation portion 11b of a coil 10 while maintaining the alignment state of the winding wires 10A that constitute part of the first accommodation portion 11a and the second accommodation portion 11b when the substrates 32 are closed; the holding tool 30 being capable of forming a twist portion at a first coil end and a second coil end and reducing the size of the coil ends of the coils while maintaining the alignability of the winding wires that constitute part of the first and second accommodation portions of the coil 10.

Phase coils include a first phase coil and a second phase coil, the phase coils are configured by connecting together end portions of the coil terminals of the first phase coil and the second phase coil that extend outward from identical radial positions in the slots axially outside the stator core so as to be radially outside a coil end group, and the coil terminals of the first phase coils of the phase coils of three phases include joint coil portions that extend outward from the slots within a pitch of one magnetic pole, are then bent so as to extend in an identical circumferential direction, and are placed in close proximity to the end portions of the coil terminals of the second phase coils that are intended for connection therewith.