A method of forming a winding for an electric machine includes forming a plurality of conductors having a substantially identical wire form with a plurality of end turns joining a plurality of slot segments, defining a first portion of the plurality of conductors as first conductors, rotating a second portion of the plurality of conductors about a central axis to mirror the first conductors, defining the second portion of the plurality of conductors as second conductors, combining select ones of the first conductors and select ones of the second conductors to form conductor pairs, and combining a plurality of conductor pairs to form a multi-conductor winding.

A motor may include a rotor and a stator. The stator may include first and second stator assemblies. Each stator assembly may include a coil wound around a tube-shaped body part of a bobbin comprising a terminal block; and first and second stator cores disposed on opposite sides of the coil. The first stator cores of the first and second stator assemblies are welded together at outer peripheries of the first stator cores of the first and second stator assemblies. The welded portion may be covered by the terminal block of one of the first stator assembly or the second stator assembly on an outer side in the radial direction with a predetermined space between the welded portion and the terminal block.

A coil forming apparatus includes: a coil winding jig being configured to wind the belt-shaped coil by inserting the plurality of straight portions of the belt-shaped coil into a respective one of the plurality of comb-shaped grooves; a coil conveying mechanism that pivotally conveys the belt-shaped coil; and guide members that guide the belt-shaped coil in an arc shape while being in contact with the side ends of the belt-shaped coil, and further allow the plurality of straight portions to be inserted into a respective one of the plurality of comb-shaped grooves in a second half portion of the belt-shaped coil upon pivot conveying. The coil conveying organizer includes a conveying rail that provides a conveying path pivotally conveying the belt-shaped coil along the coil winding jig, and a conveyor that moves along the conveying rail in a state gripping the plurality of straight portions of the belt-shaped coil.

A coil forming apparatus includes: a coil winding jig including a plurality of comb-shaped grooves; a coil conveying mechanism that pivotally conveys the belt-shaped coil along at least a portion of the outer periphery of the coil winding jig; and guide members guide the belt-shaped coil in an arc shape along an outer periphery of the coil winding jig while being in contact with the side ends, and allow the plurality of straight portions to be inserted into a respective one of the plurality of comb-shaped grooves in a second half portion of the belt-shaped coil upon pivot conveyance. The guide members include a reforming portion in a first half portion of the belt-shaped coil upon pivot conveyance, and the reforming portion deforms and reforms the belt-shaped coil in an arc shape in a state sandwiching the side ends of the belt-shaped coil.

Provided is a coil insertion device for inserting a wound coil into slots formed in a stator core and opening to a through-hole of the stator core, by placing the coil in the through-hole, and by expanding the coil to move the coil from inside toward outside with respect to the stator core. The coil insertion device includes a coil expander having a plurality of piece members arranged in an annular shape. The plurality of piece members are movable between a first position where the plurality of piece members are reduced in diameter so as to be insertable inside the wound coil, and a second position where the plurality of piece members are expanded in diameter from the first position to press the wound coil from inside toward outside, thereby inserting the wound coil into the slots at once.

A coil insertion guide device includes a positioning jig that positions a stator core; and a guide member that is provided in the positioning jig so as to be able to contact an end face of the stator core in an axial direction. A coil inserted into the slots along the radial direction of the stator core is guided by the guide members. The guide member includes a guide groove. The guide groove includes, on a side close to the end face of the stator core, a cuff support groove that houses and supports a cuff of one of the insulating members that protrudes from the end face of the stator core, and on a side far from the end face, a coil guide groove that protrudes toward an inside of the slot more than the cuff support groove and contacts the coil to guide movement of the coil.

A method for forming the heads of coils made of rectangular wire so that it fits within the slots of the stator of an electric machine. The method includes receiving a coil having unformed first and second heads separated by first and second legs and applying controlled deformation to yield properly shaped heads. Actuators are provided for causing sequential actuated movements of one of the first and second legs to force the head-forming elements into contact with different portions of the first and second heads while allowing selective free movements of the other leg in response to the actuated movements.

An assembly for assembling a winding group of a bar winding for an electric machine is provided. The winding group includes a plurality of bar conductors, each bar conductor having a first leg, a second leg and a bridge portion connecting the first leg to the second leg, and being shaped so that the first and second legs are mutually spread by a predetermined distance. The assembly includes an annular fixture delimiting a plurality of slots, each slot receiving at least one portion of either the first leg or the second leg, a guiding device defining an annular containment housing, receiving at least partially the first and second legs of the plurality of legs of the plurality of bar conductors that are housed in the plurality of slots, forming at least one radial containment wall for the first and second legs.

A grounding brush assembly includes a plurality of conductive fibers extending from at least one support, a mounting plate having a first side and a second side and an opening configured to surround a rotatable motor shaft having an axis of rotation, and a plurality of tabs disposed in a circle around the periphery. Each of the tabs extends axially from the first side of the mounting plate and radially toward or away from the axis of rotation to define with an adjacent portion of the first side of the mounting plate a U-shaped bracket. The at least one support is secured against the first side of the mounting plate by the plurality of tabs.

An aligning apparatus is provided for aligning coil segments in an annular shape to form an aligned coil. Each of the coil segments has a pair of first and second leg portions. The aligning apparatus includes an outer jig and an inner jig. The outer jig has partitioning members arranged in a radial fashion. The partitioning members are spaced at such intervals as to allow each of the first leg portions of the coil segments to be inserted between one circumferentially-adjacent pair of the partitioning members. The inner jig has hole-forming members arranged radially inside the partitioning members of the outer jig. Each of the hole-forming members has formed therein a hole in which one of the second leg portions of the coil segments is to be inserted. Moreover, the hole-forming members are configured to be rotatable relative to the outer jig in a circumferential direction and radially movable.