Methods for fabricating electrical phase insulators for dynamoelectric machines

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for making electrical phase insulators for dynamoelectric machines are disclosed wherein a phase insulator includes two spaced apart planar portions formed of an insulating material interconnected by at least one connector made of an insulating material. First and second strips of planar insulating material are supplied and positioned at spaced apart locations at a securing station. At least one strip of connector material is supplied to a conditioning station and stretched for elongating and assuring straightness of the at least one connector strip. The stretching of the connector material is accomplished by gripping a second section of the connector strip at a location longitudinally spaced apart from a gripped first section and relatively moving the first and second sections thereby elongating a confined portion of the connector material located between the first and second sections. Elongation of the connector material strip removes curvature or "set" existing in the connector material and assures that the phase insulators being fabricated are provided with straight connectors. Straight connectors facilitate automatic or machine insertion of the phase insulators into dynamoelectric machine cores. A stretched portion of the at least one connector strip is advanced to the securing station and severed thereby establishing at least one elongated segment of connector material. The at least one elongated segment is positioned relative to the two strips of space apart planar insulating material at the securing station so that respective ends of the elongated segment overlap the first and second strips of planar material. The ends of the elongated segment are then fused or ultrasonically welded to the respective strips of planar insulating material thereby interconnecting the planar strips with the elongated segment or connector portion for establishing a phase insulator having a straight connector portion so as to facilitate machine insertion into a dynamoelectric machine magnetic core.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.