Methods for connecting stator coil leads

A method of connecting a lead wire extending from a coil portion wound on a pole of a stator core to a plurality of terminals, said method comprising a series of steps of:

• a. providing a wire manipulating device having a longitudinal axis, said wire manipulating device being capable of translational movement in the plane of said plurality of terminals and rotational movement about said longitudinal axis;
• b. actuating said wire manipulating device to engage at a point of engagement said lead wire extending from said coil portion;
• c. actuating said wire manipulating device to translate and rotate said lead wire about said point of engagement to dispose said lead wire along a complex path so that said lead wire is aligned with a first one of said plurality of terminals;
• d. engaging said lead wire with said first one of said plurality of terminals;
• and
• e. repeating steps (c) and (d) with said lead wire for other ones of said plurality of terminals until said lead wire is serially engaged with each one of said plurality of terminals.

A method of connecting a lead wire extending from a coil portion wound on a pole of a stator core to a terminal means located on a stator terminal board, said method comprising a series of steps of:

• a. providing a wire manipulating device having a longitudinal axis, said wire manipulating device being capable of translational movement in the plane of said terminal means and rotational movement about said longitudinal axis;
• b. actuating said wire manipulating device to engage said lead wire;
• c. actuating said wire manipulating device to translate and rotate said lead wire to route said lead wire along a complex path through a series of projections extending from the stator terminal board, said complex path involving several substantial directional changes, until said lead wire is aligned with said terminal means;
• and
• d. engaging said lead wire with said terminal means.

A method of connecting a lead wire extending from a coil portion wound on a pole of a stator core to a plurality of terminal means located on a stator terminal board, said method comprising a series of steps of:

• a. providing a wire manipulating device having a longitudinal axis, said wire manipulating device being capable of translational movement in the plane of said plurality of terminal means and rotational movement about said longitudinal axis;
• b. actuating said wire manipulating device to engage said lead wire;
• c. actuating said wire manipulating device to translate and rotate said lead wire to route said lead wire along a complex path involving several substantial directional changes until said lead wire is aligned with a first one of said plurality of terminal means;
• d. engaging said lead wire with said first one of said plurality of terminal means;
• and
• e. repeating steps (c) and (d) with said lead wire for other ones of said plurality of terminal means until said lead wire is serially engaged with each one of said plurality of terminal means.

A method of connecting each one of a plurality of lead wires extending from a stator core to respective ones of a plurality of terminal means located on a stator terminal board, said method comprising a series of steps of:

• a. providing a wire manipulating device having a longitudinal axis, said wire manipulating device being capable of translational movement in the plane of said plurality of terminal means and rotational movement about said longitudinal axis;
• b. actuating said lead wire manipulating device to engage a first lead wire of said plurality of lead wires;
• c. actuating said lead wire manipulating device to translate and rotate said first lead wire to dispose said first lead wire along a complex path, so that said first lead wire is aligned with a respective one of said plurality of terminal means;
• d. engaging said first lead wire with said respective one of said plurality of terminal means;
• and
• e. repeating steps (b) through (d) with other ones of said plurality of lead wires and for other respective ones of said plurality of terminal means until each one of said plurality of lead wires is engaged with a respective one of said plurality of terminal means.