Apparatus for manufacturing rotary-electric-machine stator

1. An apparatus for shaping a plurality of conductor members disposed circumferentially and extending axially from a rotary-electric-machine stator comprising:

first means for holding said conductor members;

second means for moving said first means in the circumferential direction of said stator; and

third means for moving said first means in the axial direction of said stator; wherein

said first means comprises a first pair of twister cylinders coaxially disposed with each other and a second pair of twister cylinders coaxially disposed adjacent to said first pair of twister cylinders;

each of said first pair of twister cylinders has a plurality of holes disposed circumferentially at equal intervals, and said plurality of holes of one of said twister cylinders of said first pair is radially spaced apart from said plurality of holes of the other of said twister cylinders of said first pair at a first distance;

said first and second pairs of twister cylinders are disposed at a second distance from each other; and

each of said second pair of twister cylinders has a plurality of holes disposed circumferentially at equal intervals, and said plurality of holes of one of said twister cylinders of said second pair is radially spaced apart from said plurality of holes of the other of said twister cylinders of said second pair at a third distance.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of said first pair of twister cylinders rotates in a direction opposite to the other.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a controller for simultaneously controlling said second means and said third means.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said controller controls said second means to rotate one of said first pair of twister cylinders in a direction opposite to the other.

5. An apparatus for shaping coil ends composed of a plurality of sets of U-shaped large and small conductor segments disposed in four radial-layers of slots of a rotary-machine-stator, said apparatus comprising:

four twister cylinders, respectively rotatable about an axis, for holding connection ends of said large and small conductor segments in said four radial-layers at an axial end of said stator;

a rotating mechanism for rotating said twister cylinders alternately in opposite directions to bend connection ends of said large and small conductor segments in one of said circumferential layers in one direction and connection ends of said large and small conductor segments in an adjacent circumferential layer in the opposite direction;

an elevating mechanism for moving said twister cylinders in the axial direction of said stator; and

a controller for controlling said rotating mechanism and said elevating mechanism to move said twister cylinders so that the length of said conductor members extending from said stator can be maintained constant.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each of said twister cylinders has a plurality of holes disposed circumferentially at equal intervals.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein

said four twister cylinders are divided into an outer pair of cylinders and an inner pair of cylinders to position each pair of said large and small conductor members in an outer two of said circumferential layers and each pair of said large and small conductor members in an inner two of said circumferential layers side by side respectively.

8. An apparatus for shaping coil ends composed of a plurality of conductor segments disposed in a plurality of radial-layers of slots of a rotary-machine-stator, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of pairs of twister cylinders respectively corresponding to said radial-layers of slots and rotatable about an axis, said twister cylinders respectively holding connection ends of said conductor segments in separate circumferential layers at an axial end of said stator;

a rotating mechanism for rotating said twister cylinders alternately in opposite directions to bend connection ends of said conductor segments in one of said circumferential layers in one direction and connection ends of said conductor segments in an adjacent circumferential layer in the opposite direction;

an elevating mechanism for moving said twister cylinders in the axial direction of said stator; and

a controller for controlling said rotating mechanism and said elevating mechanism to move said twister cylinders so that the length of said conductor members extending from said stator can be maintained constant.

9. An apparatus for shaping a plurality of conductor members disposed circumferentially and extending axially from a rotary-electric machine stator so that connection ends of the conductor members are disposed at one end of the stator, said apparatus comprising:

first means for holding said conductor members at the connection ends of the conductor members;

second means for moving said first means in a circumferential direction of said stator; and

third means for moving said first means in the axial direction of said stator, wherein

said second means and said third means are arranged to move said first means in a controlled manner.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said first means comprises a first pair of twister cylinders coaxially disposed with each other.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein each of said first pair of twister cylinders rotates in a direction opposite to the other.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein each of said first pair of twister cylinders has a plurality of holes disposed circumferentially at equal intervals, and said plurality of holes of one of said twister cylinders of said first pair is radially spaced apart from said plurality of holes of the other of said twister cylinders of said first pair at a first distance.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising a second pair of twister cylinders coaxially disposed adjacent to said first pair of twister cylinders at a second distance, and each of said second pair of twister cylinders has a plurality of holes disposed circumferentially at equal intervals, and said plurality of holes of one of said twister cylinders of said second pair is radially spaced apart from said plurality of holes of the other of said twister cylinders of said second pair at a third distance.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising a controller for simultaneously controlling said second means and said third means.