Coil shaping apparatus

Claim 1

A shaper for coils for larger electrical machines, which coils comprise loops of conductor having a generally rectangular cross section and are of a generally rectangular shape with two straight parallel sections defining a plane with inwardly directed faces which face one another, said straight sections being joined by ends of the coil that meet with said straight sections in corners, said shaper comprising: grippers for gripping each of said straight parallel sections adjacent the corners of the coil; support means for movably supporting the grippers in an initial position for insertion of an elongated loop coil blank and a final position in which the coil is shaped; and power means for moving said grippers from said initial position to said final position, wherein said grippers each include a gripping element having a gripping portion engaging said inwardly directed faces of said coils, said gripping portions extending substantially parallel to said inwardly directed faces and to one another when said grippers are in said initial position, each gripper being positioned on said support means such that the support means forms a part of the gripping element, in conjunction with the gripping portion, for engaging the straight section of the coil, the support means which forms a part of the gripping element extends transverse to the gripping portion; wherein in said final position said gripping portions are moved downward and rotated from said initial position such that normal lines from said gripping portions intersect one another below said gripping portions, whereby said inwardly directed faces are turned downward and said ends of said coil kink downwardly from said plane containing said straight sections.