The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 07, 1997
Filed:
Aug. 10, 1995
Ronald E Miller, Dayton, OH (US);
Robert C Storar, Dayton, OH (US);
Automation Technology, Inc., Dayton, OH (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus provides two testing stations at a single conveyor location to permits one part, such as electric motor armatures, to be tested while another part is being loaded or unloaded from a single conveyor system. Two testing heads are mounted on a reciprocating mechanism which allows the testing heads to be moved parallel to and independently of the conveyor system so that one or the other part may be aligned with a single loading and unloading station on the line at any given time. A part is first loaded into test station #1 and is then moved away from the loading station as testing station #2 is moved to it. When an electrical test on the part previously loaded into testing station #2 is finished, testing immediately begins on the part just loaded into test station #1. The part in testing station #2 is unloaded into the space vacated by the previous part, the conveyor is indexed, and the next part is loaded into testing station #2. This test station swapping operation is then reversed, and as soon as testing is complete in station #1, testing begins in station #2. The part in station #1 is unloaded, the conveyor is indexed, and the cycle is repeated. Since a part is always in a testing station waiting to be tested when testing of the previous part is finished, testing does not slow the indexing rate of the conveyor.