Importance

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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.

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First Claim