AUTOMATIC CAPACITOR INSPECTION MACHINE

• US 3,761,806 A
• Filed: 05/24/1972
• Issued: 09/25/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kahle Engineering Company
• Original Assignee: Anthony A. Milana, Carl A. Napor, Jaime Lehman
• Inventors: Napor, Carl A., Lehman, Jaime, Milana, Anthony A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krawczewicz, Stanley T.
• Application Number:
  US05/256,422
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 324/6C,6R,73AT 209/81R,74M
• US Class Current: 324/658
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/016 Testing of capacitors measuring capacitance G01R27/2605

Abstract

An automatic machine for inspecting electric capacitors is disclosed. The machine includes a rotating turret having a number of capacitor supports which carry the capacitors through a series of automatic test stations. The stations automatically determine a number of characteristics of one or more sections of the capacitors such as voltage retention, terminal to cover insulation value and capacity. The machine marks and rejects capacitors which do not meet preset voltage retention, insulation, and capacity values and also separates acceptable capacitors into a number of separate differently coded groups according to their particular capacitance value range.

Claims

1. An improved capacitor test machine comprising the combination of:

a plurality of spaced capacitor test stations;

means to move capacitors successively to said stations;

means at said stations for testing the capacitors for detecting faulty capacitors;

recording means on said moving means coupled to said detecting means for recording the detection of a faulty capacitor; and

removal means positioned for activation by said recording means to remove faulty capacitors detected at preceding test stations.

2. The test machine as claimed in claim 1 in which said testing means comprises a voltage test means.

3. The test machine as claimed in claim 2 in which said testing means comprises successive voltage test means with the initial voltage test being for a higher test voltage.

4. The test machine as claimed in claim 1 in which said testing means comprises a capacitance value tester.

5. The test means as claimed in claim 4 in which saId capacitance value tester comprises means to register the capacitance value within a plurality of preselected ranges, operatively coupled to said recording means.

6. The test machine as claimed in claim 1 in which said testing means comprises an insulation tester.

7. The test machine as claimed in claim 1 in which said testing means comprises separate voltage, insulation and capacitance value testers all coupled to said recording means.

8. The test machine as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises capacitor coding marking means operatively coupled to said recording means.

9. An improved capacitor test machine comprising the combination of:

a base;

a plurality of spaced capacitor test stations on said base;

a rotatably mounted turret having spaced capacitor supports to move capacitors successively to said stations;

testing means at a plurality of said stations for detecting faulty capacitors;

fault recording means on said turret operatively coupled to said detecting means for recording the detection of a faulty capacitor at the test stations;

first capacitor unloading means positioned for activation by said fault recording means to remove faulty capacitors detected at preceding test stations; and

second capacitor unloading means for unloading the remaining capacitors.

10. The test machine as claimed in claim 9 in which said testing means comprises a voltage test means.

11. The test machine as claimed in claim 10 in which said testing means comprises successive voltage test means with the initial voltage test being for a higher test voltage.

12. The test machine as claimed in claim 9 in which said testing means comprises a capacitance value tester.

13. The test means as claimed in claim 12 in which said capacitance value tester comprises means to register the capacitance value within a plurality of preselected ranges operatively coupled to said recording means.

14. The test machine as claimed in claim 9 in which said testing means comprises an insulation tester.

15. The test machine as claimed in claim 9 in which said testing means comprises separate voltage, insulation and capacitance value testers all coupled to said recording means.

16. The test machine as claimed in claim 9 which further comprises a plurality of capacitor coding marking means operatively coupled to said recording means.

17. The test machine as claimed in claim 16 in which said marking means comprise spray nozzles.

18. An improved capacitor test machine comprising the combination of:

a base;

a plurality of spaced capacitor test stations positioned on said base;

a rotatably mounted turret having spaced capacitor supports to move capacitors successively to said stations;

drive means for said turret;

testing means positioned at a plurality of said stations for detecting faulty capacitors;

fault recording pins movably mounted on said turret and operatively coupled to said detecting means for recording the detection of a faulty capacitor at the test stations;

coding marking means positioned for being selectively activated by said fault recording pins for coding the capacitors;

first capacitor unloading means positioned for being selectively activated by said fault recording pins to remove faulty capacitors detected at preceding test stations; and

second capacitor unloading means for unloading the remaining capacitors.

19. The test machine as claimed in claim 18 in which said testing means comprises a capacitance value tester including means for providing value readings at said pins corresponding to a plurality of preselected capacitance ranges.

20. The test machine as claimed in claim 19 in which said code marking means comprises a plurality of markers and means for operatively coupling them to said pins whereby a different color code is applied for each of said capacitance ranges.