GB457954A - Improvements in and relating to apparatus for testing electric lamp bulbs and similar articles for leaks - Google Patents

Abstract

457,954. Testing electric lamp bulbs for leaks. BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON CO., Ltd., Crown House, Aldwych, London. Dec. 12, 1935, No. 34516. Convention date, Dec. 12, 1934. [Class 106 (ii)] Apparatus for testing electric bulbs &c. for leaks before they have been exhausted and sealed off comprises a chuck for supporting a bulb by the neck in an air-tight manner, and a passage-way connecting the inside of the bulb with a diaphragm chamber compressed air being admitted to the other side of these diaphragms to force the latter back and compress air into the bulb, means controlled by this bulb pressure being adapted to make an electric circuit and discharge a leaky bulb. A turret 10 rotatable about a vertical axis carries a plurality of chucks 11 into which the lamps 13 are inserted. Each lamp comprises a bulb 13 into which a filament and other structure are sealed and to which is sealed an exhaust tube 14. The tubes 14 of the lamps are inserted in the chucks at the position X. The shaft 21 is now rotated and a post 19 on an arm 20 of the shaft engages a pin 22 on the screwed collar 24 thus rotating the sleeve 25 and causing the washer 16 to bulge and grip the tube. The shaft 21 is moved up and down through link-and-lever mechanism from a cam 38. Upon the chuck closing, the mechanism is dropped and the turret advanced one position. The turret is -fast with a tube 53 rotated through a chain 55 by mechanism not shown. In this position, compressed air is supplied through passages 67, 69 to a chamber 58 forcing down the diaphragm 57 into the chamber 73 so that air is forced into the bulb and also into the passage 76 and into a passage (not shown) connected to a Bourdon pressure tube operating a switch. The screw 77 can be adjusted to change the volume of the passages and hence the pressure. The Bourdon tube when moved keeps contact 86 away from a stationary contact 93. The air pressure is maintained until the head 11 arrives at the position Y when the port 68 is closed. If the lamp is leaky, the switch causes contacts 86, 93 to engage. These are connected to contacts 98, 99 on the turret 10 which during indexing of the machine contact with fixed contacts 101, 102 in the circuit of a solenoid 104 which when energized moves a stop rod 108 into the path of unloading mechanism 97. The stop rod prevents the unloading mechanism from its normal swing under the turret when a lamp passing the test is in its head. If the lamp passes it is carried on to unloading mechanism 97 at Y and jaws grip the lamp which is released by a rotation of the collar 25 by a post 109 engaging the pin 22. The shaft 110 carrying the part 109 is rotated through gears 113.. 114 from a shaft 115. An arm 116 on the shaft 110 is connected by a link 37 to a collar 36 so that the chuck closing mechanism at X is operated simultaneously with the chuck release at Y. The unloading mechanism 97 draws a good lamp from the turret and inserts it into an exhaust machine by mechanism not shown.