Lamp-inspection apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR INSPECTING THE ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF A FLUORESCENT LAMP HAVING BASE PINS EXTENDING FROM EACH END THEREOF, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A FIRST LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS OPERABLE TO RECEIVE A LAMP AT A LAMP-RECEIVING POSITION, DRIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS FOR MOVING THE LATTER AND SAID LAMP CARRIED THEREBY FROM SAID LAMPRECEIVING POSITION THROUGH A WORK STATION TO A LAMPTRANSFER POSITION WHERE THE FORCE OF GRAVITY CAUSES SAID LAMP TO DROP FROM SAID FIRST LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS, A FIRST LAMP-RETAINING MEANS DISPOSED ALONG THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS AND SAID LAMP FROM THE LAMP-RECEIVING POSITION TO THE LAMP-TRANSFER POSITION, ELECTRICAL-CONTACT MEANS ON SAID FIRST LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID BASE PINS AND FOR FORCING SAID LAMP AGAINST SAID FIRST LAMP-RETAINING MEANS, SAID CONTACT MEANS ALSO BEING OPERABLE TO CAUSE ENERGIZATION AND LIGHTING OF SAID LAMP, LIGHT-RESPONSIVE MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID WORK STATION FOR INSPECTING THE LIGHT OUTPUT OF SAID LAMP AND OPERABLE TO CAUSE REJECTION OF A DEFECTIVE LAMP, A SECOND LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS DISPOSED BENEATH SAID FIRST LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS, COUPLING MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID DRIVE MEANS TO SAID SECOND LAMPRECEIVING MEANS AND FOR MOVING THE LATTER AT THE SAME VELOCITY AS SAID FIRST LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS AND INTO LAMPRECEIVING POSITION IN REGISTRY WITH SAID FIRST LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS AT SAID LAMP-TRANSFER POSITION THEREBY PERMITTING SAID PARTIALLY INSPECTED LAMP TO DROP INTO SAID SECOND LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS AT SAID LAMP-TRANSFER POSITION, SAID SECOND LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS AND SAID PARTIALLY INSPECTED LAMP CARRIED THEREBY BEING MOVED BY SAID DRIVE MEANS AND SAID COUPLING MEANS FROM SAID LAMP-TRANSFER POSITION THROUGH A SECOND WORK STATION TO A LAMP-DISCHARGE POSITION, A SECOND LAMP-RETAINING MEANS DISPOSED ALONG THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS AND SAID PARTIALLY INSPECTED LAMP FROM THE LAMP-TRANSFER POSITION TO THE LAMP-DISCHARGE POSITION, A LAMP-BIASING MEANS ON SAID SECOND LAMP-RECEIVING MEANS FOR FORCING THE BASE PINS OF SAID PARTIALLY INSPECTED LAMP AGAINST SAID SECOND LAMP-RETAINING MEANS AND A MECHANICAL-INSPECTING MEANS AT SAID SECOND WORK STATION FOR INSPECTING A MECHANICAL PROPERTY OF SAID PARTIALLY INSPECTED LAMP AND OPERABLE TO CAUSE REJECTION OF A DEFECTIVE LAMP.