Automatic calibration apparatus for thermal controls

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CALIBRATING THERMAL PROTECTORS, OR SIMILAR ARTICLES HAVING A HEAT RESPONSIVE CONTACT CARRYING METAL STRIP EXTENDING THEREINTO AS A CANTILEVER FROM AN END THEREOF, SAID ARTICLES HAVING NORMALLY CLOSED CONTACTS THEREIN SPACED FROM SAID END THEREOF, WHICH APPARATUS COMPRISES A FRAME, A CARRIER PLATE POSITIONED ON SAID FRAME FOR ROTATION IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, A PLURALITY OF ARTICLE SUPPORTS RESILIENTLY CARRIED BY SAID CARRIER PLATE ABOUT IT AND AT UNIFORMLY SPACED PERIPHERAL PORTIONS THEREOF FOR LIMITED VERTICAL MOVEMENT, INDEX MEANS TO ENGAGE AND MOVE SAID CARRIER PLATE AN INDEX STEP EQUAL TO THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL SPACING OF SAID ARTICLE SUPPORTS, SAID CARRIER PLATE BEING INDEXABLE BY SAID INDEX MEANS TO BE MOVED THEREBY FROM ONE WORK STATION TO ANOTHER, A RAM CARRIED BY SAID FRAME FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH AN ARTICLE SUPPORT AT A WORK STATION AND MOVE IT DOWN TO CONTACT SAID CARRIER PLATE, JAW MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID RAM TO ENGAGE A PORTION OF AN ARTICLE ON A SAID ARTICLE SUPPORT AT A WORK STATION AND RETAIN IT STATIONARY, AUTOMATIC BENDING MEANS OPERATIVELY CARRIED BY SAID FRAME AT SAID WORK STATION TO ENGAGE AND BEND THE FIRST SAID END OF AN ARTICLE ON A SAID ARTICLE SUPPORT PROGRESSIVELY BY SMALL INCREMENTS, CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID JAW MEANS CONNECTING THERETO TO RELEASE SAID JAW MEANS BETWEEN EACH INCREMENT OF MOVEMENT OF SAID BENDING MEANS, AND CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTING TO SAID CARRIER PLATE AND TO AN ARTICLE AT SAID WORK STATION TO ENERGIZE SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS UNTIL THE CONTACTS THEREIN ARE OPENED.