Abstract: Wafers are separated individually from a stack by directing multiple jets of fluid between an outermost wafer in the stack and an adjacent wafer. The jets have sufficient pressure and are sufficiently spaced apart around the wafer stack to cause the outermost wafer to separate longitudinally from the adjacent wafer without lateral movement there between. In the illustrated embodiment, a chuck is attached to a planar surface of the outermost wafer. The attached wafer and wafer stack, once separated by the jet of fluid, are moved relatively apart, such as by movement of the chuck. The wafers in the stack are thereby separated without contact between a wafer edge and a solid object (such as a container wall or hand), minimizing the risk of wafer breakage.

Abstract: Wafers are separated individually from a stack by directing multiple jets of fluid between an outermost wafer in the stack and an adjacent wafer. The jets have sufficient pressure and are sufficiently spaced apart around the wafer stack to cause the outermost wafer to separate longitudinally from the adjacent wafer without lateral movement there between. In the illustrated embodiment, a chuck is attached to a planar surface of the outermost wafer. The attached wafer and wafer stack, once separated by the jet of fluid, are moved relatively apart, such as by movement of the chuck. The wafers in the stack are thereby separated without contact between a wafer edge and a solid object (such as a container wall or hand), minimizing the risk of wafer breakage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting winding errors in electric motor stators having a plurality of field windings is disclosed. The method involves the steps of applying a current source to at least one of the field windings to generate a magnetic field within the stator, measuring the polarity and strength of the field for each winding at preselected radial and angular positions about a circumference of the stator bore, and comparing the measured values to recorded values of radially and angularly corresponding measurements for a reference motor stator. Preferably, the current source is applied to each of the windings in succession. The apparatus includes a terminal block, switch, and power supply to connect a source of current to each field winding in succession to generate a magnetic field within the stator.

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.

Abstract: A testing apparatus for rotors of electric motors comprising a test fixture including a fixture shaft on which a rotor is temporarily attached to a known inertial load. A stator creates a rotating magnetic field to cause rotation of the rotor, and an encoder senses the amount of angular rotation of the rotor in short time intervals, which is recorded in a memory and later used to calculate torque. An index mark from the encoder indicates each complete revolution of the rotor and may be used to determine the location of a defective rotor segment by reference to a start point mark placed on the rotor prior to the test. An electronic control circuit initially applies a low value electric current to the stator to create a rotating magnetic field to cause the rotor to rotate at a slower than normal rate to improve the resolution of the torque measurement. After the rotor has accelerated to a predetermined value, the stator voltage may be increased.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing the starting torque of electric motors includes attaching a flywheel of known diameter and weight to the motor's shaft along with an incremental encoder and measuring the amount of shaft rotation during known time intervals. A counter receives the output pulses from the encoder and a data latch captures the value of the counter at regular time intervals, such as once or twice during a cycle of an alternating current power line or upon zero crossing of the current to the motor. The count for each interval is retained in computer memory and later compared with a previous count to indicate changes in RPM from one interval to another. The change in RPM is a function of torque and can be plotted against motor speed, which is also calculated from the encoder output.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing the resistance of armature commutator connections and the resistance values of individual windings uses a pair of independent constant current sources connected across opposite pairs of armature windings through their respective commutator bars. The constant current sources are identical in output current and are connected in opposite polarity to minimize circulating current flowing in other windings of the armature. The voltages developed across windings adjacent the two current sources are combined and are a function of the resistances of the connections between the windings and the commutator bars. The voltages across each constant current source represent the resistance of the winding to which it is connected.

Abstract: A control system and method for a continuous process in which a trained neural network predicts the value of an indirectly controlled process variable and the values of directly controlled process variables are changed to cause the predicted value to approach a desired value.