Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
A method of testing the integrity of an electrical coil including turns of an insulated wire, which comprises: (a) applying an A.C. input signal to a first test winding positioned opposite to a second test winding and magnetically coupling said first test winding to said second test winding by magnetic flux directed through a magnetic flux path so that an A.C. output signal is induced in the second test winding having a first electrical characteristic; and (b) winding turns of said wire of said electrical coil about said magnetic flux path while monitoring said A.C. output signal for a change in the output signal characteristic from said first electrical characteristic to a different characteristic, such change being indicative of eddy currents in wound turns of wire of said electrical coil to provide an indication whether the turns being wound are shorted.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
141 words
A method of testing the integrity of an electrical coil including turns of an insulated wire, which comprises: (a) applying an A.C. input signal to a first test winding positioned opposite to a second test winding and magnetically coupling said first test winding to said second test winding by magnetic flux directed through a magnetic flux path so that an A.C. output signal is induced in the second test winding having a first electrical characteristic; and (b) winding turns of said wire of said electrical coil about said magnetic flux path while monitoring said A.C. output signal for a change in the output signal characteristic from said first electrical characteristic to a different characteristic, such change being indicative of eddy currents in wound turns of wire of said electrical coil to provide an indication whether the turns being wound are shorted.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
111 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein: applying an A.C. input signal to a first test winding positioned opposite to a second test winding and magnetically coupling said first test winding to said second test winding comprises generating a magnetic field of alternating polarity about said first test winding, and directing said magnetic field from the central opening of said first test winding through a rotatably mounted arbor to said second test winding; and winding turns of said wire of said electrical coil about said magnetic flux path comprises rotating said rotatably mounted arbor and thereby winding turns of the wire of said electrical coil about the magnetic flux path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein: step (a) includes inducing an A.C. output signal having a nominal steady-state voltage when the coil being wound about such flux path is not shorted and a characteristically different voltage when a short occurs; abnd step (b) comprises monitoring said A.C. output signal to recognize such a characteristic change in the output voltage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method as recited in claim 1 or claim 3, further comprising the steps of: (c) interrupting the coil winding operation in response to a detected change in the ouput signal characteristic; (d) repairing a fault in the insulation causing the short; and then (e) resuming the winding operation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
141 words
A method as recited in claim 4, further comprising the steps of: (f) unwinding a length of the insulated wire from the coil after a short has been detected back to the region of the fault in the insulation; and (g) detecting a change in the output signal back to the first characteristic to provide an indication of the beginning of the fault region to be repaired, after which the unwinding operation is stopped and the fault repaired; and wherein, (h) when the winding operation is thereafter resumed from a point prior to the repaired fault, the step of monitoring said A.C. output signal for a change in the output signal characteristic provides a further indication as to whether or not the short still exists, thus providing an indication as to whether or not the repair operation has been successfully completed.