Device for positioning a member on a tubular plate

Abstract

A device for use in positioning a member, e.g. an eddy-current probe, in each tube of a regular array of tubes supported by a tube plate, e.g. the bundle of tubes of a steam generator, the member being guided into the tube by an open ended guide tube placeable opposite the selected tube, the device comprising a carriage having two perpendicular arms, means for moving the arms relative to each other in three perpendicular directions of which one is perpendicular to the plane of the plate and two are parallel to the plane of the plate, the amplitudes of the relative movements of the arms in the directions parallel to the plane of the plate being whole number multiples of the pitch of the tube array, guide tubes, the open end portions of which are supported by the arms, grappler means associated with each arm and comprising members for holding the device relative to the array of tubes and comprising grappler members adapted to enter at least partially into a tube support by the plate, means for operating the grappler members, and means for remotely controlling operation of the device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.