Non-destructive testing of bonding laminates
OwnerHarold R. Ingle, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system responsive to pressure differential is provided for non-destructive testing of the bonding between a face sheet and the attached core of a laminated or like composited structure, including an internally evacuated transducer arranged to glide easily over the surface being scanned while maintaining a constant or pulsating vacuum. Displacement of the face sheet is detected by the transducer which generates a signal indicative of the extent of the defective bond.
Claims15
Apparatus for non-destructive tested of bonded laminates which include a substrate and a face sheet bonded thereto, comprising:
- a vacuum chamber adapted to contact the surface of said face sheet as said apparatus is drawn across said face sheet;
- means for applying a vacuum to said vacuum chamber thereby urging said face sheet into said vacuum chamber;
- compressed air means for counteracting the normal force of said vacuum with respect to said face sheet to permit said apparatus to be drawn across said face sheet while said vacuum is maintained in said vacuum chamber;
- and
- means for detecting the magnitude of the displacement of said face sheet into said chamber.
Apparatus for non-destructive testing of bonded laminates which include a substrate and a face sheet bonded thereto, comprising:
- a vacuum chamber adapted to contact the surface of said face sheet as said apparatus is drawn across said face sheet;
- means for applying a pulsating vacuum to said vacuum chamber thereby resonating said face sheet at some predetermined frequency,
- means for counteractng the normal force of said vacum with respect to said face sheet to permit said apparatus to be drawn across said face sheet while said vacuum is maintained in said vacuum chamber;
- and
- means for detecting changes in the resonant frequency of said face sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.