Rotating pipeline inspection apparatus

Inspection apparatus for detecting longitudinally extending anomalies in the wall of a pipeline by nondestructive inspection apparatus which is propelled through the interior of the pipeline by a fluid being transported therethrough, said apparatus comprising

• a longitudinally extending magnetic core member disposed within said pipeline for establishing a magnetic field directed transversely to the axis of said pipeline,
• means including longitudinally extending magnetic flux conductive members disposed on opposite sides of said core and adapted to be urged into contact with the wall of the pipe at circumferentially spaced portions thereof for establishing a circumferentially directed magnetic flux field in a longitudinally extending portion of the wall of the pipeline,
• an elongated unitary sheet of elastomeric material having one longitudinally extending edge secured by fastening means to said core, said sheet extending outwardly in a transverse direction away from said core toward the wall of the pipeline,
• flaw detecting means disposed longitudinally along the outwardly extended portion of the elastomeric sheet,
• said elastomeric sheet holding said detecting means in firm but resilient contact with a longitudinally extending portion of the pipeline wall,
• means responsive to the movement of the inspection apparatus through the pipeline for imparting a helical motion to said core means and flaw detecting means as they move through the pipeline.

Pipeline inspection apparatus for inspecting a section of pipeline from the inside to detect longitudinally extending flaws in the wall of a section of pipe, said apparatus comprising

• a magnetic core means extending longitudinally within the central portion of said section of pipe for establishing a unidirectional magnetic field directed transversely to the central axis of said pipe,
• magnetic flux conductive pole pieces disposed on the sides of said core and in flux conductive contact with longitudinally extending and circumferentially spaced portions of the wall of said pipe for establishing a circumferentially directed magnetic flux field in the wall of said pipe,
• a longitudinally extending sheet of elastomeric material having one edge secured longitudinally along the length of said apparatus to form a fin-like member, said sheet extending outwardly in a transverse direction toward the wall of said pipe,
• flaw detecting means disposed longitudinally along the outwardly extended portion of said sheet of elastomeric material,
• said elastomeric sheet holding said detecting means in firm but resilient contact with a longitudinally extending portion of the pipe wall,
• means responsive to fluid pressure in said pipeline for moving through said section of pipe substantially without rotation and for propelling the apparatus through the pipe, and
• means carried by said apparatus and responsive to the movement of the apparatus through the pipe for imparting a rotary motion to said core and pole pieces, said elastomeric sheet and said detecting means, whereby said detecting means follows a helical path along the wall of said pipe.

Inspection apparatus for detecting longitudinally extending anomalies in the wall of a pipeline by nondestructive inspection apparatus which is propelled through the interior of the pipeline by a fluid being transported therethrough, said apparatus comprising

• magnetic means comprising a longitudinally extending magnetic core member disposed within said pipeline for establishing a magnetic field directed transversely to the axis of said pipeline,
• means including longitudinally extending magnetic flux conductive wire brush members disposed on opposite sides of said core, said brush members being in flux conductive contact with the wall of the pipe at circumferentially spaced portions thereof for establishing a circumferentially directed magnetic flux field in a longitudinally extending portion of the wall of the pipeline,
• an elongated unitary sheet of elastomeric material having one longitudinally extending edge secured by fastening means to said core, said sheet extending outwardly in a transverse direction away from said core toward the wall of the pipeline,
• flaw detecting means disposed longitudinally along the outwardly extended portion of the elastomeric sheet,
• said elastomeric sheet holding said detecting means in firm but resilient contact with a longtitudinally extending portion of the pipeline wall,
• means responsive to the movement of the inspection apparatus through the pipeline for imparting a helical motion to said core means and flaw detecting means as they move through the pipeline,
• a propelling section responsive to the movement of fluid transported through said pipeline for propelling said apparatus through said pipeline,
• said propelling section being constructed and arranged to move through the pipeline substantially without rotation,
• rotary coupling means coupling said propelling section to said core means and said detecting means for permitting relative rotary motion therebetween as said apparatus is propelled through said pipeline,
• signal recording means rotatable with said detecting means for recording signals produced by said detecting means, and
• non-rotary electrical connecting means coupling said recording means to said detecting means.

Pipeline inspection apparatus for performing a nondestructive magnetic inspection of said pipeline from the interior of said pipeline to detect longitudinally extending anomalies in the wall of the pipeline, said apparatus comprising

• a propelling section of the apparatus which includes packer means adapted to make resilient and sliding contact with the wall of said section of pipeline and adapted to be propelled substantially without rotation through a section of the pipeline by a fluid being transported therethrough,
• means carried by said apparatus for establishing a circumferentially directed magnetic flux field in the wall of a section of said pipeline so that flux lines of said field are directed transversely to longitudinally extending anomalies in said wall,
• magnetic flux detector means carried on an inspection section of the apparatus for producing inspection signals in response to anomalies detected in a section of pipeline having the circumferentially directed magnetic flux field therein, said detector means comprising
• one or more longitudinally extending fin-like elastomeric appendages carried by the apparatus and extending transversely toward the wall of the section of pipeline, said one or more appendage each having a circumferential extent not exceeding 180.degree.,
• flux detector means longitudinally disposed along the transversely extended portion of the appendage,
• said appendage holding the flux detector means in firm but yieldable inspecting position on or adjacent the wall of said section of pipeline,
• a plurality of radially extending supporting means circumferentially disposed about and secured to said inspection section,
• means secured to the opposite end of each of said supporting means for engaging the wall of said pipeline and for imparting a helical motion to the inspection section in response to longitudinal movement of the apparatus relative to the wall of said pipeline,
• means connecting said propelling section and said inspection section for permitting said inspection section to helically rotate within the section of pipeline as the propelling section moves longitudinally substantially without rotation,
• inspection signal circuit means included in the apparatus within the pipeline for processing said inspection signals,
• said circuit means being helically rotatable with said inspection section as the apparatus moves through said pipeline, and
• nonrotary connector means for electrically connecting said detector means and said circuit means.