Ultrasonic pipe inspection apparatus
AssigneeBritish Gas Corporation
InventorJohn C. Collingwood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pipe inspection device for ultrasonically inspecting the wall of a pipe includes a support arm which is pivotally attached at one end to an inspection vehicle and at its other end pivotally supports a spindle at the end of which two wheels are rotatably mounted. One or more ultrasonic transducers are disposed inside each wheel so that when the vehicle is moved along the pipe, the wheels come into contact with the pipe such that the transducers are aligned in predetermined positions relative to the pipe. The device may be arranged for insertion in the bore of the pipe, or for assembly around the outside of the pipe.
Claims10
A pipe inspection apparatus which is capable of moving along the wall of a pipe, said apparatus including
- an elongated, generally tubular vehicle,
- at least one inspection means mounted on said vehicle, each said inspection means including
- a support means, one end of said support means being pivotally mounted to the side of said vehicle and the second end thereof being radially movable towards and away from the side of said vehicle,
- an elongated spindle rotatably connected to said second end of said support means, said elongated spindle extending in the longitudinal direction of said vehicle,
- an elongated mounting means connected to said elongated spindle, said elongated mounted means being connected to said elongated spindle such that the portions thereof on either side of said elongated spindle are of equal length,
- two hollow wheels respectively rotatably mounted on opposite ends of said elongated mounting means so as to be capable of contacting a pipe wall and rolling therealong in a longitudinal direction thereof, and
- at least one ultrasonic transducer mounted within each said hollow wheel such that each transducer is aligned in a predetermined position relative to the geometry of the pipe in which said vehicle moves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.