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US 5,291,136 AGranted
Variable angle eddy current probe
AssigneeSystems Research Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsWilliam R. Van der Veer, Glenn M. Light
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An eddy current probe for nondestructive testing, having a rotatable shoe that holds the eddy current coil. The probe is attached to an arm of automated eddy current test equipment, and has a coil-containing shoe that may be rotated to a desired angle with respect to the surface to be inspected. The probe has a motor and pulley system for providing this rotational motion.
Claims13
A probe for use with eddy current test equipment, comprising:
- a connector assembly for attaching said probe to an arm of said eddy current test equipment;
- a body attached to said connector assembly, said body having an outer fork and an inner fork, wherein said both said outer fork and said inner fork have an upper leg and a lower leg, and wherein said lower legs are spaced apart at their lowermost ends;
- a shoe support frame rotatably attached between the lowermost ends of said lower legs;
- an eddy current coil;
- a shoe for holding said eddy current coil, said shoe having a front surface for engaging a surface to be tested, and a rear surface;
- a pair of spaced apart, thin flexible springs attached between said shoe and said shoe support frame for maintaining said front surface of said shoe parallel to the surface to be tested;
- a motor attached to said body, said motor providing rotational motion to a motor shaft;
- a pulley system imposed between said outer fork and said inner fork, for translating said rotational motion to said shoe support frame, for modifying the position of said eddy current coil;
- and
- an encoder carried by said body for sensing the position of said eddy current coil.
7 more elements
A method of nondestructive materials testing, using eddy current response signals, comprising the steps of:
- moving a mechanical arm of eddy current test equipment to a desired position above a test surface;
- placing an eddy current coil inside a shoe having a front surface;
- supporting the shoe on the arm by means of a pair of spaced apart thin flexible springs oriented to maintain the front surface of the shoe in positive contact with and parallel to the surface being tested;
- rotatably attaching the shoe to said arm;
- adjusting the angle of said shoe so that the shoe is placed with its front surface parallel and in contact with said surface during testing, using a motor and pulleys attached to said probe;
- and
- monitoring the angle of the shoe remotely by means of an encoder.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.