Vibratory ground-survey system
OwnerNigel A. Ansteyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rotary vibrating system is used in surveys of the acoustic properties of the shallow earth. The vibrator itself is of eccentric-mass (or "swinging-weight") form. Coupled to a flywheel, it decelerates freely from a selected high frequency to a selected low frequency. The observed deceleration rate is manipulated to give a measure of the acoustic properties of the near-surface. The eccentricity of the vibrator is then annulled, and the flywheel and vibrator accelerated back to the selected high frequency for another measurement at another location. A display in map form is provided to facilitate visual interpretation of the results.
Claims5
A ground survey system comprising in combination a vibrator adapted to vibrate the surface of the ground at a first location, energy-storage means capable of storing and releasing a defined quantity of energy, coupling means to release said energy into said vibrator to engender vibration at a chosen start frequency, transducing means for measuring the natural deceleration of the vibrator as the finite energy is dissipated and the frequency falls to a chosen end frequency, transporting means to allow the apparatus to be moved to second and further locations for comparative measurements, and display means for making a comparative display of the deceleration measurements on a map.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.