Methods and apparatus for rotary machinery inspection
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRobert Martin Roney, Jr., Richard Michael Hatley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods, apparatus and systems for machinery testing and inspection using a manipulator are provided. The apparatus includes a tubular shaft, an operator end coupled to the tubular shaft and including a first spool rotatably coupled to the operator end, an effector including an attachment end that includes a second spool rotatably coupled to the attachment end, and a control cable channeled through the shaft from the first spool to the second spool. The control cable is wound at least partially around the first spool and is wound at least partially around the second spool such that rotation of the first spool rotates the second spool using the control cable.
Claims20
A hand-held manipulator comprising:
- a tubular shaft;
- an operator end coupled to said tubular shaft and comprising a first spool rotatably coupled to said operator end;
- an effector comprising an attachment end that includes a second spool rotatably coupled to said attachment end;
- a cable comprising a first end and a second end, said first end slidably coupled within a first aperture defined in said tubular shaft and coupled to said effector, said second end accessible at said operator end;
- at least one inspection device operatively coupled to said second spool such that said at least one inspection device moves with said second spool and is rotatable with said second spool in a first direction away from a center axis of said tubular shaft, and is rotatable away from the center axis in a second direction that is opposite the first direction;
- and
- a control cable channeled through said shaft from said first spool to said second spool, said control cable wound at least partially around said first spool, said control cable wound at least partially around said second spool such that rotation of said first spool rotates said second spool using said control cable.
A test and inspection system comprising:
- a hand-held manipulator comprising:
- a tubular shaft coupled to an operator end at a first end and coupled to an effector at a second end opposite said first end, said operator end rotatably coupled to a first spool, said effector rotatably coupled to a second spool;
- a control cable extending slidably through said tubular shaft from said first spool to said second spool, said control cable wound at least partially around said first spool, said control cable wound at least partially around said second spool such that rotation of said first spool rotates said second spool using said control cable,
- a cable comprising a first end and a second end, said first end slidably coupled within a first aperture defined in said tubular shaft and coupled to said effector, said second end accessible at said operator end;
- and
- an attachment end configured to operatively couple at least one inspection device to said second spool, such that said at least one inspection device moves with said second spool, and is rotatable with said second spool in a first direction away from a center axis of said tubular shaft, and is rotatable away from the center axis in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.
A method of machinery testing and inspection using a hand-held manipulator that includes an operator end coupled to a first end of a manipulator body and an attachment end coupled to a second end of the manipulator body, said method comprising:
- inserting a first end of a cable into a first aperture defined in the body first end;
- extending the first end of the cable to a second aperture defined in the attachment end;
- coupling the first end of the cable to the attachment end such that the second end of the cable is accessible at the operator end;
- attaching at least one inspection device to a rotatable spool portion coupled to the attachment end, such that the at least one inspection device moves with the rotatable spool portion;
- positioning the at least one inspection device proximate a component to be inspected;
- and
- repositioning the at least one inspection device with respect to the component by controlling the operator end of the manipulator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.