Wall inspection device
First Claim
1. A device for inspecting at a distance walls which are difficult of access, the device being used inter alia for inspecting cracks, threaded apertures and welds in the walls of a nuclear reactor vessel comprising a detector secured on a movable slide, guide rails secured to a frame B1 along which the slide moves, probes bearing on a wall being inspected and secured to a plate secured to frame B1 and parallel to the guide rails, each probe sending a signal proportional to the distance between the guide rails and the place where the probe bears on the wall to be checked, two motors M1 and M2 secured to a frame B2 controlled by electric signals from the probes and each actuating a pinion, the pinions engaging racks secured by pivots to frame B1 to the two ends of the guide rails, and a potentiometric monitoring device which stops the motors when the signals proportional to the distance between the wall and the guide rails and measured by the probes are equal to one another and to a control valve.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a device for inspecting at a distance walls which are difficult of access such as metal walls forming a nuclear reactor vessel. The device comprises a detector secured to a slide movable along guide rails attached to a frame. Probes bearing on the metal walls are secured to a plate on the frame, each probe transmitting a signal proportional to the distance between the guide rails and the place where the probe bears on the part of the wall to be checked. The device includes two motors secured to a second frame and which are controlled by electrical signals from the probes. Each motor actuates a pinion engaging the racks secured by pivots to the first frame and the two ends of the guide rails. A potentiometric monitoring device stops the motors when the signals proportional to the distance between the wall and guide rails as measured by the probes are equal to one another and to a controlled value. The detector preferably comprises an assembly of transducers and ultrasonic receivers.
24 Citations
12 Claims
- 1. A device for inspecting at a distance walls which are difficult of access, the device being used inter alia for inspecting cracks, threaded apertures and welds in the walls of a nuclear reactor vessel comprising a detector secured on a movable slide, guide rails secured to a frame B1 along which the slide moves, probes bearing on a wall being inspected and secured to a plate secured to frame B1 and parallel to the guide rails, each probe sending a signal proportional to the distance between the guide rails and the place where the probe bears on the wall to be checked, two motors M1 and M2 secured to a frame B2 controlled by electric signals from the probes and each actuating a pinion, the pinions engaging racks secured by pivots to frame B1 to the two ends of the guide rails, and a potentiometric monitoring device which stops the motors when the signals proportional to the distance between the wall and the guide rails and measured by the probes are equal to one another and to a control valve.
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11. A device for monitoring the collar at the top of a reactor vessel and threaded apertures therein, comprising a frame B10 secured by a rotary bearing to a frame B11 screwed to the horizontal flange H of a vertical bearing mast, a motor M11 secured to frame B10 driving a pinion engaging a toothed rim secured to frame B11, a horizontal flip-flop secured to frame B10 by a spring and pivot system and bearing on an inner flange at the periphery or at the top of the reactor vessel, an assembly comprising a motor M12, rack and pinion secured to the flip-flop and moving forward an arm bearing transducers, and an assembly comprising a motor M13 and a nut and screw secured to the end of the arm bearing the transducers and adapted to pivot a transducer head.
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12. A device for observing an inner flange at the top of a reactor vessel, secured to a frame of a collar-checking device and in an extension thereof, comprising a movable slide conveying a transducer along a line parallel to the vertical generatrices of the cylinder forming the reactor vessel, the slide being driven by a system comprising a motor M3, a screw, a nut and guide rails secured to a frame B12, a probe bearing on the wall of the vessel and secured to frame B12 and actuating a motor M4 which simultaneously drives two pinions engaging two racks perpendicular to the vessel wall and secured to frame B12 by pivots and, the motor M4 bearing the slide secured to the frame of the device for monitoring the collar.
Specification