Self centering device for borescopes

• US 5,365,331 A
• Filed: 01/27/1993
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GE Inspection Technologies LP (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Leseberg, Roger, Smith, Timothy J., Knieriem, Alan S., Tamburrino, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGraw, Vincent P.
• Application Number:
  US08/009,779
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 356/241, 73/866.5
• US Class Current: 356/241.6
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/005 using pigs or moles G01M3/246, G01M3/2823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/38 by using light G01M3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports

Abstract

An apparatus for holding an insertion tube of a borescope centered within a passage along which the borescope travels, that includes a pair of opposed collar assemblies slidably mounted upon the insertion tube of the borescope, with each collar assembly including a cylindrical body section and an annular retaining ring, being removably mounted in face-to-face contact with one end face of the body section, and each retaining ring having a rear end face in contact with one body section and a front end face facing that of the retaining ring on the opposing collar assembly, and each retaining ring further including a series of circumferentially spaced rotor seats each having a longitudinally disposed slot passing through the outer wall of the ring, and a plurality of elongated wire spring members with each end fitting in a rotor seat, thus joining the opposing collar assemblies, where one of the collar assemblies is held in a stationary position adjacent to the distal viewing end of the borescope while the other collar assembly may be slid along the borescope insertion tube so that the wire spring members maintain contact with the passage in which the borescope travels.

Claims

1. An apparatus for holding an insertion tube of a borescope centered within a passage along which the borescope travels that includes:

a pair of opposed collar assemblies capable of being slidably mounted upon the insertion tube of a borescope;

each collar assembly including a cylindrical body section and an annular retaining ring, having an outer wall and being removably mounted in face-to-face contact with one end face of the body section;

each retaining ring having a rear end face in contact with one body section and a front end face facing that of the retaining ring on the opposing collar assembly;

each retaining ring further including a series of circumferentially spaced rotor seats formed therein and a longitudinally disposed slot passing radially through the outer wall of the ring into each rotor seat;

a plurality of elongated wire spring members equal in number to that of the rotor seats on each retaining ring, and extending between the collar assemblies, each end of each wire passing through a longitudinal slot formed in a retaining ring into a rotor seat and being attached to a rotor mounted within said seat; and

clamping means for holding one of said collar assemblies in a stationary position upon an insertion tube whereby said clamped assembly is retained adjacent to the distal viewing end of the borescope while the other collar assembly may be slid along the borescope insertion tube so that the wire spring members maintain contact with the passage in which the borescope travels.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each end of each spring wire member may pivot over an angle range of 90°

when retained within the rotor seats.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each spring wire member and rotor to which said spring wire member is attached form a "T" and wherein each rotor is cylindrical in shape.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the distal viewing end of the borescope is attachable directly to the collar assembly which is clamped to the borescope insertion tube.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said removable mounting of said retaining ring is accomplished using attaching means wherein said attaching means joins said retaining ring to said body section so that upon removing said retaining ring from said body section at least one of said wire spring members is rendered removable.

6. An apparatus for holding the insertion tube of a borescope centered within a passage along which the borescope travels that includes:

a pair of opposed end collar assemblies capable of being slidably mounted upon the insertion tube of a borescope;

each end collar assembly including a cylindrical body section and an annular retaining ring, having an outer wall and being removably mounted in face-to-face contact with one end face of the body section;

each retaining ring having a rear end face in contact with one body section and a front end face facing that of the retaining ring on an opposing end collar assembly;

each retaining ring further including a series of circumferentially spaced rotor seats formed therein and a longitudinally disposed slot passing radially through the outer wall of the ring into each rotor seat;

at least one intermediate collar assembly,

each intermediate collar assembly including a cylindrical body and two annular retaining rings, each removably mounted in face-to-face contact with one end face of the body section,

each retaining ring having a rear end face in contact with a body section and a front end face facing that of the retaining ring on an opposing collar assembly,

each retaining ring further including a series of circumferentially spaced rotor seats formed therein and a longitudinally disposed slot passing radially through the outer wall of the ring into each rotor seat,

a plurality of elongated wire spring members equal in number to that of the rotor seats on each retaining ring, and extending between two collar assemblies, each end of each wire passing through a longitudinal slot formed in a retaining ring into a rotor seat and being attached to a rotor mounted within said seat; and

clamping means for holding one of said end collar assemblies in a stationary position upon the insertion tube whereby said clamped assembly is retained adjacent to the distal viewing end of the borescope while the other end collar assembly and each at least one intermediate collar assembly may be slid along the borescope insertion tube so that the wire spring members maintain contact with the passage in which the borescope travels.