Ultrasonic inspection probe

Claim 1

IN AN ULTRASONIC DEVICE FOR INSPECTING A TEST PIECE HAVING A SURFACE, IN COMBINATION: (A) A CONTAINER DEFINING A CHAMBER THEREIN, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING AN END PLATE FORMED WITH AN OPENING, SAID OPENING HAVING AN AXIS; (B) A BAFFLE MEMBER IN SAID CONTAINER AND DIVIDING SAID CHAMBER INTO TWO PORTIONS, ONE OF SAID PORTIONS CONTIGUOUSLY COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OPENING; (C) TRANSDUCER MEANS IN SAID ONE CHAMBER PORTION, SAID TRANSDUCER MEANS BEING AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID OPENING FOR EMITTING AN ULTRASONIC BEAM FROM SAID CHAMBER PORTION OUTWARD THROUGH SAID OPENING; (D) SUPPLY MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING A COUPLING LIQUID TO THE OTHER PORTION OF SAID CHAMBER, (1) A PORTION OF SAID CONTAINER AND SAID BAFFLE MEMBER CONSTITUTING THE WALL OF SAID OTHER CHAMBER PORTION, (2) SAID WALL BEING FORMED WITH PORT MEANS FOR SELECTIVE RELEASE OF GAS FROM SAID OTHER CHAMBER PORTION WHEN THE SAME CONTAINS SAID GAS AND A LIQUID, AND A CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID CHAMBER PORTIONS FOR FLOW OF SAID COUPLING LIQUID FROM SAID SUPPLY MEANS IN SEQUENCE THROUGH SAID OTHER CHAMBER PORTION, SAID CONDUIT, SAID ONE CHAMBER PORTION, AND SAID OPENING; AND (E) SUPPORT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID CONTAINER ON SAID TEST PIECE SURFACE IN A POSITION IN WHICH SAID END PLATE IS SPACED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM SAID SURFACE, AND SAID END PLATE AND SAID SURFACE DEFINE A FLOW CHANNEL THEREBETWEEN, SAID FLOW CHANNEL LEADING RADIALLY AWAY FROM SAID OPENING AND HAVING AN EFFECTIVE FLOW SECTION SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN THE FLOW SECTION OF SAID CHAMBER PORTIONS, OF SAID CONDUIT, AND OF SAID OPENING, WHEREBY THE PRESSURE DROP IN THE FLOWING COUPLING LIQUID IS CONCENTRATED IN SAID CHANNEL.