Ultrasonic flaw testing apparatus

Claim 1

IN ULTRASONIC TESTING EQUIPMENT, COUPLING APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND FLOWING A SOLID STREAM OF COUPLING LIQUID BETWEEN AN ELASTIC WAVE EMITTER AND A TEST BODY FOR TRANSMITTING ELASTIC VIBRATIONS THEREBETWEEN, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING ELONGATED HOLDER THE STRUCTURE MOUNTING SAID EMITTER AT AN END THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID BODY AND PROVIDING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT ELONGATED FLOW PASSAGE HAVING A DISCHARGE PATH AND AN AXIS DIRECTED TOWARDS SAID BODY, A FRAME ENCIRCLING THE AXIS OF THE FLOW PASSAGE AND STATIONARILY MOUNTING A LIQUID RETAINING SHEET-LIKE DIAPHRAGM OF FLEXIBLY CONFORMABLE ELASTIC WAVE TRANSMITTING MATERIAL SPACED ENDWISE FROM THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID HOLDER TUBE STRUCTURE AND HAVING A CENTRAL REGION THEREOF DISPOSED CROSSWISE IN SAID DISCHARGE PATH IN POSITION TO CONTACT SAID BODY, SAID DIAPHRAGM BEING SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER IN SIZE THAN THE TRANSVERSE AREA OF SAID DISCHARGE PATH AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THEREOF IN ALL DIRECTIONS, WITH SAID FRAME AND DIAPHRAGM CONSTITUTING A LIQUID COLLECTING CHAMBER IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID FLOW PASSAGE, MEANS INCLUDING A LINE CONNECTED TO SAID HOLDER TUBE STRUCTURE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FLOW PASSAGE THEREOF AT A REGION ADJACENT SAID EMITTER FOR SUPPLYING ULTRASONIC ENERGY TRANSMITTING COUPLING LIQUID INTO SAID PASSAGE AT A RATE TO PRODUCE A SOLID STREAM OF BUBBLE-FREE COUPLING LIQUID FLOWING THROUGH SAID FLOW PASSAGE TO DISCHARGE ALONG SAID PATH AND IMPINGE UPON THE DIAPHRAGM AND THEREBY EXERT SUFFICIENT INERTIA PRESSURE THEREAGAINST TO URGE THE SAME AGAINST THE BODY WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE TO CAUSE IT TO CONTINUOUSLY CONFORM TO THE SURFACE CONTOUR OF SAID BODY, A LIQUID SUCTION LINE CONNECTED TO SAID LIQUID COLLECTING CHAMBER FOR CONTINUOUSLY RECLAIMING LIQUID THEREFROM, AND A SKIRT ENCIRCLING AND SEALED AGAINST SAID HOLDER TUBE STRUCTURE ADJACENT THE DISCHARGE END THEREOF AND PROJECTING INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT AGAINST SAID DIAPHRAGM FOR DEFINING THE LIQUID COLLECTING CHAMBER WITH WHICH SAID SUCTION LINE COMMUNICATES.