Magnetic flaw detector utilizing a magnetic recording medium to detect the magnetic flaw pattern

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR TESTING FERROMAGNETIC PIPE FOR DEFECTS, THE COMBINATION OF A PLIABLE MAGNETIZABLE MEDIUM DEFINING A CONTINUOUS LOOP, A PAIR OF ROLLERS DISPOSED AGAINST SAID MEDIUM WITHIN SAID LOOP TO HOLD SAID MEDIUM AGAINST THE PIPE TO BE TESTED UNDER EACH OF SAID ROLLERS SIMULTANEOUSLY, SAID ROLLERS AND SAID MAGNETIZABLE MEDIUM BEING CAPABLE OF CONFORMING TO THE CONTOUR OF THE SURFACE OF SAID PIPE, FLUX MEANS FOR INDUCING MAGNETIC FLUX OVER AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE FERROMAGNETIC PIPE UNDER SAID MEDIUM WHILE SAID PORTION IS UNDER SAID MEDIUM, SAID ROLLERS AND SAID MAGNETIZABLE MEDIUM BEING DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FLUX MEANS TO PROGRESSIVELY CONFROMINGLY LAY PORTIONS OF SAID MEDIUM OVER PROGRESSIVE PORTIONS OF THE FERROMAGNETIC PIPE DURING INDUCEMENT OF SAID MAGNETIC FLUX IN SAID PIPE FROM SAID FLUX MEANS AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO PROGRESSIVELY REMOVE SAID PORTIONS OF SAID MEDIUM THEREFROM SO THAT A FLUX PATTERN CORRESPONDING TO AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE FLUX PATTERN OVER THE FERROMAGNETIC PIPE IS TRANSFERRED TO SAID MAGNETIZABLE MEDIUM, MEANS FOR EFFECTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID MEDIUM AND SAID PIPE WHEREBY SAID MEDIUM CAN PROGRESS OVER SAID PIPE AND ACCEPT A FLUX PATTERN INDICATIVE OF DEFECTS IN SAID PIPE ALONG A PATH THEREON, MEANS FOR CONVERTING SAID FLUX PATTERN TRANSFERRED TO SAID MAGNETIZABLE MEDIUM INTO A CORRESPONDING ELECTRICAL SIGNAL, MEANS FOR INDICATING SAID SIGNAL, AND MEANS FOR ERASING SAID TRANSFERRED FLUX PATTERN FROM PORTIONS OF SAID MEDIUM AFTER SAID CONVERSION THEREOF AND BEFORE SAID PORTIONS ARE RELAID OVER SAID PIPE.