Means and method for the continuous nondestructive testing of metallic strip and the like

Claim 2

In combination in apparatus for the continuous nondestructive testing of essentially homogenous materials, means for generating a first voltage which is a function of the magnitude of material defects, means for generating a second voltage which is a function of material speed, means for multiplying said first and second voltages to produce an output voltage which is the product of said first and second voltages, means for accumulating the said output voltage, means for measuring the total length of the material being tested, and readout means for indicating values for at least total strip length and accumulated output voltage.

Claim 3

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for measuring the total length of the material comprises means producing a voltage proportional to material length.

Claim 4

The apparatus claimed in claim 2 wherein said readout means comprises a first voltmeter for indicating the voltage output of said strip length measuring means, and a second voltmeter for indicating the accumulated output voltage of said accumulating means.

Claim 5

The apparatus claimed in claim 2 wherein said readout means includes divider means for dividing the output voltage accumulated by said accumulating means by the output voltage of said strip length measuring means.

Claim 6

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said accumulating means comprises an analog integrator.

Claim 7

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said accumulating means comprises a digital integrator.

Claim 8

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said multiplying means comprises a Hall-Effect multiplier.

Claim 9

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said multiplying means comprises an electronic multiplier.

Claim 10

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for generating said first voltage comprises an eddy current testing means.

Claim 11

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for generating said first voltage comprises a thermal testing means.

Claim 12

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said multiplying means comprises a servomultiplier.

Claim 13

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for generating said first voltage comprises an ultrasonic testing means.

Claim 14

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for generating said second voltage comprises a material speed transducer such as a tachometer generator.

Claim 15

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for generating a first voltage which is a function of the magnitude of material defects includes means for generating voltages proportional to both defect depth and defect width, and means for multiplying said proportional voltages to generate said first voltage.

Claim 16

The apparatus claimed in claim 14 wherein the means for measuring total material length comprises means producing a voltage proportional to total material length, and includes means for producing voltages proportional to material width and material thickness, and wherein said readout means includes means for multiplying the proportional voltages representing total material length, material width and material thickness to produce an output voltage representing total material volume, and means for dividing the output voltage accumulated by said accumulating means by the output voltage representing total material volume.

Claim 17

A procedure for the continuous nondestructive testing of essentially homogenous materials which comprises the steps of: advancing said material in a path of travel, generating a first voltage which is a function of the magnitude of defects detected in the strip, generating a second voltage which is a function of mateRial speed, multiplying said first and second voltages to produce an output voltage which is the product of said first and second voltages, accumulating said output voltage and establishing a numerical value for said accumulated output voltage, and measuring the total length of the material being tested and establishing a numerical value for the total length of the said material.

Claim 18

A procedure for the continuous nondestructive testing of essentially homogenous materials which comprises the steps of: advancing said material in a path of travel, generating a first voltage which is a function of the magnitude of defects detected in the strip, generating a second voltage which is a function of mateRial speed, multiplying said first and second voltages to produce an output voltage which is the product of said first and second voltages, accumulating said output voltage and establishing a numerical value for said accumulated output voltage, and measuring the total length of the material being tested and establishing a numerical value for the total length of the said material.

Claim 19

The procedure claimed in claim 16 including the step of establishing a quality number for said material by dividing the numerical value of said accumulated voltage by the numerical value of the total length of said material.

Claim 20

The procedure claimed in claim 16 wherein the total length of the material is measured by generating a voltage which is proportional to material length.

Claim 21

The procedure claimed in claim 16 including the step of establishing a quality number for said material by dividing the said accumulated output voltage by the voltage which is proportional to total material length.

Claim 22

The procedure claimed in claim 16 including the step of ultrasonically vibrating the material being tested, and generating said first voltage in response to the ultrasonic vibration of the material being tested.

Claim 23

The procedure claimed in claim 16 including the step of inducing eddy currents in the material being tested, and generating said first voltage in response to eddy currents induced in the material being tested.

Claim 24

The procedure claimed in claim 16 including the step of causing heat to flow through the material being tested, and generating said first voltage in response to the rate of flow of heat through the material being tested.

Claim 25

The procedure claimed in claim 16 including the step of generating voltages proportional to both defect depth and defect width and multiplying said proportional voltages to produce said first voltage.

Claim 26

The procedure claimed in claim 23 including the step of establishing a numerical value for the total volume of the material, and establishing a quality number for said material by dividing the numerical value of said accumulated voltage by the numerical value of the total volume of the material.

Claim 27

The procedure claimed in claim 23 wherein the total length of the material is measured by generating a voltage which is proportional to material length, and including the steps of generating voltages proportional to material width and material thickness, multiplying the voltages so generated to produce an output voltage which is proportional to total material volume, and establishing a quality number for said material by dividing the said accumulated output voltage by the output voltage which is proportional to material volume.