Hall effect weld condition inspection equipment with means to laterally position the equipment relative to the weld

Claim 2

Apparatus for the continuous inspection of the condition of the welded connection of a plurality of metallic components of a traveling welded strip, comprising an inspection unit traversed by a longitudinally extending weld zone of said strip, said unit having means to create a magnetic field adjacent said zone, and Hall effect probe means originating an electrical output in response to and variably reflecting a variation in said field occasioned by a variation in the weld condition of the strip, a readout monitoring unit, and means powered by said output to forward to said monitoring unit signals respectively representative of said field variations, said inspection unit having means guiding said strip for travel past the probe means, said guiding means including a movable carriage on which said probe means is mounted, and means on said carriage engaged by and responsive to the lateral position of the strip to cause the carriage and probe means to shift so as to maintain a predetermined position of the probe means in relation to the strip.

Claim 3

Apparatus for the continuous inspection of the condition of a welded connection of at least two metallic components of a traveling welded strip, comprising an inspection unit traversed by a longitudinally extending weld zone of said strip, said unit having means to create a magnetic field adjacent said strip and transverse of the direction of travel of the latter and said weld zone, and Hall effect probe means originating an electrical output transverse of said field direction in response to and variably reflecting perturbations in said field occasioned by variations in the condition of said welded connection, a readout monitoring unit, and means powered by said output to forward signals respectively representative of said varying field perturbations to said monitoring unit, said inspection unit having means guiding said strip for travel past the probe means, said guiding mEans including a movable carriage on which said probe means is mounted, and means on said carriage engaged by and responsive to the lateral position of the strip to cause the carriage and probe means to shift so as to maintain a predetermined position of the probe means in relation to the welded connection of the strip.

Claim 4

Apparatus for the continuous inspection of the condition of a welded connection of at least two metallic components of a traveling welded strip, comprising an inspection unit traversed by a longitudinally extending weld zone of said strip, said unit having means to create a magnetic field adjacent said strip and transverse of the direction of travel of the latter and said weld zone, and Hall effect probe means originating an electrical output transverse of said field direction in response to and variably reflecting perturbations in said field occasioned by variations in the condition of said welded connection, a readout monitoring unit, and means powered by said output to forward signals respectively representative of said varying field perturbations to said monitoring unit, said inspection unit having means guiding said strip for travel past the probe means, said guiding mEans including a movable carriage on which said probe means is mounted, and means on said carriage engaged by and responsive to the lateral position of the strip to cause the carriage and probe means to shift so as to maintain a predetermined position of the probe means in relation to the welded connection of the strip.

Claim 5

Apparatus for the continuous inspection of the condition of a welded connection of at least two metallic components of a traveling strip, comprising an inspection unit traversed by a longitudinally extending weld zone of said strip, said unit having means to create a magnetic field adjacent said strip and transverse of the direction of travel of the latter and said weld zone, and Hall effect probe means originating an electrical output transverse of said field direction in response to and variably reflecting perturbations in said field occasioned by variations in the condition of said welded connection, a readout monitoring unit, and means powered by said output to forward signals respectively representative of said varying field perturbations to said monitoring unit; and a detection unit traversed by said strip weld zone in approaching said inspection unit, said detection unit having sensing means also responsive to a condition of the strip, and means to forward a signal from said sensing means to said inspection unit which reflects the last named condition, said inspection and detection units each having means guiding said strip for travel past the respective probe and sensing means thereof, said guiding means including in each case a movable carriage on which said respective means are mounted, and means on the carriage engaged by and responsive to the lateral position of the traveling strip to cause the carriage and respective probe and sensing means thereon to shift so as to maintain a predetermined position of said probe and sensing means in relation to the welded connection of the strip.

Claim 6

Apparatus for the continuous inspection of the condition of a welded connection of at least two metallic components of a traveling strip, comprising an inspection unit traversed by a longitudinally extending weld zone of said strip, said unit having means to create a magnetic field adjacent said strip and transverse of the direction of travel of the latter and said weld zone, and Hall effect probe means originating an electrical output transverse of said field direction in response to and variably reflecting perturbations in said field occasioned by variations in the condition of said welded connection, a readout monitoring unit, and means powered by said output to forward signals respectively representative of said varying field perturbations to said monitoring unit; and a detection unit traversed by said strip weld zone in approaching said inspection unit, said detection unit having sensing means also responsive to a condition of the strip, and means to forward a signal from said sensing means to said inspection unit which reflects the last named condition, said inspection and detection units each having means guiding said strip for travel past the respective probe and sensing means thereof, said guiding means including in each case a movable carriage on which said respective means are mounted, and means on the carriage engaged by and responsive to the lateral position of the traveling strip to cause the carriage and respective probe and sensing means thereon to shift so as to maintain a predetermined position of said probe and sensing means in relation to the welded connection of the strip.

Claim 7

Apparatus for the continuous inspection of the condition of a welded connection of at least two metallic components of a traveling strip, comprising an inspection unit traversed by a longitudinally extending weld zone of said strip, said unit having means to create a magnetic field adjacent said strip and transverse of the direction of travel of the latter and said weld zone, and Hall effect probe means originating an electrical output transverse of said field direction in response to and variably reflecting perturbations in said field occasioned by variations in the condition of said welded connection, a readout monitoring unit, and means powered by said output to forward signals respectively representative of said varying field perturbations to said monitoring unit; and a detection unit traversed by said strip weld zone in approaching said inspection unit, said detection unit having sensing means also responsive to a condition of the strip, and means to forward a signal from said sensing means to said inspection unit which reflects the last-named condition, said inspection unit having means controlled by said last named signal to bodily shift said probe means relative to the welded connection, said inspection and detection units each having means guiding said strip for travel past the respective probe and sensing means thereof, said guiding means including in each case a movable carriage on which said respective means are mounted, and means on the carriage engaged by and responsive to the lateral position of the traveling strip to cause the carriage and respective probe and sensing means thereon to shift so as to maintain a predetermined position of said probe and sensing means in relation to the welded connection of the strip.

Claim 8

Apparatus for the continuous inspection of the condition of a welded connection of at least two metallic components of a traveling strip, comprising an inspection unit traversed by a longitudinally extending weld zone of said strip, said unit having means to create a magnetic field adjacent said strip and transverse of the direction of travel of the latter and said weld zone, and Hall effect probe means originating an electrical output transverse of said field direction in response to and variably reflecting perturbations in said field occasioned by variations in the condition of said welded connection, a readout monitoring unit, and means powered by said output to forward signals respectively representative of said varying field perturbations to said monitoring unit; and a detection unit traversed by said strip weld zone in approaching said inspection unit, said detection unit having sensing means also responsive to a condition of the strip, and means to forward a signal from said sensing means to said inspection unit which reflects the last-named condition, said inspection unit having means controlled by said last named signal to bodily shift said probe means relative to the welded connection, said inspection and detection units each having means guiding said strip for travel past the respective probe and sensing means thereof, said guiding means including in each case a movable carriage on which said respective means are mounted, and means on the carriage engaged by and responsive to the lateral position of the traveling strip to cause the carriage and respective probe and sensing means thereon to shift so as to maintain a predetermined position of said probe and sensing means in relation to the welded connection of the strip.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1, in which said strip-engaged means comprises a roller rotatable on the carriage, and means resiliently biasing said roller against an edge of the strip.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 2, in which said strip-engaged means comprises a roller rotatable on the carriage, and means resiliently biasing said roller against an edge of the strip.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 1, in which said strip-engaged means comprises a roller bodily carried by and rotatable on the carriage, and means resiliently biasing said roller against an edge of the strip, whereby the carriage may have a floating movement in reaction to and corresponding to a lateral shift of the strip.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 5, in which said biasing means comprises an extensible cable and spring-biased reel about which the cable is reeled, the cable having one end fixedly mounted and an opposite end connected to the carriage.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 5, in which the carriage has means enabling said roller to be mounted on either side of the traveling strip.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 8, in which the carriage has means enabling said roller to be mounted on either side of the traveling strip.

Claim 15

Apparatus for the continuous inspection of the condition of a welded connection of at least two metallic components of a traveling strip, comprising an inspection unit traversed by a longitudinally extending weld zone of said strip, said unit having means to create a magnetic field adjacent said strip and transverse of the direction of travel of the latter and said weld zone, and Hall effect probe means originating an electrical output transverse of said field direction in response to and variably reflecting perturbations in said field occasioned by variations in the condition of said welded connection, a readout monitoring unit, and means powered by said output to forward signals respectively representative of said varying field perturbations to said monitoring unit; and a detection unit traversed by said strip weld zone in approaching said inspection unit, said detection unit having sensing means also responsive to a condition of the strip, and means to forward a signal from said sensing means to said inspection unit which reflects the last named condition, said sensing means of the detection unit including a first electrically responsive sensor disposed adjacent the traveling weld zone to detect and signal as to the condition of the weld, and a second sensor disposed adjacent an edge of the strip to detect and signal also as to the weld condition.

Claim 16

Apparatus for the continuous inspection of the condition of a welded connection of at least two metallic components of a traveling strip, comprising an inspection unit traversed by a longitudinally extending weld zone of said strip, said unit having means to create a magnetic field adjacent said strip and transverse of the direction of travel of the latter and said weld zone, and Hall effect probe means originating an electrical output transverse of said field direction in response to and variably reflecting perturbations in said field occasioned by variations in the condition of said welded connection, a readout monitoring unit, and means powered by said output to forward signals respectively representative of said varying field perturbations to said monitoring unit; and a detection unit traversed by said strip weld zone in approaching said inspection unit, said detection unit having sensing means also responsive to a condition of the strip, and means to forward a signal from said sensing means to said inspection unit which reflects the last named condition, said sensing means of the detection unit including a first electrically responsive sensor disposed adjacent the traveling weld zone to detect and signal as to the condition of the weld, and a second sensor disposed adjacent an edge of the strip to detect and signal also as to the weld condition.

Claim 17

The unit of claim 11, in which said sensing means is movably positionable in respect to said path of travel.

Claim 18

The unit of claim 12, and further comprising means to transmit such signals external of said unit.

Claim 19

The unit of claim 13 in which said sensors are mounted by a movable carriage having means engaging an edge of the traveling strip, and means resiliently biasing said carriage and edge-engaging means to maintain said sensors in desired relation to the seam weld and first named edge of the strip.

Claim 20

The unit of claim 14, in which said sensors are mounted by a movable carriage having means engaging an edge of the traveling strip, and means resiliently biasing said carriage and edge-engaging means to maintain said sensors in desired relation to the seam weld and first named edge of the strip.

Claim 21

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2, and further comprising a detection unit traversed by said strip weld zone in approaching said inspection unit, said detection unit having sensing means also responsive to a condition of the strip, and means to forward a signal from said sensing means to said inspection unit which reflects the last named condition.

Claim 22

Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, in which said sensing means of said detection unit has relay-type control means electrically responsive to a signal forwarded by said sensing means to said inspection unit, said control means being operably connected to further means capable of acting on said probe means of the inspection unit to protect said probe means.