Ultrasonic inspection apparatus

Claim 2

An ultrasonic inspection transducer apparatus for supporting a plurality of transducers in a housing assembly adapted to be rotated about the longitudinal axis of a tubular member being inspected, comprising, in combination: means for connecting said apparatus to a rotatable shaft extending substantially along said axis, said means including an arm connected at one end to such a shaft to permit said apparatus to follow the rotation of such a shaft; means for resiliently urging said apparatus with a first force toward the wall of such a member at all rotational positions of said apparatus; a transducer housing assembly mounted on the other end of said arm and including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers mounted therein for ultrasonically inspecting adjacent sections of such a tubular member; means for mounting each of said transducers to resiliently urge them toward the wall of such a member with a second force substantially less than said first-mentioned force, while permitting each transducer to have limited canting movement in substantially all directions; and means for injecting a fluid medium between each of said transducers and the wall of such a member to provide acoustical coupling therebetween.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said transducer housing assembly is pivotally mounted on said arm to permit said assembly to rotate about an axis substantially parallel to the wall being inspected.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for injecting said fluid medium includes a plurality of jets in said transducer housing assembly for discharging said fluid medium on such a member during inspection thereof in front of each of said transducers.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said transducers includes a housing; an ultrasonic transmitting transducer element mounted in a first section of said housing for directing ultrasonic energy into an object to be inspected; first coupling means in said first section providing acoustical coupling between said transmitting transducer element and the exterior of said transducer; an ultrasonic receiving transducer element mounted in a second section of said housing for receiving ultrasonic echos from such an object being inspected; second coupling means in said section providing acoustical coupling between said transducer receiving element and the exterior of said transducer; and acoustical shielding means mounted in said housing between said first and second sections to minimize acoustical coupling therebetween.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first and second coupling means are blocks of glass impregnated epoxy extending from the interior of said housing to the exterior thereof, each of the transducer elements being mounted on one of said blocks.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for injecting said fluid medium includes a fluid chamber in said transducer housing; conduit means extending from said chamber for communication with a source of acoustical coupling fluid, and at least one fluid orifice communicating between said chamber and the exterior of said transducer to provide a fluid coupling film between the transducer and an object to be inspected.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 including a plurality of such fluid orifices each passing through one of said first and second coupling means to provide a substantially uniform film of fluid between said transducer and an object to be inspected.

Claim 9

A transducer housing assembly for supporting a plurality of ultrasonic inspection transducers adjacent an object being inspected, comprising in combination: a body; a plurality of transducer chambers in said body; an ultrasonic inspection transducer mounted in each chamber and extending from said body to the exterior thereof, the opening in each chamber through which each transducer passes being of sufficient size to provide a clearance between the transducer and said body; means resiliently urging each transducer outwardly from said body; and stop means on said body and on each of said transducers cooperating to prevent movement of each of said transducers out of said body, said stop means and said resilient means cooperating with said clearance to permit each transducer to have limited canting movement in substantially all directions, and wherein each of said transducers includes a housing, an ultrasonic transmitting transducer element mounted in a first section of said housing for directing ultrasonic energy into an object to be inspected, first coupling means in said first section providing acoustical coupling between said transmitting transducer element and the exterior of said transducer, an ultrasonic receiving transducer element mounted in a second section of said housing for receiving ultrasonic echoes from such an object being inspected, second coupling means in said section providing acoustical coupling between said transducer receiving element and the exterior of said transducer, and acoustical shielding means mounted in said housing between said first and second sections to minimize acoustical coupling therebetween.

Claim 10

A transducer housing assembly for supporting a plurality of ultrasonic inspection transducers adjacent an object being inspected, comprising in combination: a body; a plurality of transducer chambers in said body; an ultrasonic inspection transducer mounted in each chamber and extending from said body to the exterior thereof, the opening in each chamber through which each transducer passes being of sufficient size to provide a clearance between the transducer and said body; means resiliently urging each transducer outwardly from said body; and stop means on said body and on each of said transducers cooperating to prevent movement of each of said transducers out of said body, said stop means and said resilient means cooperating with said clearance to permit each transducer to have limited canting movement in substantially all directions, and wherein each of said transducers includes a housing, an ultrasonic transmitting transducer element mounted in a first section of said housing for directing ultrasonic energy into an object to be inspected, first coupling means in said first section providing acoustical coupling between said transmitting transducer element and the exterior of said transducer, an ultrasonic receiving transducer element mounted in a second section of said housing for receiving ultrasonic echoes from such an object being inspected, second coupling means in said section providing acoustical coupling between said transducer receiving element and the exterior of said transducer, and acoustical shielding means mounted in said housing between said first and second sections to minimize acoustical coupling therebetween.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 further including a plurality of jets in said transducer housing assembly for discharging a fluid medium on such a member during inspection thereof in front of each of said transducers.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said first and second coupling means are blocks of glass impregnated epoxy extending from the interior of said housing to the exterior thereof, each of the transducer elements being mounted on one of said blocks.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 8 further including a fluid chamber in said housing; conduit means extending from said chamber to a source of acoustical coupling fluid, and at least one fluid orifice communicating between said chamber and the exterior of said transducer to provide a fluid coupling film between the transducer and an object to be inspected.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11 including a plurality of such fluid orifices each passing through one of said first and second coupling means to provide a substantially uniform film of fluid between said transducer and an object to be inspected.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 8 further including means preventing rotation of each of said transducers with respect to said body.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each of said transducers includes means for injecting an acoustical coupling fluid medium from such transducer toward such an object being inspected, with a force substantially equal to the resilient force urging such transducer outwardly from said body when such transducer is separated from the object being inspected by an effective layer of such fluid.

Claim 17

A transducer housing assembly for supporting a plurality of ultrasonic inspection transducers adjacent an object being inspected, comprising in combination: a body; a plurality of transducer chambers in said body; an ultrasonic inspection transducer mounted in each chamber and extending from said body to the exterior thereof, the opening in each chamber through which each transducer passes being of sufficient size to provide a clearance Between the transducer and said body; means resiliently urging each transducer outwardly from said body; and stop means on said body and on each of said transducers cooperating to prevent movement of each of said transducers out of said body, said stop means and said resilient means cooperating with said clearance to permit each transducer to have limited canting movement in substantially all directions, and wherein each of said transducers includes means for injecting an acoustical coupling fluid medium from such transducer toward such an object being inspected, with a force substantially equal to the resilient force urging such transducer outwardly from said body when such transducer is separated from the object being inspected by an effective layer of such fluid.

Claim 18

A transducer housing assembly for supporting a plurality of ultrasonic inspection transducers adjacent an object being inspected, comprising in combination: a body; a plurality of transducer chambers in said body; an ultrasonic inspection transducer mounted in each chamber and extending from said body to the exterior thereof, the opening in each chamber through which each transducer passes being of sufficient size to provide a clearance Between the transducer and said body; means resiliently urging each transducer outwardly from said body; and stop means on said body and on each of said transducers cooperating to prevent movement of each of said transducers out of said body, said stop means and said resilient means cooperating with said clearance to permit each transducer to have limited canting movement in substantially all directions, and wherein each of said transducers includes means for injecting an acoustical coupling fluid medium from such transducer toward such an object being inspected, with a force substantially equal to the resilient force urging such transducer outwardly from said body when such transducer is separated from the object being inspected by an effective layer of such fluid.