Pipeline x-ray inspection machine

Claim 2

A unitary, low profile pipeline crawler device having a center of gravity sufficiently close to the bottom of a pipeline such that substantially the whole device stays substantially upright during movement along an inside pipe wall and such that substantially the whole device moves without appreciable deviation along a path substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipeline, comprising in combination: a frame having a low profile in said pipeline and including a plurality of wheel supports; a wheel mounted on each of said wheel supports, said wheels and wheel supports supporting said crawler for movement along the bottom of said pipeline; a battery mounted in the lower region of said frame such that substantially all of said battery is located below the centerline of said pipeline when the crawler device is therein for powering said device, the distance between said wheels transversely to said pipeline, the low profile of said frame and the location of the mounting of said battery being such to provide righting moments of inertia that exceed the normal forces tending to overturn said device as it moves in said pipeline to prevent said device from deviating substantially from said path, and to cause the device to inherently right itself; and at least one driving motor mounted on said frame, and connected to said battery, and drivingly connected to a wheel, the effective center of gravity of the whole of said device being fixed with respect to the device when the device deviates from said path and the relationship of said effective center of gravity and the mounting of said wheels providing the effective forces for righting said device.

Claim 3

The crawler device of claim 1 including: an adjustable wheel mounted onto said frame, means distending said adjustable wheel into contact with said inside pipe wall so that said wheels and said adjustable wheel maintain traction against said wall when said driving motors are moving said crawler along said inside pipe wall.

Claim 4

The crawler device of claim 1 in which said wheel supports include flanges extending from said frame, and further include means for rotatably mounting said wheels on either side of said flanges.

Claim 5

The pipe crawler device of claim 1 further including means for displacing said wheels from contact with said inside pipe wall, and a plurality of rolling means connected to said displacing means and partially supporting the weight of said crawler device when said wheels are displaced in order to provide mobility to said device when said wheels are displaced.

Claim 6

The pipe crawler device of claim 4 wherein said displacing means includes: a longitudinally threaded member rotatably mounted on said frame; a sleeve threadably engaging said longitudinal member such that said sleeve is longitudinally displaced by rotation of said threaded member; a shaft rotatably mounted on said frame; a slotted crank slidably connected at one end to said sleeve, and rigidly connected at its other end to said shaft; a link arm having said rolling means mounted on one end and rigidly connected to said shaft so that said rolling means is moved into contact with said pipe wall by longitudinal displacement of said sleeve.

Claim 7

The crawler device of claim 1 wherein said device is a portable X-ray pipe inspector including a radioactive source for penetrating said inside pipe walls, said inspector including: a shielded container mounted on said frame for storing said radioactive source in a protected position; a collimator mounted adjacent to said container for controlling the direction and emission of said radioactive source in an exposed position; means interconnecting the interior of said container and the interior of said collimatOr whereby said radioactive source may be moved to said collimator from said container; means for extending said radioactive source from said protected position within said shielded container to said exposed position within said collimator; means for holding said source in said exposed position; and means automatically retracting said radioactive source from said exposed position in said collimator to said protected position in said shielded container upon release of said holding means.

Claim 8

The portable X-ray pipe inspector of claim 6 including: an adjustable wheel mounted onto said frame, means distending said adjustable wheel into contact with said inside pipe wall so that said wheels and said adjustable wheel maintain traction against said wall when said driving motors are moving said crawler along said pipeline, means for displacing said wheels from contact with said inside pipe wall, and a plurality of rolling means connected to said displacing means and partially supporting the weight of said crawler device when said wheels are displaced in order to provide mobility to said inspector when said wheels are displaced.

Claim 9

The portable pipe weld inspector of claim 6 in which said shielded container includes a tubular passageway in which said radioactive source is contained in said protected position; and said source extending means includes a first cable moving within said passageway, said first cable connected to said radioactive source so that said source can be moved through said passageway by movement of said first cable.

Claim 10

The pipe weld inspector of claim 8 in which said source extending means includes: a power-driven rotatable pulley; a second cable connected to said first cable and being disposed upon said pulley such that rotation of said pulley in one direction moves said second cable, first cable and said radioactive source from said container to said collimator; said holding means locking said second cable against said pulley after said second cable has been moved to said extended position; and said automatic retracting means including means connected to said second cable and exerting a force thereon which urges said source from said exposed position to said protected position.

Claim 11

The pipe weld inspector of claim 9 wherein said holding means includes: clutch means for frictionally engaging said second cable to force it against said pulley to lock said second cable against movement; and eccentric means for so forcing said clutch means against said second cable and said pulley; said eccentric means movable from a first position for causing engagement of said clutch means to a second position wherein said clutch means locks said second cable against movement.

Claim 12

The pipe weld inspector of claim 10 in which said force exerting means is a spring connected between the frame and, said second cable, the force of said spring causing said radioactive source to retract from said exposed position in said collimator to said protected position in said shielded container upon said clutch being disengagd.

Claim 13

The portable X-ray pipe inspector of claim 6 including means for adjusting the vertical position of said collimator with respect to said frame so that said collimator may be located substantially on the centerline of pipeline of varying diameter.

Claim 14

As a subcombination, an X-ray exposing and shielding device adapted to be mounted on an X-ray inspection machine, said device comprising: a frame; a shielded contaier mounted on said frame and including a tubular passageway in which a radioactive source is maintained in a protected position; a collimator mounted on said frame adjacent to said container for controlling the direction and emission of said radioactive source in an exposed position; means interconnecting the interior of said container and the interior of said collimator whereby said radioactive source may be moved to said collimator from said container; means for extending said radioactive source from said protected position witHin said shielded container to said exposed position within said collimator; said source extending means including a cable moving within said passageway, said cable connected to said radioactive source so that said source can be moved through said passageway by movement of said cable, a power driven rotatable pulley, said cable being disposed upon said pulley such that rotation of said pulley in one direction moves said cable and said radioactive source from said container toward said collimator; means for holding said source in said exposed position, said holding means locking said cable against said pulley after said cable has been moved to said extended position, and including clutch means for frictionally engaging said cable to force it against said pulley to lock said cable against movement, and eccentric means for so forcing said clutch means against said cable and said pulley, said eccentric means movable from a first position for causing engagement of said clutch means to a second position wherein said clutch means locks said cable against movement; and means for causing said radioactive source to automatically retract from said exposed position in said collimator to said protected position in said shielded container upon release of said holding means.

Claim 15

As a subcombination, an X-ray exposing and shielding device adapted to be mounted on an X-ray inspection machine, said device comprising: a frame; a shielded contaier mounted on said frame and including a tubular passageway in which a radioactive source is maintained in a protected position; a collimator mounted on said frame adjacent to said container for controlling the direction and emission of said radioactive source in an exposed position; means interconnecting the interior of said container and the interior of said collimator whereby said radioactive source may be moved to said collimator from said container; means for extending said radioactive source from said protected position witHin said shielded container to said exposed position within said collimator; said source extending means including a cable moving within said passageway, said cable connected to said radioactive source so that said source can be moved through said passageway by movement of said cable, a power driven rotatable pulley, said cable being disposed upon said pulley such that rotation of said pulley in one direction moves said cable and said radioactive source from said container toward said collimator; means for holding said source in said exposed position, said holding means locking said cable against said pulley after said cable has been moved to said extended position, and including clutch means for frictionally engaging said cable to force it against said pulley to lock said cable against movement, and eccentric means for so forcing said clutch means against said cable and said pulley, said eccentric means movable from a first position for causing engagement of said clutch means to a second position wherein said clutch means locks said cable against movement; and means for causing said radioactive source to automatically retract from said exposed position in said collimator to said protected position in said shielded container upon release of said holding means.

Claim 16

The X-ray exposing and shielding device in claim 20 further including a spring connected between the frame and said cable, the force of said spring causing said radioactive source to retract from said extended position in said collimator upon said clutch being disengaged.

Claim 17

The device of claim 1 including two driving motors mounted on said frame each drivingly connected to a different wheel, and means for drivingly connecting the wheels driven by said motors.