Patent US5807175A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3796874A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3796874A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Non-destructive eccentricity and insulation thickness measurement system
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1971-08-18
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Granted: 1974-03-12
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Expires: 1991-08-18
Abstract
Abstract A non-destructive insulated cable insulation thickness and eccentricity gaging system is disclosed herein which utilizes Xrays and one dimensional X-ray imaging combined with a digital data processing and readout system to determine the insulation thickness of the cross section of a cable from two orthogonal directions; displays the relative thickness on an electronic readout display for use by the operator in removing eccentricity manually; provides a numerical display of the upper insulation thickness, lower insulation thickness, left insulation thickness, right insulation thickness, average measured insulation thickness, or cable outside diameter on command, or at prescribed intervals under operator or automatic sequence control; and provides an adjustable means for detecting a ''''high lay'''' in a cable. This system can be installed on insulated cable production lines to enable rapid process correction and control capability on the insulation extrusion process.
Inventors
- 👤 R Roller
- 👤 R Ferber
- 👤 W Loftus
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 03:46
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01B; G01B15/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A cable measurement system comprising: at least one X-ray source for radiating a beam of X-rays directly towards one side of the cable being measured, said source being positioned at a fixed spaced location from the cable; at least one scanner for continuously laterally scanning the cable in one direction on the side opposite that side of the cable irradiated by said X-ray source and transmitting received X-rays intercepted thereby; a detector optically coupled to said scanner for detecting the X-rays intercepted by said scanner, said detector having an electrical analog output proportional to the intensity of the X-rays detected; and an electronic readout electrically coupled to said detector output for converting said detector output into cable measurements.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
118 words
A cable measurement system comprising: at least one X-ray source for radiating a beam of X-rays directly towards one side of the cable being measured, said source being positioned at a fixed spaced location from the cable; at least one scanner for continuously laterally scanning the cable in one direction on the side opposite that side of the cable irradiated by said X-ray source and transmitting received X-rays intercepted thereby; a detector optically coupled to said scanner for detecting the X-rays intercepted by said scanner, said detector having an electrical analog output proportional to the intensity of the X-rays detected; and an electronic readout electrically coupled to said detector output for converting said detector output into cable measurements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said scanner comprises: an X-ray opaque rotating drum having at least one slit on the circumference of said drum; said drum slit running substantially parallel with the axis of revolution of said drum; and said drum rotating on its axis of revolution parallel with the cable axis so that said slit scans the cable substantially perpendicular to the cable axis.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
122 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said scanner comprises: an X-ray opaque revolving disc revolving on an axis substantially perpendicular to and intersecting the cable axis, said disc having at least one radial slit positioned on the surface of revolution thereof; and a stationary X-ray opaque plate positioned substantially adjacent and parallel to said revolving disc and sized to mask the radial slit in said disc, sAid plate having a slit extending at least the width of the cable and positioned on its surface substantially perpendicular to and centered about the cable axis, the slit in said plate being coincident with at least a portion of the radial slit in said disc as said slit in said disc rotates across the cable.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
103 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the slit in said stationary plate is curved in an arc, the slit arc in said plate having a curvature substantially equal and opposite to the curvature traced by a point positioned substantially at the center of the radial slit in said disc as the slit in said disc rotates across said cable and intersecting the traced arc at the cable boundaries so that as the slit in said disc rotates across the curved slit in said stationary plate X-rays will pass through the opening common to both slits thereby scanning successive elements of the cable cross-section.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said detector comprises: a photomultiplier; and a scintillation crystal optically coupled to said photomultiplier.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 1 including an X-ray transparent cable jacket positioned generally around the cable and isolating each of said source, said scanner and said detector from the environment surrounding the cable.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said jacket is at least partially constructed out of an X-ray transparent material selected from the group consisting of beryllium, aluminum, boron and graphite.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said scanner and said detector comprise an X-ray sensitive television scanner-detector system.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said scanner and said detector comprise a photodiode array.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electronic readout comprises: electrical means for converting said analog detector output into at least one digital count representative of at least an increment of the scanning cycle; a digital computer having an input representative of said count; and means for operating said computer to determine the cable measurements from said count.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
97 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said electrical means converts said analog detector output into four digital counts representative of four increments of the scanning cycle, each increment commencing with the point of scan wherein said detector first senses the X-rays from said source, the first increment ending wherein said detector first senses the cable insulation, the second increment ending wherein said detector first senses the cable conductor, the third increment ending wherein said detector first senses the insulation after the conductor and the fourth increment ending wherein said detector first senses the end of the cable.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein: said computer has at least one manual input for inserting cable measurement limits; and said means for operating said computer sounds an alarm when the cable measurement limits are exceeded.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said means for operating said computer compensates for any lateral motion of the portion of the cable being scanned.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electronic readout comprises circuitry means for converting said detector output into at least one digital count representative of at least one cable measurement.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said circuitry means converts said detector output into a plurality of digital counts representative of the cable insulation thickness, outside diameter, average measured insulation thickness and minimum measured insulation thickness.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said circuitry means sounds an alarm when said count exceeds a preset value.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 1 including means for moving the cable past said X-ray source and said scanner so that said scanner performs successive scans on consecutive segments of cable.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: a pair of X-ray sOurces are positioned along orthogonal axes so as to irradiate two adjacent sides of the cable being measured; and wherein one of said scanners is associated with each of said X-ray sources so as to scan the cable on the side opposite the side of the cable irradiated by said corresponding X-ray source.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said scanners scan orthogonal sides of the cable successively.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
90 words
A method for making cable measurements comprising the steps of: irradiating at least one side of a cable with a beam of X-rays from a source located at a fixed spaced location from the cable; continuously laterally scanning the side opposite the side of the cable being irradiated in one direction so as to intercept X-rays transmitted through the cable; detecting the intensity of the intercepted X-rays transmitted through the cable; converting the detected X-ray intensity into a proportional electrical signal; and electrically converting said electrical signal into cable measurements.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
90 words
A method for making cable measurements comprising the steps of: irradiating at least one side of a cable with a beam of X-rays from a source located at a fixed spaced location from the cable; continuously laterally scanning the side opposite the side of the cable being irradiated in one direction so as to intercept X-rays transmitted through the cable; detecting the intensity of the intercepted X-rays transmitted through the cable; converting the detected X-ray intensity into a proportional electrical signal; and electrically converting said electrical signal into cable measurements.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 20 wherein said scanning is repeated successively and including the step of moving the cable along its axis past said X-rays.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 20 wherein said irradiating step is performed on two orthogonal sides of the cable and said scanning is performed on the sides of the cable opposite the sides being irradiated so as to produce two dimensional cable measurements.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 22 wherein the scanning in one dimension is performed successively with the scanning in the other dimension.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 20 wherein said converting step includes the step of electrically compensating said electrical signal for errors induced by any cable motion.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-03-11 | 1977-09-10 | 1978-03-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-03-11 | 1981-09-10 | 1982-03-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-03-11 | 1985-09-10 | 1986-03-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |