US3913388A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for ultrasonic testing of metallic sheets or the like
Assignee: Stahlwerke Pein Salzgitter AG
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Filing: 1974-07-18
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Granted: 1975-10-21
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Expires: 1994-07-18
Abstract
Abstract An ultrasonic testing apparatus for metallic sheets or bands which are transported in a horizontal path has a carriage which is movable transversely of the path at a level above the sheets or bands and directly or indirectly carries a preferably troughshaped support for oscillating means and the testing devices. The entire support or the rear portion of the support is movable up or down by a pneumatic cylinder and piston unit and supports a detachable carrier for several parallel motion mechanisms each of which supports a probe holder and is biased by a spring to urge the probe against the sheet or band when the cylinder and piston unit is extended. The carrier is oscillated by a motor which is mounted on the support and transmits motion to the carrier by way of a crank drive. The crank drive can include balancing weights or the motor on the support can reciprocate a balancing weight through the medium of a second crank drive.
Inventors
- 👤 Klaus Berner
- 👤 Jorg Kugler
- 👤 Hans-Gunther Grote
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 15:45
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N29/00; G01N29/22; G01N29/223
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 38
Claim 1
Independent Claim
103 words
Apparatus for ultrasonic testing of metallic sheets, bands or analogous workpieces which are transported in a predetermined direction along a predetermined path comprising a frame; a carriage mounted in and movable relative to said frame transversely of said path; a support; a displacing device connecting said carriage with said support and arranged to move at least a portion of said support toward and away from said path; at least one linkage movably mounted on said support; a probe holder mounted on said linkage; and means for oscillating said linkage and said probe holder with respect to said support substantially transversely of said path.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
103 words
Apparatus for ultrasonic testing of metallic sheets, bands or analogous workpieces which are transported in a predetermined direction along a predetermined path comprising a frame; a carriage mounted in and movable relative to said frame transversely of said path; a support; a displacing device connecting said carriage with said support and arranged to move at least a portion of said support toward and away from said path; at least one linkage movably mounted on said support; a probe holder mounted on said linkage; and means for oscillating said linkage and said probe holder with respect to said support substantially transversely of said path.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said linkage is a parallel motion mechanism and said support is shaped as a deflecting trough.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising motor means for moving said carriage relative to said frame.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
68 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said displacing means is arranged to move said portion of said support to and from a predetermined position in which said probe holder is immediately adjacent to a workpiece in said path, and further comprising means for biasing said linkage so as to yieldably urge said probe holder against a workpiece in said path in said predetermined position of said support.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said support comprises a deflector which is closely adjacent to said path in said predetermined position thereof so as to be engaged by eventual protuberances of a workpiece in said path.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said path is substantially horizontal and said support, said linkage, said displacing means and said probe holder are located above said path.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said oscillating means comprises a motor mounted on said support and having a rotary output element, at least one drive connecting said output element with said linkage, and at least one counterweight for balancing the mass of said linkage and said probe holder when said motor actuates said drive.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 7, further comprising a carrier for said linkage, said carrier being oscillatable by said drive and said counterweight being movable by said motor substantially counter to the direction of movement of said carrier relative to said support.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said path is substantially horizontal and is located below said probe holder, said displacing means comprising at least one substantially vertical fluid-operated cylinder and piston assembly having first and second portions movable relative to each other and respectively connected to said carriage and said support.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said support is mounted exclusively on and is movable in its entirety with said second portion of said assembly.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 10, further comprising means for holding said support against changes in orientation with respect to said carriage in all positions of said second portion of said assembly.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said holding means comprises a toggle mechanism having portions articulately connected to each other, to said support and to said carriage.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said portions of said toggle mechanism include two links connected to said carriage or to said support and having mating gears.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said support is trough-shaped and further comprising a plate-like carrier extending transversely of said path and movably supported by said support, said linkage being mounted on said carrier and said oscillating means being arranged to move said linkage through the medium of said carrier.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said trough-shaped support has an open front end facing in the direction of movement of workpieces along said path and said carrier is adjacent to said front end.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said support comprises at least one tie rod extending transversely of said path and said carrier has at least one sleeve slidable along said tie rod in response to actuation of said oscillating means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said oscillating means comprises a motor mounted on said support and having a rotary output element, and a crank drive connecting said output element with said linkage.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
68 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said crank drive comprises a first gear driven by said output element, a second gear mating with said first gear, a connecting rod eccentrically secured to one of said gears and operatively connected with said linkage, and balancing weights provided on said gears, said balancing weights being arranged to counteract forces acting on said gears at right angles to said path.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
71 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a hinge connecting a second portion of said support to said carriage for pivotal movement about an axis which extends transversely of and is parallel to said path, said displacing means comprising a cylinder and piston assembly arranged to pivot said support about said axis so as to move said first mentioned portion of said support nearer to and away from said path.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said oscillating means comprises a carrier mounted on said first mentioned portion of said support in parallelism with said axis and means for moving said carrier, said linkage being mounted on said carrier.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 20, further comprising an insert removably installed in said first mentioned portion of said support, said carrier being mounted on and being movable relative to said insert.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said means for moving said carrier comprises a motor mounted on said support and having a rotary output element, and a crank drive connecting said output element with said carrier.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 22, further comprising a balancing weight for said carrier and a second crank drive receiving motion from said output element and arranged to oscillate said weight, said weight being mounted on and being movable relative to said insert in parallelism with said axis.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
72 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said assembly comprises a first portion connected to said carriage and a second portion reciprocable relative to said first portion and connected to said support, said second portion of said assembly being movable between a plurality of positions including first, second and third positions in which said probe holder respectively engages with, is closely adjacent to and is distant from a workpiece in said path.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said carriage includes an elongated arm having an end portion remote from said assembly and said hinge connects said second portion of said support to said end portion of said arm, said arm being substantially parallel to said direction.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
69 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising an insert separably mounted on said support and a carrier mounted on and movable relative to said insert transversely of said path, said linkage being mounted on said carrier and said oscillating means comprising a motor mounted on said support and a drive receiving motion from said motor and arranged to move said carrier and said linkage relative to said insert.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
84 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein said insert comprises a partition extending transversely of said path, said carrier being adjacent to one side of said partition and further comprising a counterweight mounted on said insert at the other side of said partition and being movable transversely of said path, and a second drive receiving motion from said motor and arranged to move said counterweight so that the latter moves in one direction while said carrier moves in the opposite direction, and vice versa.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 27, further comprising a shaft rotatably mounted in said partition, said first mentioned drive receiving motion from said shaft and said second drive having means for rotating said shaft.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 27, wherein said motor comprises a rotary output element and further comprising means for separably coupling said drives to said output element so that said insert with said drives, said carrier, said linkage and said probe can be separated from said support in response to disengagement of said coupling means.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for biasing said support in a direction away from said path.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising detector means arranged to monitor said path for the leaders of workpieces and including means for actuating said displacing means so as to move said support toward said path in response to detection of a leader.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising detector means arranged to monitor said path for the trailing ends of workpieces and having means for actuating said displacing means so as to move said support away from said path in response to detection of a trailing end.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting said oscillating means so as to change the amplitude of oscillatory movement of said linkage.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said linkage comprises a parallel motion mechanism having two links one of which is nearer to said path than the other thereof, said one link having a deflector one side of which faces said path, said side of said one link sloping toward said path as considered in said predetermined direction.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one deflecting runner provided on said linkage adjacent to said probe holder and arranged to engage a workpiece in said path.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 35, wherein said runner has a surface facing a workpiece in said path and sloping toward said path as considered in the direction of oscillatory movement of said linkage.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 36, wherein said runner has a second surface facing a workpiece in said path and sloping toward said path as considered in said predetermined direction.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-10-20 | 1979-04-21 | 1979-10-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-10-20 | 1983-04-21 | 1983-10-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-10-20 | 1987-04-21 | 1987-10-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |