US4055988A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Alignment control apparatus for a turntable used in an ultrasonic testing system
Assignee: J B ENGR AND SALES CO Inc
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Filing: 1976-12-09
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Granted: 1977-11-01
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Expires: 1996-12-09
Abstract
Abstract An alignment control is described whereby the orientation of a turntable can be adjusted from outside of a tank in which an ultrasonic test system operates. The alignment control employs a diaphragm which is mounted over an opening in the bottom of the tank and is formed of a material capable of being flexed while supporting liquid inside the tank. The diaphragm is firmly gripped by a pair of clamp plates respectively located inside and outside of the tank. The clamp plates effectively support the turntable through a drive shaft and bearing with a pivot control connected between the outer clamp plate and an external segment of the tank. External alignment of the turntable as well as external rotational drive are advantageously provided.
Inventors
- 👤 Arthur L. Dutton, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 10:07
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N29/00; G01N29/22; G01N29/24
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
273 words
An apparatus for adjusting the orientation of a rotational turntable relative to a wall of a tank inside of which the turntable is located to support and move a workpiece relative to an ultrasonic testing system movably mounted to the tank for movement in a scanning plane to ultrasonically probe the workpiece when a liquid is in the tank, comprising a diaphragm mounted in a plane to said tank wall over an adjustment opening thereof, said diaphragm having an access opening and being effectively mounted in liquid sealing relationship with the tank wall, said diaphragm further being formed of a material selected to permit limited flexure of the mounted diaphragm relative to its mounting plane; support means mounted to the diaphragm to firmly clamp the diaphragm around its access opening, said support means having sufficient rigidity to support the platform and workpiece, said support means further being provided with a drive shaft opening in alignment with the access opening in the diaphragm; a drive shaft mounted to the turntable and extending through the openings in the support means and the diaphragm in operative and effective liquid sealing relationship with the support means; bearing means operatively coupled between the support means and the drive shaft to permit rotation of the latter about an axis of rotation while enabling the support means to support the turntable and workpiece; and pivot control means operatively connected between the support means and an external segment of said tank to adjust the orientation of the support means whereby said turntable orientation may be adjusted relative to the scanning plane of the ultrasonic testing system from outside of said tank.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
273 words
An apparatus for adjusting the orientation of a rotational turntable relative to a wall of a tank inside of which the turntable is located to support and move a workpiece relative to an ultrasonic testing system movably mounted to the tank for movement in a scanning plane to ultrasonically probe the workpiece when a liquid is in the tank, comprising a diaphragm mounted in a plane to said tank wall over an adjustment opening thereof, said diaphragm having an access opening and being effectively mounted in liquid sealing relationship with the tank wall, said diaphragm further being formed of a material selected to permit limited flexure of the mounted diaphragm relative to its mounting plane; support means mounted to the diaphragm to firmly clamp the diaphragm around its access opening, said support means having sufficient rigidity to support the platform and workpiece, said support means further being provided with a drive shaft opening in alignment with the access opening in the diaphragm; a drive shaft mounted to the turntable and extending through the openings in the support means and the diaphragm in operative and effective liquid sealing relationship with the support means; bearing means operatively coupled between the support means and the drive shaft to permit rotation of the latter about an axis of rotation while enabling the support means to support the turntable and workpiece; and pivot control means operatively connected between the support means and an external segment of said tank to adjust the orientation of the support means whereby said turntable orientation may be adjusted relative to the scanning plane of the ultrasonic testing system from outside of said tank.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus for adjusting the orientation of the rotatable turntable as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support means further includes an inner clamp plate and an outer clamp plate respectively mounted in liquid sealing relationship to opposite sides of the diaphragm, both of said plates being apertured and aligned with the access opening in the diaphragm to provide said drive shaft opening.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus for adjusting the orientation of the rotatable turntable as claimed in claim 2 wherein the clamp plates have cambered surfaces facing the diaphragm and extending away therefrom to enable pivot movement of the clamp plates.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus for adjusting the orientation of the turntable as claimed in claim 1 wherein the diaphragm is formed of a metal sheet having a thickness sufficient to support liquid in the tank and further being sufficiently thin to enable limited flexure in response to pivotal adjustment of the support means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus for adjusting the orientation of the turntable as claimed in claim 4 wherein the diaphragm is formed of a stainless steel sheet material with a thickness generally in the range from about 0.015 inches to about 0.040 inches.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus for adjusting the orientation of the turntable as claimed in claim 5 wherein the support means further includes a plurality of adjustable roller assemblies adjustably mounted on the inner clamp plate for roller contact with a peripheral area of the turntable for its support against deformation when a workpiece is located on the turntable.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
93 words
The apparatus for adjusting the orientation of the turntable as claimed in claim 6 wherein the roller assemblies are each formed of a block mounted on the inner clamp plate; a pivot arm pivotly attached to the block for pivot movement between the clamp plate and the turntable; a roller formed with a deformable rolling surface and rotatably mounted on the pivot arm; and a wedge mounted on the inner clamp plate for operative placement between the pivot arm and the clamp plate to bring the roller into supportive engagement with the turntable.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus for adjusting the orientation of the turntable as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pivot controls means includes a plurality of pivot controls uniformly distributed about the axis of rotation of the drive shaft to provide angular adjustments of the support means about a pair of mutually orthogonal axes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
61 words
The apparatus for adjusting the orientation of the turntable as claimed in claim 8 wherein each pivot control is formed of a control link resting on the external segment of the tank; an adjustment element interposed between the link and the external frame; and a spherical bearing interposed between the link and the support means to enable relative pivot movement therebetween.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus for adjusting the orientation of the turntable as claimed in claim 9 wherein each control link is provided with an adjustment slot generally aligned with the external segment of the tank and a locking element extending through the slot and being sized to lock the adjusted link into firm engagement with the external tank segment.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
FR1595825A
Cited
US3614890A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-10-31 | 1981-05-02 | 1981-11-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-10-31 | 1985-05-02 | 1985-11-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-10-31 | 1989-05-02 | 1989-11-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |