Ultrasonic inspection apparatus

Claim 2

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; transducer guide means adapted for placement upon an object to be inspected for guiding said transducer means along a predetermined path; first drive means for driving said transducer means along said guide means; display means electrically connected to said transducer means for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflected energy; camera means for supporting a film in a film plane to allow rotation of said film about an axis fixed relative to said display means; optical means including a lens situated between said display means and said film plane; second drive means for translating said optical means relative to both said display means and said film in a pair of coordinate directions and in a plane parallel to said film plane as said transducer is driven along said predetermined path; third drive means for rotating said camera means about said axis as said transducer is driven along said predetermined path; and motive means for driving said drive means.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said second drive means comprises a first cam connected to be rotated by said motive means, a first cam follower engaging said first cam to translate said optical means in the first of said pair of coordinate directions, a second cam connected to be rotated by said motive means, and a second cam follower engaging said second cam to translate said optical means in the second of said pair of coordinate directions.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said third drive means comprises a cam connected to be rotated by said motive means, cam follower means engaging said cam, and a link connected between said cam follower means and said camera means to rotate said film about said axis.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 having chain means looped around a plurality of sprocket means journalled in a base, said motive means being connected to rotate a first of said sprocket means, said first drive means comprising a flexible push-pull cable having a pair of elements slidable relative to each other, said elements being connected to said base and to a point on said chain means at one end of said cable, and to said guide means and said transducer means at the other end of said cable.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said second drive means includes at least one cam connected to be rotated by a second of said sprocket means.

Claim 7

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; transducer guide means adapted for placement upon an object to be inspected for guiding said transducer means along a predetermined path; first drive means for driving said transducer along said guide means; display means electrically connected to said transducer means for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflected energy in a fixed location on said display means; camera means for supporting a film in a film plane; relaying means for transmitting said display of said line scans to a movable body to provide replicas of said line scans at said movable body; second drive means for translating said movable body relative to said camera means in a pair of coordinate directions in a plane parallel to said film plane as said transducer is driven along said predetermined path; third drive means for rotating said movable body relative to said camera means as said transducer is driven along said predetermined path; and motive means for driving said drive means.

Claim 8

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; transducer guide means adapted for placement upon an object to be inspected for guiding said transducer means along a predetermined path; first drive means for driving said transducer along said guide means; display means electrically connected to said transducer means for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflected energy in a fixed location on said display means; camera means for supporting a film in a film plane; relaying means for transmitting said display of said line scans to a movable body to provide replicas of said line scans at said movable body; second drive means for translating said movable body relative to said camera means in a pair of coordinate directions in a plane parallel to said film plane as said transducer is driven along said predetermined path; third drive means for rotating said movable body relative to said camera means as said transducer is driven along said predetermined path; and motive means for driving said drive means.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 6 in which said relaying means comprises a multiplicity of optical fiBers each having one end fixed relative to said display means and its other end affixed to said movable body.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 6 in which said relaying means comprises a multiplicity of photosensors positioned adjacent said display means and adapted to be illuminated by respective portions of said line scans at said display means to provide respective electrical signals, a multiplicity of light-emitting means affixed to said movable body, and means for connecting said electrical signals to respective ones of said light-emitting means.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 6 in which said second drive means is pivotally connected to a first point on said movable body, said third drive means is connected to a second point on said movable body, and said third drive means comprises means for translating said second point of said movable body relative to said first point to rotate said movable body.

Claim 12

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; transducer guide means adapted for placement relative to an object to be inspected for guiding said transducer means along a path; first drive means for driving said transducer along said guide means; cathode ray tube display means electrically connected to said transducer means for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflected energy on a surface of said display means, said display means including first and second beam positioning circuits for moving said display in first and second directions relative to said surface of said display means; camera means having a film plane fixed against translation relative to said display means; first means for applying first and second signals to said beam positioning circuits as said transducer is driven along said path, said first and second signals varying in accordance with predetermined functions of the curvature of said path; second means for rotating the display on said display means relative to said film plane in a plane parallel to said film plane; and motive means for driving said drive means and said first and second means.

Claim 13

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; transducer guide means adapted for placement relative to an object to be inspected for guiding said transducer means along a path; first drive means for driving said transducer along said guide means; cathode ray tube display means electrically connected to said transducer means for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflected energy on a surface of said display means, said display means including first and second beam positioning circuits for moving said display in first and second directions relative to said surface of said display means; camera means having a film plane fixed against translation relative to said display means; first means for applying first and second signals to said beam positioning circuits as said transducer is driven along said path, said first and second signals varying in accordance with predetermined functions of the curvature of said path; second means for rotating the display on said display means relative to said film plane in a plane parallel to said film plane; and motive means for driving said drive means and said first and second means.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 10 in which said first means comprises first and second non-linear potentiometer means.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 10 in which said camera means is held non-rotatable relative to said display means, said display means comprises means for generating a sweep waveform and first and second deflection circuits, and said second means comprises resolver means responsive to said sweep waveform and operative to apply signals to said deflection circuits.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 10 in which said second means comprises means for rotating said camera means relative to said display means.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which said first means includes a linear potentiometer having a resistance element and a movable contact, and non-linear motion-converting means, said motive means being connected through said non-linear motion-converting means to position said movable contact relative to said resistance element.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 12 having non-linear motion-converting means, said motive means being connected through said non-linear motion-converting means to adjust said resolver means.

Claim 19

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: directional transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; transducer guide means for guiding said directional transducer along a predetermined empirical path in a plane having X and Y coordinate directions, beginning at a reference point on said path, and for varying the direction theta of said transducer relative to a reference direction which said transducer has at said reference point; first drive means for driving said transducer along said guide means; display means electrically connected to said transducer for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflectEd energy; recording means; positioning means for recording said successive line scans on successive portions of said recording means, said positioning means including first means for providing a translation of successive line scans relative to said recording means in a first direction in accordance with the function dx/dL, second means for providing a translation of successive line scans relative to said recording means in a second direction in accordance with the function of dy/dL, and third means for providing a rotation of successive line scans relative to said recording means in accordance with the function d theta /dL; where L is the distance of said transducer along said path from said reference point, and motive means for driving said first drive means and said positioning means.

Claim 20

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: directional transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; transducer guide means for guiding said directional transducer along a predetermined empirical path in a plane having X and Y coordinate directions, beginning at a reference point on said path, and for varying the direction theta of said transducer relative to a reference direction which said transducer has at said reference point; first drive means for driving said transducer along said guide means; display means electrically connected to said transducer for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflectEd energy; recording means; positioning means for recording said successive line scans on successive portions of said recording means, said positioning means including first means for providing a translation of successive line scans relative to said recording means in a first direction in accordance with the function dx/dL, second means for providing a translation of successive line scans relative to said recording means in a second direction in accordance with the function of dy/dL, and third means for providing a rotation of successive line scans relative to said recording means in accordance with the function d theta /dL; where L is the distance of said transducer along said path from said reference point, and motive means for driving said first drive means and said positioning means.

Claim 21

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: transducer guide means adapted for placement upon an object to be inspected, said guide means including a plurality of rigid sections hinged together end-to-end; a plurality of ultrasonic transducer means mounted upon respective sections of said guide means and adapted to be movable along said sections of said guide means, said transducer means being operable to transmit energy and receive reflected energy; display means electrically connected to said transducer means for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflected energy; recording means for recording said successive line scans; and means responsive to the angles between adjacent pairs of said rigid sections of said transducer guide for controlling the recording of said successive line scans on said recording means.

Claim 22

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: transducer guide means adapted for placement upon an object to be inspected, said guide means including a plurality of rigid sections hinged together end-to-end; a plurality of ultrasonic transducer means mounted upon respective sections of said guide means and adapted to be movable along said sections of said guide means, said transducer means being operable to transmit energy and receive reflected energy; display means electrically connected to said transducer means for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflected energy; recording means for recording said successive line scans; and means responsive to the angles between adjacent pairs of said rigid sections of said transducer guide for controlling the recording of said successive line scans on said recording means.

Claim 23

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; an array of light-emitting elements; a pulse counter means having a multiplicity of output lines which are successively energized as timing pulses are applied to said counter, said output lines being connected to respective ones of said light-emitting elements; means for applying a signal commensurate with said reflected energy to said light-emitting elements; and means for applying timing pulses to said counter means as said transducer means is moved relative to an object to be inspected, whereby said array produces a display.

Claim 24

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; an array of light-emitting elements; a pulse counter means having a multiplicity of output lines which are successively energized as timing pulses are applied to said counter, said output lines being connected to respective ones of said light-emitting elements; means for applying a signal commensurate with said reflected energy to said light-emitting elements; and means for applying timing pulses to said counter means as said transducer means is moved relative to an object to be inspected, whereby said array produces a display.

Claim 25

Apparatus according to claim 18 having recording means and means for moving the display produced by said array relative to said recording means.

Claim 26

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; transducer guide means adapted for placement upon an object to be inspected for guiding said transducer means along a predetermined path; motive means for driving said transducer means along said guide means; and display means electrically connected to said transducer means for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflected energy, said display means comprising means for providing a recurrent sweep waveform, a pulse counter, means operated by said motive means for applying pulses to said counter, memory means having a plurality of values of a plurality of functions stored at a plurality of addresses, said pulse counter being connected to said memory means to provide respective sets of digital signals representing a respective set of values of said functions for successive count conditions of said counter, a plurality of multiplying digital-to-analog converters, each of said converters being connected to receive the successive digital signals associated with a respective one of said functions, to receive said sweep waveform, and to provide a respective analog input signal, and cathode ray tube means having a beam intensity circuit controlled by said reflected energy and deflection means controlled by the analog output signals of said converters.

Claim 27

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; transducer guide means adapted for placement upon an object to be inspected for guiding said transducer means along a predetermined path; motive means for driving said transducer means along said guide means; and display means electrically connected to said transducer means for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflected energy, said display means comprising means for providing a recurrent sweep waveform, a pulse counter, means operated by said motive means for applying pulses to said counter, memory means having a plurality of values of a plurality of functions stored at a plurality of addresses, said pulse counter being connected to said memory means to provide respective sets of digital signals representing a respective set of values of said functions for successive count conditions of said counter, a plurality of multiplying digital-to-analog converters, each of said converters being connected to receive the successive digital signals associated with a respective one of said functions, to receive said sweep waveform, and to provide a respective analog input signal, and cathode ray tube means having a beam intensity circuit controlled by said reflected energy and deflection means controlled by the analog output signals of said converters.

Claim 28

Apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said values of said plurality oF functions comprise successive values of one component of said predetermined path, successive values of a second component of said predetermined path, and successive values of functions of the angle of said transducer means relative to a reference direction as said transducer means is moved along said predetermined path.

Claim 29

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; transducer guide means adapted for placement upon an object to be inspected for guiding said transducer means along a predetermined path; motive means for driving said transducer means along said guide means; and display means electrically connected to said transducer means for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflected energy, said display means comprising a source of recurrent timing pulses, a first pulse counter connected to receive said timing pulses, a first digital-to-analog converter connected to receive the contents of said first counter and operative to provide a recurrent staircase waveform signal as timing pulses are applied to said first counter, a second pulse counter connected to said first pulse counter to be advanced each time said first pulse counter reaches a predetermined count condition, memory means having a plurality of values of a plurality of functions stored at a plurality of addresses, said second pulse counter being connected to said memory means to provide respective sets of digital signals representing a respective set of values of said functions for successive count conditions of said second counter, a plurality of multiplying digital-to-analog converters, each of said multiplying digital-to-analog converters being connected to receive the successive digital signals associated with a respective one of said functions, to receive said staircase waveform signal, and to provide a respective analog output signal, cathode ray tube means having a beam intensity circuit controlled by said reflected energy and deflection means controlled by the analog output signals of said multiplying digital-to-analog converters.

Claim 30

Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, comprising, in combination: ultrasonic transducer means for transmitting energy and receiving reflected energy; transducer guide means adapted for placement upon an object to be inspected for guiding said transducer means along a predetermined path; motive means for driving said transducer means along said guide means; and display means electrically connected to said transducer means for providing a display of successive line scans modulated by said reflected energy, said display means comprising a source of recurrent timing pulses, a first pulse counter connected to receive said timing pulses, a first digital-to-analog converter connected to receive the contents of said first counter and operative to provide a recurrent staircase waveform signal as timing pulses are applied to said first counter, a second pulse counter connected to said first pulse counter to be advanced each time said first pulse counter reaches a predetermined count condition, memory means having a plurality of values of a plurality of functions stored at a plurality of addresses, said second pulse counter being connected to said memory means to provide respective sets of digital signals representing a respective set of values of said functions for successive count conditions of said second counter, a plurality of multiplying digital-to-analog converters, each of said multiplying digital-to-analog converters being connected to receive the successive digital signals associated with a respective one of said functions, to receive said staircase waveform signal, and to provide a respective analog output signal, cathode ray tube means having a beam intensity circuit controlled by said reflected energy and deflection means controlled by the analog output signals of said multiplying digital-to-analog converters.

Claim 31

Apparatus according to claim 22 having means responsive to a predetermined count condition in said first counter for causing said transducer means to transmit energy.

Claim 32

Apparatus according to claim 22 having a third counter connected to said first counter to be advanced each time said first counter reaches a preselected count condition; and circuit means connected to said third counter and to said motive means for driving said motive means.

Claim 33

Apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said motive means comprises a motor mounted on said guide means.