Automatically traveling tube-interior manipulator for remotely controlled transportation of testing devices and tools along given feedpaths, preferably for nuclear reactor installations

US4460920A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Robert Weber · Uttenreuth, DE
• Alois Koppl · Wolframs-Eschenbach, DE
• Siegfried Forner · Erlangen, DE
• Erich Kohlert · Erlangen, DE
• Otto Muller · Konstanz, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 30, 1981
• Grant date: Jul 17, 1984
• Expiry date: Oct 30, 2001

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E30/30
• WIPO field: Engines, pumps, turbines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Automatically traveling tube-interior manipulator for the remotely controlled transportation of testing devices and tools along given feedpaths through the tube interior, including a stepping mechanism having at least two links including a rear stepping body and a front counterstepping body as seen in the direction of entry into the tube, at least one gimbal-type joint hinging the bodies to each other, clamping devices disposed on each of the bodies for clamping the bodies to the inner periphery of the tube, driving means associated with at least one of the bodies for transporting the stepping body in the axial direction of the tube relative to the counterstepping body when the clamping device of the stepping body is engaged and the clamping device of the counterstepping body is disengaged and vice versa, guiding elements disposed on the outer periphery of each of the bodies for transportation along the inner periphery of the tube, a line reservoir disposed outside the tube, a flexible harness of supply lines connected from the rear stepping body to the line reservoir, and a manipulator head mounted on the front counterstepping body for the testing devices and tools.