Patent · US Expired

Multi-point wall thickness gage

US4881409A · kind A · utility

13Cited by
12References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 13, 1988
Grant dateNov 21, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 13, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E30/30
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A multi-point wall thickness gage (10) comprises a pad (16) of flexible magnetic material that includes an array of ultrasonic transducers (13) and a multi-point ultrasonic transmitter and receiver (25) to which each transducer (13) is attached. The magnetic pad (16) is attachable to the wall of a ferro-magnetic object (19), and serves to hold the array or matrix of ultrasonic transducers (13) against the wall of the object. The specific region of the object wall being inspected is marked off (17), and the magnetic pad (16) is periodically applied over this region (17). The output of the transducers (13) is used to detect whether any wall thinning is occurring over the particular area of the object covered by the magnetic pad (16), and if so, the particular pattern of thinning within the area. Trend monitoring is simplified since exact relocation of the transducers (13) for periodic measurements is more readily accomplished.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.