GB2136081A - Extendable means to support tools - Google Patents

Abstract

Extendable support means comprises three steel bands (6, 7 ,8) each wound into a coil (3, 4, 5). The free ends of the three steel bands (6, 7, 8) are secured to a common support (16). The steel bands each have a row of slotted perforations adjacent one longitudinal edge and a row of punched out spigots adjacent the other longitudinal edge. As the bands are unwound and fed into the guide (15) by pairs of rollers (11, 12, 13), the punched out spigots of each band engage in the slotted perforations of an adjacent band to form a dimensionally stable triangular profile (14). The extendable support means may, as shown, support a television camera (17), measuring instruments, illuminating means or other tools in otherwise inaccessible areas. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Extendable means to support tools The invention relates to an extendable means to support tools such as television cameras, measuring instruments, illuminating means and the like in otherwise inaccessible areas and to move them therein.

It is known to use television cameras for inspecting activated inner chambers and other not readily accessible places in nuclear installations.

The television camera can be disposed at the free end of a shaft or manipulator which passes through an existing hole in a concrete wall of a reactor container or of a cell wall and is controlled from outside. Information picked up optically by the camera, concerning the technical state of the localised area or of the individual components of the reactor or reprocessing plant, is transmitted electrically or electromagnetically to a reproducing appliance, located outside the activated inner chamber, where the information can be assessed.

The preferred application for a camera constructed and transportable in this way is in repeated examinations.

Manipulators or telescopic arms controllable from outside may also be required to bring other tools such a measuring instruments, or lighting equipment into the vicinity of places where remote controlled maintenance has to be carried out.

Known manipulators for internally testing reactor pressure vessels frequently have a mast of considerable length, which extends for a considerable height above the pressure vessel and is moved downwardly from that height when it is to be used. Owing to the considerable length of the mast precautions have to be taken against the effects of resilient deformation, so that the manipulator can bring testing and/or measuring equipment accurately to any desired target area in the pressure vessel.

German Patent Specificatoin 2737449 discloses extendable means whereby loads can be moved in a relatively simple way by using a steel band. The steel band passes through rollers which deform it into an arched structure. This measure is intended to enable the steel band to absorb both bending moments and compressive forces. A store provided for the band is a coil has a drive means for retracting or extending the band.

Despite the considerable arching this known construction is still unstable and tends to flatten when forces are exerted on it. The length to which the construction can be extended is therefore severely limited.

According to the invention there is provided extendable means to support tools comprising three bands each wound into a respective coil and attached at their free ends to a common support, and in which the bands each have a row of slotted perforations adjacent one longitudinal side and punched out spigots at the other longitudinal edge so disposed and arranged that the bands cooperate with one another such that in use each band edge provided with a slotted perforation is located adjacent an edge of an adjacent band provided with punched out spigots so that, when the bands are unwound from the coils, the punched out spigots engage in the adjacent slotted perforations and a dimensionally stable triangular profile is formed.

The bands are preferably steel bands.

The extendable means according to the invention can have great dimensional stability since the three steel bands which are mutual!y inter-linked can form an extremely dimensionally stable construction which makes it possible to have a very long extension. The extending means according to the invention may be subjected to a higher moment load than comparable known means.

Advantageously the three bands are driven by three pairs of feed rollers disposed between the coils and guide means for bringing the steel bands together.

Preferably the driven feed rollers ere provided with means which engage in the perforations and in spaces between the spigot-like punched out portions of the bands.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of extendable band means according to the invention comprising three inter-linking steel bands; and Figure 2 shows a detail of one of the steel bands on a larger scale.

The extendable means comprises three steel band coils 3, 4, 5 disposed at angles of 1 200C to one another. A respective steel band 6, 7 and 8 can be reeled off from each of the coils 3, 4, 5. The feed is produced by three pairs of feed rollers. 11, 12, 13 disposed between the coils 3, 4, 5 and a guide 1 5 which brings the steel bands 6, 7, 8 together into a triangular profile 14. A common support 1 6 with a televisoin camera 1 7 pivotably mounted therein is located at the free end of the steel bands 6, 7, 8.

As can be seen in the detaii of one of the steel bands 6, 7, 8 shown in Figure 2, each of the three bands 6, 7, 8 is provided adjacent one of its edges with a row of slotted perforations 21 over its entire length. Downwardly inclined, spigot-like punched out portions 22 are provided at the outer edge of each band 6, 7, 8. The three bands 6, 7, 8 are arranged relative to one another so that each slotted perforation 21 in one band is adjacent a respective spigot-like punched out portions 22 of an adjacent band. When the bands are unwound from the coils 3, 4, 5 and fed into the guide 1 5, the spigot-like punched out portions 22 engage in the slotted perforations 21, thus forming a dimensionally stable triangular profile 14. When the bands 6, 7, 8 are being wound up, the interlinked triangular profile 14 is separated out into the individual steel bands 6, 7, 8 as it emerges from the guide 1 5.

The guide 1 5 comprises a triangular frame with its internal dimensions corresponding to the triangular profile 14.

To provide the steel bands 6, 7, 8 with a nonslip feed, the driven feed rollers may be provided with raised areas which engage in the perforations 21 and/or the punched out portions 22.

Claims (5)

1. Extendable means to support tools comprising three bands each wound into a respective coil and attached at their free ends to a common support, and in which the bands each have a row of slotted perforations adjacent one longitudinal side and punched out spigots at the other longitudinal edge so disposed and arranged that the bands co-operate with one another such that in use each band edge provided with a slotted perforation is located adjacent an edge of an adjacent band provided with punched out spigots so that, when the bands are unwound from the coils, the punched out spigots engage in the adjacent slotted perforations and a dimensionally stable triangular profile is formed.

2. Extendable means according to claim 1, in which the bands are steel bands.

3. Extendable means according to claim 2, in which the three steel bands are driven by three pairs of feed rollers disposed between the coils and guide means for bringing the steel bands together.

4. Extendable means according to claim 3, in which the driven feed rollers are provided with means which engage in the perforations and in spaces between the spigot-like punched out portions of the bands.

5. Extendable means substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing.