JPH0384406A - Automatic traveling device for ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify a mounting operation and to reduce the weight of the device by pinching a pipe to be detected by means of respectively 3 pieces of upper and lower rollers, and repeating the operation to move a probe in the major axis direction and then to move the probe by rotating the rollers. CONSTITUTION:The pipe to be detected is pinched by means of a pair of the upper and lower revolving rollers 14, 15 and a pressure receiving roller 13 of a clamp. A timing belt 34 rises in an axial direction when a motor 19 for driving the rollers and a motor 30 for driving the belt are operated. A holder 37 fixed thereto and the probe 39 move up to the upper limit position while receiving ultrasonic waves and a detecting means 40 stops the motor 30 by detecting the position. The rollers 14, 15 are then rotated at a prescribed pitch by the motor 19 to move the probe 39. The belt 34 moves downward and thereafter, this operation is repeated to continue the flaw detection of the pipe. The mounting operation is simplified in this way and the weight of the device is reduced.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an automatic traveling device for an ultrasonic probe.
It is used in the field of nondestructive testing to externally detect changes in shape due to corrosion or other causes on the inner surface of pipes.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, automatic scanning devices for ultrasonic probes used in such non-destructive testing have been constructed by, for example, fixing parts on the top and bottom of the main body of the device to the pipe to be inspected, and installing a rotating frame between these fixed parts. A gear is fixed to the upper end of the frame, and the gear fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor attached to the upper fixed part is engaged with the gear at the upper end of the frame via a reduction gear. A device equipped with a probe that moves up and down is known.

[Problems to be solved by the present invention]

The conventional device described above cannot be used for other pipes to be tested with different diameters because the upper and lower fixing parts of the device are fixed to the pipe to be tested.

Therefore, since a device corresponding to each diameter of the pipe is required, the economic burden becomes heavy. In addition, since fixed parts are provided at the top and bottom of the device, the overall weight of the device becomes large, making it difficult to meet recent demands for weight reduction.In addition, attachment to the pipe to be inspected is complicated and time-consuming, which slows down inspection work. It was not possible to increase efficiency.

The present invention solves all of the above-mentioned problems, and provides an automatic traveling device for an ultrasonic probe that is versatile, lightweight, and easy to attach and detach. be.

[Means for solving problems]

For this reason, the device of the present invention includes a pair of rollers that contact the pipe under test and rotate in the same direction at the top and bottom of the frame, and a pair of rollers that are attached to the frame so as to be openable and closable and contact the pipe under test opposite to the pair of rollers. a pressure-receiving roller that can be fixed at a position where It has a motor for driving a timing belt, and a means for detecting the upper and lower limit positions of the probe, and the pipe to be inspected is held between three rollers each on the upper and lower sides, and the probe is moved in the longitudinal direction. After this, the pair of rollers are rotated in the circumferential direction at a predetermined pitch to move the probe, and this process is repeated thereafter.

Further, a plurality of pressure receiving rollers may be attached corresponding to the diameter of the pipe to be inspected.

[For production]

In this device, the pipe to be inspected is placed inside the frame of the device and brought into contact with a pair of upper and lower rollers. Next, close and engage the upper clamp shaft and roller holder, and do the same for the lower side, so that the upper and lower pressure receiving rollers come into contact with the pipe to be inspected.
Three rollers at the top and bottom of the device clamp the pipe to be inspected at three points, so the device does not fall off due to its own weight and is securely fixed in a predetermined position.

When the circle R drive motor and the probe drive motor are operated in this way, first, the timing belt moves upward in the axial direction, and the probe holder fixed to this belt, and therefore the probe, emits ultrasonic waves. It moves to its upper limit movement position while transmitting and receiving. At this time, the detection means detects this, the probe drive motor stops, and the one-circle drive motor rotates.
A pair of upper and lower rollers are rotated by a predetermined pitch in a predetermined circumferential direction via each gear.

After that, the probe drive motor rotates, the timing belt moves downward, the probe holder and the probe also move to the lower limit movement position, and when the detection means detects this, the same operation as described above is performed. , this operation is repeated thereafter.

Moreover, in order to remove this device, it is sufficient to remove the engaging portion of the hook plate from the protruding pivot shaft and open the clamp shaft and roller holder.

〔Example〕

The drawings showing one embodiment of the present invention will be specifically explained below.

In the figure, (1) is the frame of the device, and roller frames (2) and (2a) are attached to both the upper and lower ends of the frame, and a clamp mechanism is provided on both sides of the frame to fix the device to the pipe under test. ing. Since this clamp mechanism is the same on the top and bottom, referring to the upper roller frame (2), mounting plates (3) and (4) that are slightly curved inward are fixed to both sides of this frame (2), and one mounting A clamp shaft (6) is rotatably attached to the plate (3) by a support shaft (5), and a thread groove is formed from the tip side of the clamp shaft (6) as shown in the third figure. , the cylindrical part (
9) are rotatably fitted, and by turning the adjustment 11 (7), the position of the engaging portion (10) of the hook plate (8) can be adjusted in the axial direction.

Further, a roller holder (11) formed integrally with the lower side of the continuous portion (11') is pivotally attached to the other mounting plate (4) by a support shaft (12), and the tip of this holder (11) The pressure receiving roller (13) is pivoted to its pivot shaft (13').
It stands out.

Inside the roller frame (2), a pair of rollers (14) and (t5) are arranged on the same plane as the pressure-receiving roller (13), and as shown in Fig. 3, the inner side of the roller frame (2) It protrudes slightly outward from the notch opening,
The upper rollers (14), (15) and the lower rollers (14a), (15a) each have coaxial shafts (16).

(17) and rotate in the same direction at the same time.

A gear box (
18), and on the outside thereof a circumferential drive motor (19), a probe drive motor (20), and an encoder (
21) is fixed. Figure 4 shows gear box (18)
This figure shows an example of a gear configuration for circumferential drive in a motor (19), in which a gear (24) is meshed with a gear (23) fixed to a rotating shaft (22) of a motor (19); The gear (25) is connected to the roller (14).
, (15) are meshed with gears (26) and (27) fixed to the shafts (16) and (17), so that the pair of upper and lower rollers simultaneously rotate in the same direction when the motor (19) rotates. It's Nishide.

The rotating shaft of the probe drive motor (20) is connected to a gear box (
18) and extends into the gear box (28) provided on the minus side of the frame (1), and a bevel gear (29) fixed to the tip of the gear box (28) is connected to the shaft ( 30) is meshed with the bevel gear (31). As shown in FIG. 2, this shaft (30) protrudes inside the frame (1), and a pulley (32) is fixed to it, and a pulley (33) is pivotally attached to the inside of the lower part of the frame (1). A timing belt (34) is hooked and rotated between.

The shafts (16) and (17) in the frame (1) have collars (35) and (36) as shown in Figure 5.
The holder (37) of the probe is movably inserted through the holder (37), and the connector (38) attached to the - side is fixed to the timing belt (34), and the movement of the belt (34) causes the holder (37) to move freely. 37) so that they move in sync. In addition, a probe (39) connected to an ultrasonic transceiver (not shown) is installed in the center of the holder (37), and the upper limit of the movement of the probe (39) is located inside the frame (1). Detection means (40) such as a limit switch that detects the position (pl) - lower limit movement position (P2), (4
1) is provided.

This device connects the pipe to be inspected (P) to the frame (1) of the device.
A pair of upper and lower rollers (14), (1
5) and (14a) and (15a). Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper clamp shaft (6) and roller holder (11) are closed, and the protruding pivot shaft (13) is closed.
) with the engaging part (lO) of the hook plate (8),
If you do the same on the lower side, the upper and lower pressure receiving rollers (13),
(13a) comes into contact with the pipe to be tested (P). In this state, there are three rollers at the top and three at the bottom of the device.
Since the pipe to be inspected is clamped at the points, the device is securely fixed in a predetermined position without falling off due to its own weight.

When the circumferential drive motor (19) and probe drive motor (20) are operated in this way, the timing belt (
34) moves upward in the axial direction, the probe holder (37) fixed to it also moves with it, and the probe (39) transmits and receives ultrasonic waves while reaching its upper limit movement position (P ). At this time, the detection means (40) detects this, the probe drive motor (20) stops, and the rotation of the circumferential drive motor (19) causes the pair of upper and lower rollers to move through each gear. It rotates by a predetermined pitch in a predetermined circumferential direction.

Thereafter, the timing belt (34) moves downward, and the probe holder (37) fixed to it, and thus the probe (39), also moves to its lower limit movement position (P) while transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves. , When the detection means (41) detects this, a similar operation is performed, and this is repeated thereafter.

Figure 7 shows the movement path of this probe (39).
The probe (39) measures the length (
m) and the pitch length (n) of movement in the circumferential direction can be set arbitrarily.

In addition, to remove this device, the protruding pivot shaft (13
) Remove the engaging part (1o) of the hook plate (8).

All you have to do is open the clamp shaft (6) and roller holder (11).

Figure 8 shows the clamp shaft (6) and roller holder (11).
In this embodiment, a plurality of pressure receiving rollers (42) are detachably connected to each other, and in this case, the pressure receiving rollers (42) are connected in accordance with the diameter of the pipe to be inspected.

This device can be attached to pipes of different diameters for inspection.

〔effect〕

As described above, according to one aspect of the present invention, a pair of rollers that contact the pipe to be tested and rotate in the same direction are provided above and below the frame, and a pressure roller that contacts the pipe to be tested and faces the pair of rollers is provided as described above. Since it is provided on the frame so that it can be opened, closed, and fixed, the entire device can be reliably fixed and fixed at a predetermined position on the pipe to be inspected by being clamped at three points by the three rollers on the upper and lower sides. In addition, the installation process can be simplified by simply closing and engaging the clamp shaft and roller holder to the pipe under test, and the device can be made lighter because it does not require a fixing part like conventional ones. There is an effect that can be done.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of this device, Fig. 2 is a partially cutaway front view, Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view of Fig. 1 A-A@, and Fig. 4 is the same B -B4! 5 is a sectional view taken along the line C-C, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the device in use, FIG. 7 is a diagram of the motion path of the probe, and FIG. 8 is a diagram of another example. It is a schematic diagram of the main part. 1...Frame, 2...Roller frame,
Work 3, 13a...Pressure roller, 14 r 15 + 14 a r 15 a
...Pair of rollers, 16.17...Shaft, 19...Roller drive motor. 20... Timing belt drive motor, 34...
Timing belt. 37... Holder 39... Probe. 40.41...detection means, 42...pressure receiving roller.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A pair of rollers that contact the pipe to be inspected at the top and bottom of the frame and rotate in the same direction, and a roller that is attached to the frame so as to be openable and closable and can be fixed at a position opposite to the pair of rollers and in contact with the pipe to be inspected. a pressure-receiving roller, a probe installed in a holder that is inserted into a longitudinal shaft in the frame and moves in synchronization with the timing belt,
It has a pair of roller drive motors, a timing belt drive motor, and means for detecting the upper and lower limit positions of the probe, and the pipe to be inspected is sandwiched between three rollers each on the upper and lower rollers. The ultrasonic probe is characterized in that the probe is moved in the longitudinal direction and then the pair of rollers are rotated in the circumferential direction at a predetermined pitch to move the probe, and this is repeated thereafter. Automatic driving device. (2) The automatic traveling device for an ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said pressure receiving rollers are attached corresponding to the diameter of the pipe to be inspected.