US2030244A - Caliper - Google Patents

Description

Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CALIPER Albert B. Cox, Wilmington, Calif., assignor to Shell Development Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application September 28, 1929, Serial No. 395,974

9 Claims. (01. 33 -178) My invention relates to those means, usually for indicating'the result of the determination at' termed,ca1ipers, which are useful for determina distance from the tube.

ing the size of a body. More particularly my in- My invention possesses other advantageous feavention relates to means for determination of the tures some of which with the foregoing will be set extent of a diameter of a body such as a relativeforltlhlzlit letrllgth in Eh; ftfilizwfing desfcfiption wltiere 5 1y long tub'e. My invention has been particularly I s a ou ine in u a orm o e mven ion employed in determining the internal diameter which I have selected for illustration in the drawof tubes used in a tube still in cracking oil and g a c pa y ng and forming part Of the I shall describe it in this connection. present specification. In the drawing I have As is known in the oil refining art, the oil to be h wn ne form of device emb dying my inv n- 10 processed is introduced into a series of relatively tion, but it is g: be understood.1 that I dto not limit long tubes suitably joined together to .form myself to sue form, since t e inven ion as se a. tortuous conduit of relatively great length. forth n the Cl y be embedied in the D Throughout a substantial portion of this conduit ty Of Other f ms. g

the'oil is subjected, under considerable pressure, In the d w o W h I ave d efe l5 to relatively intense heat from a furnace. Under ence: g the working conditions, with the high heat and Fig- 1 1s a schematic View of a device embo ytemperatures on one side of the tube and the mg y {nventwn h p r n pressure of the oil on the other side, together 2 s a pl n v w of a ahp s d c 0 with the reacting components contained in the p ye oil, the tubes are subjected to, what is generally t 3 P V th DOTtIOHS f t e c l conceded to be, relatively severe service. In pracp r s d v u way t ll u trat a matter of tice the tubes havea tendency to swell or to be eenetruet'itm- I eroded away at rta points due t erosion, Flg. 4 is an end elevation of the device illuschemical action or forother reasons. It is of t h v f course readily appreciated that, the failure, under ig. 5 s a sect on along the 0f Fl operating conditions, of a tube with the conse- IS a 'Seetwn along h e quent releasing of the pressure and of the cony l l y be t f fiy f t ii as tained oil into the furnace is a serious matter. comprising 8 Provision 0 means C ling Accordingly all precautions are usuallyexercised the indication of an g l l t g 30 which are possible to avoid such an occurrence means being actuated y 0t means a al e and, in this connection, the furnaces are shut to engage the Surfaces f a b y to b ea pe d. down periodically and the tubes examined. How- I have f nd a I c n suc ss ul cahper t e ever, before an inspector can inspect the tubes inside of a e l s tu e by e p oy n ns the furnace and still must be cooled off, otherwise engaging tfihe sulrfacgls oithe tube in colmbiinfiai- 5 the man is subjected to very disagreeable and i011 Wi eX elna in mg meenS- I1 5 harmful conditions. Heretofore, also, the inconnection I v sucgessfully employed ispector has been compelled to confine his 010- :2 e z i C ib ate? S0 tlllgtfillgn a variatilon1 irdl servations substantially to those tubes which 8 8 86 r cal circui in w a o u e 40 could be visually inspected f om the outside an indication is given which can be readily interasmuch as there has been no known instrument f' to f h extent of the 511F909 with available for calipering the inside diameter of f the calmer 1S m Contact In thls P l the tubes throughout their length. In this connon I have successfuny employed as an mdlca' nection is to be pointed out that the tubes are a e r i i pifi in usually several feet in length, in some instances a y energlze e i 0 mm t amme-er extending for len ths from 5 to 30 feet is conveniently cailbrated so that direct read- It i an t t ings can be secured giving the inside diameter or 1 f c my 0 any variations therein 01 a tube. To control the v f p cahpenng the mslde indicating means in accordance with the tube ameter of rekfmvely e size and with variations therein, I haveemployed P of my f f t the control means indicated generally at l2 which g tg gi 1S Capable gidleatlng at a 5- is electrically connected thru conduit l3 to the time e mensiens Of a b Y- indicator. The control means I2 is adapted to A further object of my invention is to provide be inserted into a tube and to accommodate itself means for determining the inside of a'tube and to the extent of the tube so that a control and 55 variation of the indicator is effected corresponding to the dimensions of the tube.

The control means for the indicator has preferably been provided by forming suitable tube engaging means for connection to a handle M which is useful for inserting the aforementioned means into the tube and for retaining it in a predtermined position relative to the tube. The handle is conveniently joined to a hollow member I6 as by welding. The member I6 is conveniently provided with an aperture II to receive the conduit l3 and to permit its insertion and passage thru the handle.

To secure the tube engaging means I preferably position spider 2| between the member l6 and extension member 22. Conveniently the extension member is adapted to be screwed into the hollow member I; by threads 23 so that the spider is positively secured in position. A second spider 26 is conveniently secured at the other end of the extension member 22 by threadedly securing a member 21 having a boss 28 to the extension.

Means are provided upon each of these spiders for engaging the tube. Thus, I provide arouately formed arms 29 pivotally mounted upon each spider arm 3| by pins 32. I preferably provide a plurality of the arms upon each of the spider arms and adjacent each other so that a roller 33 is conveniently rotatably mounted between them. To ensure that the arms are maintained apart a sufficient distance so that an easy turning of the rollers is possible, I provide spacers 34 which are secured between the respective arms by bolts 36. I

For reasons which will presently appear '1 form extensions 4| on each of the arms 29 in such a manner that the extensions are adapted to be abutted by sliding members 42 carried on the extending member 22. rollers 33 with the surface of the tube the extensions 41 will be moved with respect to the spider arms 3| so that the sliding members 42 are slid along the extension 22. To urge the rollers 33 into engagement with the surfaces of the tubes I preferably position a. spring 43 between the sliding members 42 and about the extension 22 so that the sliding members are biased and are urged apart. It is believed to be apparent that, in this manner, the several tube contacting means are constantly urged into full and close engagement with the surfaces of the tube.

In conjunction with the tube contacting means I preferably providemeans for controlling the indicator l I in accordance with variations occurring in the contacting means. Preferably, I accomplish this by continuing arms 29 to form ends 5|. of the opposite arms so that a swelling of the tube along substantially only one diameter is indicated. It is of course apparent that modifications may be readily made toenable indications to be secured simultaneously along another or several diameters of the tube. I will term the arms 29 having the ends 5| as feelers to distinguish them from the arms 29 without the end addition which latter I will term guides.

Pivotally joined to each of the ends 5| are fingers 52. A shaft 53, which is carried by the hollow extension 21, has a yoke 54 formed at one end. This yoke is adapted to receive the fingers 52 and to be movably joined to them by pins 56.

The shaft 53 preferably extends thru into a channel 51 formed in the member 22. A usually Upon a contacting of the This has preferably been done with only two' 53 and carries a spring 59. The spring is provided to abut against the member 21 while a nut 6| provided on the end of the shaft, serves to adjust the tension of the spring. Upon a movement of the ends of the feelers to which the fingers are joined the fingers retractably urge the shaft into or out of the member 21. The fingers are so arranged that this movement corresponds substantially with the movement of the feelers. However, I prefer that the relationship of the fingers to the feelers be such that a considerable magnification is effected of the movement of the rollers'when this movement is transmitted by the fingers to the shaft 53.

I preferably utilize the movement of the shaft 53 to furnish a control for the exteriorly provided indicating means. This I have effected by forming a rack H along the shaft and by providing a gear 12 rotatably within the member 21 so that it contacts with the rack and is rotated upon movement thereof. A stub shaft 13 extends thru the member 21 and is rotatable therein to carry the gear 12. This shaft I utilize to vary the position of a contact arm (not shown) provided on the shaft with respect to a resistance element 16 formed on a base 14. The resistance 18 and the rotatable contacting.arms are provided in the circuit of the indicating means, so that a suitable variation is made of the resistance in the circuit in accordance with the movement of the tube engaging means.

With the indicating means suitably calibrated the calipering device is suitably inserted for calipering into a tube 8|. Preferably the calipering means is introduced by means of a tube 82 which conforms substantially to the dimensions of the tube to be calipered. This materially facilitates the introduction of the calipering means. Upon acontacting of the caliper ng means with a swelling in the tubes as is indicated at 83 in Fig. 1 the feelers will be urged out into contacting with the swelling surfaces and will, accordingly, as I have previously set forth, vary the circuit controlling means. This variation will be indicated on the indicating means. In accordance with the calibration of the indicating means the extent of the variation and of the swelling in the tube can be determined. The flexible handle I 4 is preferably of such a length that the calipering device can be extended into the tube and manipulated throughout its length.

-I claim:

1.'In a calipering device for detecting and measuring variations in the inside diameter of a relatively long cylindrical tube, the combination of an elongated member adapted for longitudinal movement within the tube, spring-expanded bell crank-shaped feelers mounted at one end and spring expanded guides mounted at both ends of the said member for continuously centering same in the tube, contact rollers mounted on the feelers at a distance from the outer ends thereof, link connections between said ends of the feelers allowing radial expansion thereof, and an indicating means cooperating with said link connections for measuring the radial movement of the feelers.

2. In a calipering device for detecting and measuring variations in the inside diameter of a relatively long cylindrical tube, a combination of an elongated member adapted for longitudinal movement within the tube, spring-expanded bell crank-shaped feelers mounted at one end and spring expanded guides mounted at both ends of respectto the pair of opposed guide'arms, and

said member for continuously centering same in the tube, contact rollers mounted on the feelers at a distance from the outer end thereof, link connections between said ends of the feelers allowing radial expansion thereof, a spring means operating to maintain said link connections under tension, and an indicating means cooperating with said link connections for measuring the radial movement 'of the feelers.

3. In a calipering device of the type described, an elongated member, a pair of opposed radially expansible guide arms mounted on said member and adapted to engage the inner walls of the tube, resilient means urging said opposed members against the inner wall of said tube, a pair of radially opposed feelers on said member circumferentially staggered with respect to the guide members and adapted to engage the inner wall of said tube, said resilient means also being connected to said feelers for pressing same against said wall, and means for indicating the radial movement of said feelers.

4. A calipering device comprising a hollow elongated member, means on said member to center it in a tube, a plunger slidably mounted in said member, resilient means arranged to urge said plunger in one direction, at least one feeler arm pivoted on said member and adapted to engage the inner wall of the tube by outward angular movement of said feeler arm about its pivot, a link pivotally connected to said feeler and to said plu ger and arranged to move the plunger in opposition to the action of said resilient means when the feeler is moved inwardly, said links continuously translating the tension of the resilient means to the feelers to press them against the walls of the tube and means to indicate the movement of said plunger.

5. A calipering device comprising an elongated member, means on said member to center it in a tube, an axial recess in said member, an axially movable plunger in said recess, spring means arranged to urge said plunger in one direction, a plurality of feeler arms pivoted on said member and adapted to engagethe inner walls of said tube by outward angular movement of said feeler arms about their pivots, a link for each feeler arm pivotally connected to its feeler arm and to said plunger andarranged to move the plunger in opposition to the action of said spring means when its feeler arm is moved inwardly, said links continuously translating the tension of the spring means to the feelers to press them against the walls of the tube, and means to in dicate the movement of said plunger.

6. A calipering device comprising an elongated member, means at a first end of said member to center said end in a tube being calipered, a pair of radially opposed guide arms at the second end of said member arranged to center the latter end of said member in the tube, an axial recess in said member, an axially movable plunger in said recess, spring means arranged to urge said plunger in one direction, a pair of radially opposed feeler arms pivoted on said member at its second end, circumferentially staggered with adapted to engage the inner walls of said tube by outward angular movement of said feeler arms about their pivots, a link for each feeler arm pivotally connected to its feeler arm and to said plunger arm arranged to move the plunger in opposition to the action of said spring means when its feeler arm is moved inwardly, said links continuously translating the tension of the spring means to the feelers to press them against the walls of the tube, and means to indicate the movement of said plunger. I

7. In a calipering device having an elongated member, radially movable feeler means on said member and means to indicate the radial movement of said feeler means, the combination of a plurality of circumferentially spaced guide arms pivotally mounted at each end of said member adapted to engage the inner wall of a tube and to center the said member in said tube, a collar at .each end of said member arranged and constructed to move the guide arms at its end outwardly by engagement with said guide arms, and common spring means on said member arranged to press both said collars into engagement with the guide'arms, whereby the force of said spring will move the guide arms outwardly.

8. In a calipering device for detecting and measuring variations in the inside diameter of a relatively long cylindrical tube, the combination of an elongated member adapted for longitudinal movement within the tube, spring-expanded feelers mounted at one end and spring expanded guides pivotally mounted at both ends of said member for continuously centering the same in the tube, a slidable plunger axially mounted within said member, link connections between said plunger and the outward ends of the feelers adapted to move the plunger axially in one direction when the feelers move outwardly, and to move the plunger in the opposite direction when the feelers move inwardly, and indicating means cooperating with said plunger and said link connections for measuring the radial movement of the feelers.

9. In a calipering device for detecting and measuring variations in the inside diameter 0! a relatively long cylindrical tube, the combination of an elongated member adapted for longitudinal movement within the tube, spring-expanded feelers mounted at one end and spring expanded guides pivotally mounted at both ends of said member for continuously centering the same in the tube, a slidable plunger provided with a rack mounted within said member, link connections between said plunger and the outward ends of the feelers adapted to move the plunger axially in one direction when the feelers move outwardly, and to move the plunger in the opposite direction when the feelers move inwardly, a pinion mounted Within said member and engaging said rack, and indicating means cooperating with said pinion to register the amount of axial movement of the rack caused by radial expansion of the feelers.

ALBERT B. COX.

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