Patent ID: 6019048
Filing Date: 2000-02-01
Classification: F16L,G01N

Abstract:
An internal manipulator for entry into pipes and for testing and/or conditioning pipe walls, comprising:two carriages disposed remote from one another and defining a system axis therebetween, each of said carriages including rolling bodies and antagonistically acting drives for moving said rolling bodies toward a pipe wall; anda rotary mounting or bogie disposed between said carriages and mounted to said carriages for rotation about the system axis, said rotary mounting including:a holder displaceable along the system axis, said holder having a stellar arrangement of radial arms extending away from the system axis, each one of said radial arms having a pneumatically extendable stop body thereby defining a plurality of stop bodies, said plurality of stop bodies being simultaneously extendable towards the pipe wall;two radial flange plates;a rotary drive disposed between said two radial flange plates for rotating said rotary mounting about the system axis;an axial drive having a servomotor disposed between said two radial flange plates;a screw spindle disposed between said two radial flange plates and cooperating with said servomotor for displacing said holder along the system axis; anda guide rod disposed between said two radial flange plates for guiding said holder along the system axis;said rotary drive, said servomotor, said screw spindle, and said guide rod being disposed parallel to the system axis, disposed approximately equidistant from the system axis, and forming intermediate spaces therebetween, each one of said radial arms extending through one of the intermediate spaces.