Patent GB-1507272-A (GB)
Title: Device for non-destructive testing of rolled steel plate and the like
IPC: G01N29/265
Filed: 1976-02-10
Abstract: 1507272 Detecting flaws ultrasonically GRANGES OXELOSUNDS JARNVERK AB 10 Feb 1976 [13 Feb 1975] 05235/76 Heading GIG  A device for the non-destructive detecting of flaws in a rolled steel plate 10 comprises a carriage 80 moveable relative to the plate 10 and having attached thereto by connecting links at least one ultrasonic test head 1-5, supported by a holder, 105 and which is tiltable about two mutually perpendicular axes 40, 42, the connecting links for each test head holder comprising an elevating means 6 and a separate grinding means 8 arranged to raise and lower the test head holder at right angles to the surface of the plate 10, the elevating means and guiding means being coupled to the holder by pivotal joints 41, 38 having a common axis constituting one of said two tilting axes 40. As shown, the carriage consists of a frame 80 mounted on three wheels (94, 98 only shown in Fig. 3), two of the wheels being guided on a rail 92. The frame has a cross beam 82 on which is mounted a supporting carriage 60 which pivotally supports an arm 70 on which is mounted five test heads 1-5, As shown in Fig. 1, the elevating means of each test head consists of a piston 134 attached to the test head holder 105 by pivotal joint 41 and a cylinder 136 attached to the arm 70. The pistoncylinder arrangement may be single-acting in which case the test head rests on the plate under gravity, with or without the aid of counterbalancing, or the piston-cylinder arrangement is double-acting. Alternatively the test head is urged against the plate by a piston-cylinder arrangement against the force of a spring. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the guiding means of each test head consists of a pair of toggle levers 16, 18, the upper ends being pivoted on arm 70 and having intermeshing gear wheels 30, 32 and the lower ends being connected to the common pivotal joint 38. Each test head consists of an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving probe 20-28 mounted on a support 100 by means of a screw threaded cap 102 a flange 110 on the probe, a spring 114 and a lock nut 116; the support 100 being pivotally mounted on the holder 105 by joints 43, 45 forming the other of said tilting axes, 42. A sealing ring 106 seals the interior of the support 100 so that water can be introduced as a coupling medium via bore 118. Sliding pads 104 are also provided.  In a preferred embodiment, Figs. 4 and 5 (not shown), the test head 1 is replaced by a test head consisting of five probes arranged such that their scanning paths are slightly offset relative to each other enabling a precision test of the area under these five probes.  In one mode of operation, a rectangular plate is tested by first connecting the five probes of the test head 1 to arecording instrument and scanning the edges of the plate by starting at one corner, driving the carriage 80 by a motor or manually so that the probes scan one edge of the plate, rotating the arm 70 through 90 degrees and driving the carriage 60, by a motor or manually, so that the probes scan a second edge of the plate, again rotating the arm 70 through 90 degrees and driving the carriage 80 so that the third edge is scanned and finally again rotating the arm through 90 degrees and driving the carriage 60 so that the fourth edge is scanned. Then the centre probe of the head 1 and the other probes 2, 3, 4 and 5 are connected to'the recording instrument and the plate is scanned in longitudinal strips by driving the carriage 80 the whole length of the plate, then driving the carriage 60 to a new position along bar 82 and again driving the carriage the whole length of the plate and so on until the whole plate has been scanned. In another mode of operation, all nine probes are connected to the recording instrument.  The motors may be stepping or servomotors in which case the co-ordinate position of the probes  may be determined to locate the position of flaws. Alternatively measuring'means (e.g. wheel, pulse generator and counter) may be provided on the carriage 60 and 80. Marking means may also be provided.