Patent ID: 8020460

Claim:
An in-line inspection tool for inspecting a pipeline while traveling therethrough, the in-line inspection tool comprising: a plurality of sensors, each sensor thereof comprising a magnetic flux sensor; a plurality of sensor housings, each sensor housing thereof being substantially rigid, comprising a first end and a second end spaced from the first end, and containing a single row of sensors of the plurality of sensors; a structure comprising a central axis and a plurality of sensor mounts distributed circumferentially about the central axis; the structure, wherein each sensor mount of the plurality of sensor mounts supports a different sensor housing of the plurality of sensor housings; and the structure, wherein the plurality of sensor mounts supports the plurality of sensor housings such that the first end of each sensor housing of the plurality of sensor housings circumferentially overlaps, and is located axially behind, the second end of an adjacent sensor housing of the plurality of sensor housings, and each sensor housing of the plurality of sensor housings is permitted to pivot about a different radial axis intersecting perpendicularly with the central axis.