Flaw Patents (Class 346/33F)
  • Patent number: 5825404
    Abstract: A flaw recovering apparatus for an optical recording medium comprising a liquid tank for applying refractive index matching liquid onto a recording surface of an optical card to form a refractive index matching liquid layer, a liquid applying roller, a film cassette for forming a transparent film layer on the index matching layer, and a film adhering roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Osamu Konno
  • Patent number: 5455605
    Abstract: Inker apparatus includes an ink reservoir and a chamber communicating with the reservoir and in which chamber there is a piston movable against a spring bias. The chamber in which the piston is disposed is in turn connected to a needle through which ink is delivered. A solenoid is adjacent to the reservoir and chamber and is actuated in response to the finding of a defective die under test. The piston moves along with the reservoir and the chamber, and continues to move by inertia or kinetic energy after the reservoir and chamber have ceased their movement. The continued movement of the piston causes the displacement of ink from the chamber and from a hollow needle extending from the chamber and which in turn results in ink being placed on the defective die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Inventors: Donald G. David, Jr., John A. Garrett
  • Patent number: 5043663
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the extent of defects in tubular elements for use in an oil or gas well is disclosed. The apparatus includes an electromagnetic or other suitable inspection device, cooperating with longitudinal and circumferential position detectors for determining the position and configuration of all defects within a tubular member. Signal generating means are provided for producing signals corresponding to the configuration, longitudinal position, and circumferential position of the defects located within the wall of the tubular member. The signals are processed, preferably by a computer, so that the presence, nature, and precise location of each defect is determined and visually displayed at a suitable display means. Display means are provided for generating a two-dimensional visual display wherein the circumferential and longitudinal positions of the defects are selectably displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Clive C. Lam
  • Patent number: 5030911
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the extent of defects in tubular elements for use in an oil or gas well is disclosed. The apparatus includes an electromagnetic or other suitable inspection device, cooperating with longitudinal and circumferential position detectors for determining the position and configuration of all defects within a tubular member. Signal generating means are provided for producing signals corresponding to the configuration, longitudinal position, and circumferential position of the defects located within the wall of the tubular member. The signals are processed, preferably by a computer, so that the presence, nature, and precise location of each defect is determined and visually displayed at a suitable display means. Display means are provided for generating a two-dimensional visual display wherein the circumferential and longitudinal positions of the defects are selectably displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Clive C. Lam
  • Patent number: 4808926
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for monitoring a rod mill and flexible wire drawn and annealed from a stiff coil of rod in the rod mill are disclosed. The fault signals provided by an eddy-current tester are counted on a per unit time basis in order to permit the detection of rod mill problems before serious deterioration of the mill occurs. This is accomplished by direct observation of an increasing rate of fault signal occurrence. A totalized fault signal count is also provided to aid in detecting low quality wire. This is accomplished by direct observation of uniformly high levels of fault signals. A control function is disclosed whereby the rod mill is shutdown in the presence of a high rate of increase in fault signal occurrences. A "change coil" message may be sent upon detecting uniformly high levels of faults. Fault signals are stored and identified for purposes of traceability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: Essex Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Randall C. Graham, James D. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4799168
    Abstract: A multi-channel ultrasonic inspection system includes an ultrasonic inspection unit which generates ultrasonic inspection pulses, supplies the pulses to a part being inspected, produces an output signal proportional to the level of echo pulses received within a predetermined gate time window following generation of the inspection pulses, and generates an alarm signal whenever the output signal exceeds a predetermined gate level. The system also includes data recording apparatus having a microcomputer, a mathematics processor chip, a control panel, and a printer. A gate reference level for each channel is stored by the microcomputer by pressing a channel button on the control panel, supplying inspection pulses to a workpiece having a standard defect, and adjusting the gain or gate level of the ultrasonic inspection unit until an alarm signal is generated. The operator then presses a START button which causes the reference levels to be printed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1989
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Dennis P. Sarr
  • Patent number: 4731136
    Abstract: The present process allows recycling used tires which are at present considered to be no longer suitable for restructuring according to known processes.According to the invention a preliminary control is carried out, also by scanning by means of a laser, to assess the seriousness of the internal ruptures and deformations due to impacts or other causes, discarding tires which are too damaged, while the thread and the metallic belts of the remaining tires which can be used are removed therefrom by scraping, the entire tire assembly being reconstructed, by vulcanizing before mounting the tread, and checking again with the laser to detect bubbles or other defects correcting the defects, obtaining a perfect assembly (FIG. 25) on which the tread which is vulcanized again, is lastly mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1988
    Assignee: T.R.S. Tyres Recycling System S.A.
    Inventor: Leandro Risi
  • Patent number: 4700564
    Abstract: The invention relates to the location of singular points in the automatic control of railway tracks. According to a possible embodiment, the railway carriage (11) carrying the control equipments is provided with radar antennas (25a, 25b) orientated to detect catenary posts (13) and more particularly their registration arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1987
    Assignees: Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer Francais, Matix-Industries
    Inventors: Bernard Prasil, Jean-Pierre Turbe
  • Patent number: 4390885
    Abstract: An apparatus having a reservoir for enclosing a fluid and a valve for selectively applying gas under pressure to said reservoir and venting said reservoir to the ambient air. A controller supplies a pulse of predetermined duration selected from a plurality of durations to actuate the valve to apply the gas under pressure to the reservoir for expelling a predetermined amount of ink therefrom through a tube by compensation for dynamic effects. The ink is transferred from one end of the tube to a selected item of a sheet of items by moving the end of the tube closely adjacent to the sheet while the ink is being expelled from the reservoir and through the tube for transfer to the individual item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1983
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gautam N. Shah, Michael R. Brown, Edward C. Lee, Gerald C. Hook, Robert L. Wand, Charles R. Ratliff, Virge W. McClure
  • Patent number: 4258573
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for in line ultrasonic inspection of linearly extending brazed composite workpiece including a linearly extending bonded region, traveling linearly at a given speed. A source of ultrasonic signals is focussed on the workpiece and is reciprocated in the plane of the workpiece in a sweep transverse to the direction of workpiece travel, the sweep being at least commensurate with the width of the bonded region. The signals reflected from the workpiece are received and processed to derive control signals, which are input to a marker. The marker is reciprocated in phase with the reciprocation of the signal source. A linearly extending record medium is moved past the marker transversely to the reciprocation of the marker at a speed not greater than one-half the workpiece speed, whereby the marker traces successive generally parallel strokes against said record medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1981
    Assignee: Checon Corporation
    Inventor: Gerard O. Fontaine
  • Patent number: 4172379
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically adjusting the gain of an ultrasonic device for inspecting a pipeline for leaks. The ultrasonic device is designed to pass through the interior of a pipeline and record noise produced by fluids leaking from the pipeline. The response of the device is adjusted automatically by controlling the gain of the amplification in response to the strength of a signal received from an ultrasonic generator positioned outside the pipeline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1979
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Alfred VAN Tilburg, Robert C. Lohman
  • Patent number: 4155098
    Abstract: Groove depth estimation apparatus provides an incident light beam which illuminates the surface of a grooved disc with a light spot that spans a plurality of convolutions of the groove. The structure of the groove convolutions serves as a diffraction grating which reflects the incident light beam into a plurality of diverging beams of light. A photodetector provides measurements of the light power in the respective reflected beams. Calculator circuits are provided for deriving from the photodetector measurements estimation of the average groove depth in the region illuminated by the light spot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1979
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventors: William R. Roach, Istvan Gorog
  • Patent number: 4144536
    Abstract: A inker network for use with a tester and a probing machine for marking semiconductor wafers and including a delay circuit for receiving clocking pulses and a first ink command pulse from the tester and for generating a delayed ink command pulse which is delayed an integer number of clock pulses, a direction detector for receiving first and second transport signals from the probing machine and for generating first and second direction signals dependent on the direction the wafer is being transported, and a steering circuit responsive to the delayed pulse in one mode and for generating a double pulse of adjustment width and amplitude on first or second output lines in response to the first and second direction signals, respectively, and in a second mode for generating the double pulse of adjustment width and amplitude on the first or second or both of the output lines in response to the first or second ink command pulse from the tester or both pulses simultaneously, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1979
    Assignee: Probe-Rite, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank J. Ardezzone, Arthur P. Verhoeven
  • Patent number: 4069484
    Abstract: High speed writing apparatus, for mapping 1:1 polar plots of disc record defect locations on disc-shaped electrosensitive paper, accepts electrical signals representing defect occurrences from a defect detector which scans the disc record surface in a spiral scanning pattern. These signals activate a high voltage switch circuit that produces an electric current between an electric writing pen stylus and a conducting surface of a turntable of the printing apparatus upon which the disc shaped electrosensitive paper is mounted. Relative motion is established between the turntable and the writing pen in a manner causing markings resulting from pen activations to be located on the electrosensitive paper with radial and circumferential positions corresponding to the locations of the defects appearing on the disc record, thereby generating 1:1 polar plots of the defect locations on the paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1978
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventors: Arthur Herbert Firester, Joseph Paul Walentine
  • Patent number: 3977008
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for detecting and recording the number of phenomena, for instance of defects of a product continuously manufactured, wherein a graphic record is made on a recording tape in a direction transverse to the advancing direction of said recording tape and at a length corresponding to the sum of unit steps of which the number is equal to the number of phenomena occurring during a measuring or counting period, a fixed limited number of unit steps being executed and thereby a record of a fixed length produced upon failure of detecting means for said phenomena.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1974
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1976
    Assignee: Zumbach Electronic-Automatic
    Inventor: Paul Bommer
  • Patent number: 3967194
    Abstract: A magnetic flux leakage method and apparatus for inspecting magnetizable test objects such as pipelines are disclosed. Magnetic diodes are connected to give temperature-independent readings of flux leakage and are spaced apart according to the size of the flaws sought to be detected. Groups of diodes are overlapped to provide complete coverage of the area sought to be inspected. Certain of the largest signals received at any one time from the groups of diodes are transmitted to recording means to reduce the number of signals recorded. Diode signals are subtracted from each other to determine relative differences in detected fluxes. For inspecting pipelines, the diodes and magnets are mounted on the apparatus by mounting assemblies which pivot about three axes and the diodes and magnets are urged yieldingly toward the pipeline wall by members formed of open cell foam polyurethane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1976
    Assignee: Vetco Offshore Industries
    Inventors: Ruby C. Beaver, Theodor Clasen, Wolfgang Henning, Emil S. Johnson
  • Patent number: 3943527
    Abstract: A noncontacting marking apparatus for ejecting, upon receipt of a control signal, a drop of marking liquid for marking purposes. The amount of marking liquid is controllable. A tube couples the ejection point of the marker to a source of vacuum for removing excess liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1975
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1976
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventor: John Charles Hartmann