Abstract: An apparatus for acoustically coupling an ultrasonic transducer with a body along whose surface waves are to be transmitted includes a wedge having a first surface for acoustically contacting a subject surface area of a body to be measured, on which surface waves are to be transmitted, and a second surface for accoustically contacting an ultrasonic transducer. The wedge includes a cylinder in which the second surface is present and which is movably disposed in a recess in a block in which the first surface is present, for orienting the first surface and the second surface relative to each other so that ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasonic transducer generate surface waves which travel on the subject surface area of the body when the ultrasonic transducer is in acoustic contact with the second surface and the first surface is in acoustic contact with the subject surface area of the body.

Abstract: An ultrasonic linear measurement system uses the travel time of surface waves along the perimeter of a three-dimensional curvilinear body to determine the perimeter of the curvilinear body. The system can also be used piece-wise to measure distances along plane surfaces. The system can be used to measure perimeters where use of laser light, optical means or steel tape would be extremely difficult, time consuming or impossible. It can also be used to determine discontinuities in surfaces of known perimeter or dimension.