Adjustable search shoe for use in nondestructive testing of tubular members

Claim 2

An adjustable search shoe for use in nondestructive testing of tubular members, wherein the search shoe is adapted to slide on, or closely adjacent to, the curved surface of any tubular object having a diameter within a given range of diameters, comprising the combination: an elongated object engaging member made of a thin sheet of springlike nonmagnetic material and having a curved surface to substantially conform to a portion of the curved surface of a tubular object having a diameter within said range; first and second side members extending along substantially the entire length of the object engaging member and joined to said surface at respective opposite edges thereof; said side members extending away from the curved surface in the direction away from a tubular object when the object engaging member is on or adjacent to the object; means for changing the separation between said side members at their ends furthest removed from said curved surface; and said side members having the characteristics of rigid members to act somewhat as lever arms which act about said opposite edges to impart more or less curvature to said curved surface as the separation between the side members is increased or decreased, respectively.

Claim 3

An adjustable search shoe for use in nondestructive testing of tubular members, wherein the search shoe is adapted to slide on, or closely adjacent to, the curved surface of any tubular object having a diameter within a given range of diameters, comprising the combination: an elongated object engaging member maDe of a thin sheet of resilient nonmagnetic material and having a curved surface to substantially conform to a portion of the curved surface of a tubular member having a diameter within said range, said surface being curved across the dimension of the member which is transverse to its direction of elongation; first and second side skirts formed on said member and joining said curved surface at reverse bends along respective edges of the curved surface; curvature adjusting means disposed between said skirts and operable to change the curvature of the curved surface, said adjusting means comprising; a plurality of rigid spacing means extending in a direction parallel to said skirts and disposed adjacent each other between said skirts; each of said spacing means having a first portion in contact with the object engaging member on the reverse side of said curved surface and being held in pivotal contact with each other in their respective first portions by the constraining force applied by said reverse bends acting on the rigid spacing means; means for securing said skirts to the respective outermost ones of said spacing means; and means for varying the separation between the spacing means at their portions thereof farthest removed from said reverse side.

Claim 4

An adjustable search shoe for use in nondestructive testing of tubular members, wherein the search shoe is adapted to slide on, or closely adjacent to, the curved surface of any tubular object having a diameter within a given range of diameters, comprising the combination: an elongated object engaging member maDe of a thin sheet of resilient nonmagnetic material and having a curved surface to substantially conform to a portion of the curved surface of a tubular member having a diameter within said range, said surface being curved across the dimension of the member which is transverse to its direction of elongation; first and second side skirts formed on said member and joining said curved surface at reverse bends along respective edges of the curved surface; curvature adjusting means disposed between said skirts and operable to change the curvature of the curved surface, said adjusting means comprising; a plurality of rigid spacing means extending in a direction parallel to said skirts and disposed adjacent each other between said skirts; each of said spacing means having a first portion in contact with the object engaging member on the reverse side of said curved surface and being held in pivotal contact with each other in their respective first portions by the constraining force applied by said reverse bends acting on the rigid spacing means; means for securing said skirts to the respective outermost ones of said spacing means; and means for varying the separation between the spacing means at their portions thereof farthest removed from said reverse side.

Claim 5

An adjustable search shoe for use in nondestructive testing of tubular members, wherein the search shoe is adapted to slide on, or closely adjacent to, the curved surface of any tubular object having a diameter within a given range of diameters, comprising the combination: an elongated object engaging member made of a thin sheet of resilient nonmagnetic material and having a curved surface to substantially conform to a portion of the curved surface of a tubular member having a diameter within said range, said surface of the object engaging member being curved across the dimension of the member which is transverse to its direction of elongation; first and second side skirts formed on said object engaging member and joining said curved surface at reverse bends along respective edges of the curved surface; curvature adjusting means disposed between said skirts and operable to change the curvature of the curved surface, said adjusting means comprising; A plurality of rigid rectangular bars extending in a direction parallel to said skirts and disposed between said skirts; 2 Each of said bars having a surface in contact with the object engaging member on the reverse side of the curved surface and the adjacent edges of the bars closest said reverse side being in pivotal contact with each other, said edges being restrained from separating from each other by said reverse bends along the edges of the curved surface; means or securing said skirts to respective outermost ones of said bars; wedge means insertable between various ones of the bars at their edges farthest removed from said reverse surface; and means for adjusting the depth of insertion of said wedges between said bars to change the separation between the bars at said farthest edges, whereby the separation of said bars at their farthest edges cause the bars to pivot at their adjacent edges nearest said reverse side, and thereby change the curvature formed by the sides of the bars nearest the reverse side, the change in separation of said bars changing the angle that said skirts make with the curved surface at said reverse bends and imparting a new curvature to the curved surface.

Claim 6

An adjustable search shoe for use in nondestructive testing of tubular members, wherein the search shoe is adapted to slide on, or closely adjacent to, the curved surface of any tubular object having a diameter within a given range of diameters, comprising the combination: an elongated object engaging member made of a thin sheet of resilient nonmagnetic material and having a curved surface to substantially conform to a portion of the curved surface of a tubular member having a diameter within said range, said surface of the object engaging member being curved across the dimension of the member which is transverse to its direction of elongation; first and second side skirts formed on said object engaging member and joining said curved surface at reverse bends along respective edges of the curved surface; curvature adjusting means disposed between said skirts and operable to change the curvature of the curved surface, said adjusting means comprising; A plurality of rigid rectangular bars extending in a direction parallel to said skirts and disposed between said skirts; 2 Each of said bars having a surface in contact with the object engaging member on the reverse side of the curved surface and the adjacent edges of the bars closest said reverse side being in pivotal contact with each other, said edges being restrained from separating from each other by said reverse bends along the edges of the curved surface; means or securing said skirts to respective outermost ones of said bars; wedge means insertable between various ones of the bars at their edges farthest removed from said reverse surface; and means for adjusting the depth of insertion of said wedges between said bars to change the separation between the bars at said farthest edges, whereby the separation of said bars at their farthest edges cause the bars to pivot at their adjacent edges nearest said reverse side, and thereby change the curvature formed by the sides of the bars nearest the reverse side, the change in separation of said bars changing the angle that said skirts make with the curved surface at said reverse bends and imparting a new curvature to the curved surface.

Claim 7

The combination claimed in claim 3 wherein: said outermost bars extend substantially the entire length of said elongated object engaging member.

Claim 8

The combination claimed in claim 4 wherein: the remainder of said bars are shorter in length than the outermost ones and are located along a portion of the length of said object engaging member.

Claim 9

The combination claimed in claim 5 wherein: the rigid bars between the outermost ones are arranged in a plurality of groups that are spaced along saiD elongated object engaging member, and wherein: insertable wedge means are associated with each of said groups.

Claim 10

The combination claimed in claim 3 wherein: said wedge means are inserted between alternate ones of said bars and are supported on respective rigid bars having a cutout portion to permit the insertion of a wedge means therein.

Claim 11

The combination claimed in claim 3 wherein: said object engaging member is formed of a unitary sheet of thin nonmagnetic material and said curved surface and side skirts are formed in said sheet.

Claim 12

The combination claimed in claim 8 and further including: resilient striker means formed at the respective ends of said object engaging member; and said striker means being inclined upwardly away from said curved surface to permit the object engaging member to slide up and over protrusions on the surface of a tubular member being tested.

Claim 13

The combination claimed in claim 3 and further including: a plurality of wear pins extending through selected ones of said rigid bars and through said curved surface of the object engaging member and adapted to maintain said curved surface slightly spaced from the surface of the object being tested; and said wear pins having wear resistant tips adapted to contact the surface of the object being tested.

Claim 14

The combination claimed in claim 3 wherein: said object engaging member is preformed with said side skirts inclined inwardly toward each other, thereby forming the reverse bends along the opposite edges of the curved surface.

Claim 15

The combination claimed in claim 3 and further including: resilient means extending transversely through said rigid bars to prevent said bars from becoming displaced out of transverse position between said side skirts but permitting adjacent bars to pivot toward and away from each other.