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Title: Extendable pipe crawler

Abstract

A pipe crawler is described having a front leg assembly and a back leg assembly connected together by two air cylinders, each leg assembly having four extendable legs and a pair of actuators for sliding the extendable legs radially outward to increase the range of the legs when the pipe crawler enters a section of a pipe having a larger diameter. The crawler crawls by inchworm'-like motion, the front leg assembly and back leg assembly alternately engaging and disengaging the wall of the pipe to hold the pipe crawler as the air cylinders alternately advance the front leg assembly and bring up the rear leg assembly. The pair of actuators of each leg assembly are parallel, adjacent and opposing acting so that each slides two adjacent extendable legs radially outward. 5 figures.

Inventors:
Issue Date:
OSTI Identifier:
7275502
Patent Number(s):
5018451
Application Number:
PPN: US 7-461591
Assignee:
Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC09-76SR00001
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 5 Jan 1990
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; PIPELINES; INSPECTION; ROBOTS; DESIGN; OPERATION; PNEUMATICS; FLUID MECHANICS; MECHANICS; 420205* - Engineering- Transport & Storage Facilities- (1980-)

Citation Formats

Hapstack, M. Extendable pipe crawler. United States: N. p., 1991. Web.
Hapstack, M. Extendable pipe crawler. United States.
Hapstack, M. Tue . "Extendable pipe crawler". United States.
@article{osti_7275502,
title = {Extendable pipe crawler},
author = {Hapstack, M},
abstractNote = {A pipe crawler is described having a front leg assembly and a back leg assembly connected together by two air cylinders, each leg assembly having four extendable legs and a pair of actuators for sliding the extendable legs radially outward to increase the range of the legs when the pipe crawler enters a section of a pipe having a larger diameter. The crawler crawls by inchworm'-like motion, the front leg assembly and back leg assembly alternately engaging and disengaging the wall of the pipe to hold the pipe crawler as the air cylinders alternately advance the front leg assembly and bring up the rear leg assembly. The pair of actuators of each leg assembly are parallel, adjacent and opposing acting so that each slides two adjacent extendable legs radially outward. 5 figures.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 28 00:00:00 EDT 1991},
month = {Tue May 28 00:00:00 EDT 1991}
}

Patent:
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