Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Self-righting, two-wheel pipe crawler
- Patent Title (中): 自动对位,两轮管道履带
-
Application No.: US12569995Application Date: 2009-09-30
-
Publication No.: US08205559B2Publication Date: 2012-06-26
- Inventor: James Louis
- Applicant: James Louis
- Applicant Address: US IL Des Plaines
- Assignee: Gas Technology Institute
- Current Assignee: Gas Technology Institute
- Current Assignee Address: US IL Des Plaines
- Agent Mark E. Fejer
- Main IPC: B61B13/00
- IPC: B61B13/00

Abstract:
An apparatus for transporting a payload along the inside of a substantially horizontal pipe, which apparatus includes a pair of spaced apart, vertically aligned, relationally pivotably connected, rollable pipe tracking contactors, wherein pivoting of one of the pipe tracking contactors in a first direction results in pivoting of the other pipe tracking contactor in a direction opposite to the first direction. The apparatus further includes a control system which is used to maintain the vertical alignment of the pipe tracking contactors and which includes a two-dimensional tilt sensor that provides information to a controller regarding the orientation of the apparatus. Using the information from the sensor, the controller is able to correct both the lateral position and the speed of the contactors to bring the apparatus back into vertical alignment.
Public/Granted literature
- US20110073001A1 SELF-RIGHTING, TWO-WHEEL PIPE CRAWLER Public/Granted day:2011-03-31
Information query