The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 14, 2019
Filed:
Sep. 29, 2015
The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US);
William P. Motzer, Seattle, WA (US);
James C. Kennedy, Renton, WA (US);
Steven Ray Walton, Wilkeson, WA (US);
James J. Troy, Issaquah, WA (US);
The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
Method and apparatus for enabling ultrasonic inspection of a changing, insufficiently defined or unknown shape (e.g., a variable radius or a noncircular radius caused by the use of soft tooling) at a rate that meets production requirements. The apparatus comprises a linear ultrasonic array (i.e., sensor) incorporated in a toppler, which in turn is slidably supported by an oscillating sensor mechanism carried by a traveling trailer vehicle. As a result of this arrangement, the sensor can undergo a back-and-forth sweeping motion coupled with motion along the spar radius. The sensor is further able to displace radially relative to a sweep pivot axis and rotate (hereinafter 'topple') about a topple pivot axis. In this manner, the orientation of the sensor can adjust to the contour of the inspected surface as the sensor scans.