US2048407A - Micrometer tube caliper - Google Patents

Description

July 2l, 1936. w. A. PRICE MICROMETER TUBE CALIPER Filed Jan. 24, 1934 n l l l 0 I n.

` INVENTOR.

Jz'/w/c 731166 Patented July 21, 1936 UNITED STATES MICROMETER TUBE CALIPER William A. Price, Toledo, Ohio, assigner to The Standard Oil Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a cor poration of Ohio Application Januaryk24, 1934, Serial No. 708,093

3 Claims.

In the use of constructions involving tubular heating elements, as in chemical industrial applications, oil heating and cracking, steam generation, etc., there has been no way heretofore to determine the changes due to corrosion and abrasion in the tubes. Where operating for instance with tubular heating elements in oilcracking coils, it is known that the walls of the tubes are progressively reduced. from the inside, this action being more or less rapid, depending upon the character of the runs and the character of the stock, etc., and by the best methods of inspection heretofore it has not been possible to always replace a thinned and weakened tube suiciently promptly .to avert blow-outs and res. Some means by which anaccurate check on the tube conditions may be had is therefore of prime importance, both as to attaining the utmost prac tical useful life out of tubing before replacing and also avoiding over-extension of usage and consequent disastrous blow-outs.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the features hereinafter fully described; and pa'rticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting.

forth in detail an illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative however of but oneof the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal central sectional view of an embodiment of the invention, the central portion being broken out on account of space limitations; Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on a staggered plane indicated by line II II, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on a plane indicated by line III-III, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the indicator.

ln its general aspects, the invention contemplates a remote control micrometer having a head adapted to enter a tube to. be measured, projectable meter-elements movable in such head, and a manual remote control head spaced apart from the tube head a considerable distance accommodating to requirements of exploration of tubes of great length, and a connecting means between the tube-entering head and the manual control head whereby the latter may operate the metering elements.

The tube-entering head may `Vary somewhat in its construction, but conveniently may be made up of a cylindrical member 2 bored for the passage of a plunger 3, and having a nose piece or end closure 4, advantageously somewhat tapered,

and a rear closure member 5, the closure members being screw-threadedly eng-aged, and desirably provided further with gasket rings 6 to form 4retract the meter-elements 9 according as its movements are forward or rearward. For the 15 operation of the meter-pin actuator 8, the plunger 3 secured thereto serves to provide the forward orf rearward movements. This plunger is mounted'in bores l2, I3, of the respective heads, a vent I4 being provided in the forward head to 20' allow equalization of air on movement. Coiled about the plunger 3 in the bore of the body is a spring I5, positioned between the front head 4 and the pin-actuator 8 whereby to normally thrust the latter into its rearward position.

Connection to the external or remote manual control head is had by a tube or housing I6, which may be of ,sufficient length to allow exploration in the tubes of whatever length are to be calipered. For instance, for usage in some 30 types of equipment the extension I6 may be about 15 feet long, while for other types it may be 20, 25 or more feet in length, the length in any case being sufhcient to allow transit of the tube-entering head throughout the length to 35 be explored, from one end or' from both ends,

while the manual control head is on the outside in accessible position for use. Within the ex tension tube I6 is a connecting rod'or tube Il, joined at one end to the plunger 3` and at its 40 other` vend to a member I8 which is reciprocably movable by suitable hand-controlled means. One advantageous form is that shown, viz., the member I8 is toothed in the form of a rack i9, and engageable therewith is a toothed segment 2D 45 pivoted' as at 2l in the head, and extending out as a hand-lever 22. A grip handle 23, con-A veniently of pistol-grip type, is arranged in relation.

Upon the control head there is provided an 50 indicator by which the position of the meterelements 9 may be shown, and advantageously this is calibrated to read in terms of internal tube diameters, with graduations for instance to onehundredths or one-thousandths of an inch. The 55 may vary, but a desirable form involves a dial 24 over which an index hand 25 may move, a cover glass 26 affording protection. The index hand 25 mounted on the spindle 21 may be 'operated in step with the slide member I8, for instance by another set of teeth 28 on the latter coacting with a pinion 29 on the spindle 21.

The manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing. The tube-entering head is inserted into the tube to be measured, and the operator at the control head then presses the lever 22, thereby causing the rack and pinion motion to move the member I8, connecting rod or tube II and plunger 3 forwardly. The pin actuator 8 on the plunger 3 correspondingly moves forwardly, causing the heads I8 of the pins to be moved outwardly by engagement in the slots, and the pins 9 are projected against the inside wall of the tube. The dial is read. The

lever 22 is released, andthe spring I5 throws thel plunger and actuator 8 rearwardly, thus retracting the pins 9. The device is then moved forward to a new position to be measured, and the lever 22 is again operated to project the meter pins 9 and a reading is taken. This is repeated progressively at the desired intervals until the it is realized that tubes as employed in chemical industry, oil refineries, etc., are more or less continuously' subjected to furnace conditions of extremely'high temperature, while the liquid or gaseous material within is maintained under pressures upward of a thousand pounds to the precise detail of the mechanism of the indicator means stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distapering member, a manual control head spaced I apart from said first-named head, an extension tube connecting said heads, a rack in said control head, a connection between said plunger and said rack, a dial indicator on said control head, a spindle and pinion' for operating said dial, and a hand lever with toothed segment for operating said rack and thereby actuating the meter-pins and the indicator.

2. A remote control micrometer tube caliper,

vwhich comprises a. head adapted to enter a tube to be measured, a tapered forward end closure for said head, means making a tight dirt-excluding union between said tapered forward end closure and said head, projectable meter elements radially mounted in'said head, means engaging said elements to project or retract the same, a manually operated control head spaced apart from the said first-named head,`means holding said heads together in predetermined relation, means on the control head for indicating the position of the meter elements, and connecting means between said manual control head and said meter elements.

3. A remote control micrometer tube caliper, which comprises a head adapted to enter a tube to be measured, projectable meter elements radially mounted in said head, actuating means movable against said meter elements, means making a tight dirt-excluding union at the peripheral forward joint between said tapered forward end closure and said head, a manually operated control head spaced apart from said first-named head, means holding said heads together in spaced relation, means on the control head for indicating the position of the meter elements, and a connecting member between said manual control head and said meter elements.

WILLIAM A. PRICE.

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