Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8134360 | Measurement of pipe wall thickness using magnetic flux leakage signals An apparatus comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising obtaining a pipe profile comprising a diameter, a nominal thickness, and a material, receiving a magnetic flux leakage (MFL) indication for a pipe associated with the pipe profile, and d... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8098063 | Untethered, unpowered, rollable device to sense condition of pipeline wall A sensor unit for use in sensing conditions in a pipeline comprises an untethered a ball-shaped surround adapted to roll along the interior surface of a pipeline, and instrument package within the ball-shaped surround. The package contains at least one magnetometer ... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8089273 | Spiral magnetic field apparatus and method for pipeline inspection A system and method are disclosed for inspecting the wall of a pipeline while traveling therethrough. The system may comprise a portion of pipe comprising a pipe wall forming a cylindrical tube defining a circumferential direction and an axial direction. The system ... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8076928 | System and method for in-situ integrity and performance monitoring of operating metallic and non-metallic natural gas transmission and delivery pipelines using ultra wideband point-to point and point-to point and point-to-multipoint communication An operational monitoring system for use in communications, and a method thereof, for operational, systems or integrity management of pipeline infrastructures which operates by broadcasting wireless signals through gas distribution networks and analyzing the travers... | 12/13/2011 |
| 7923994 | Spiral magnetic field apparatus and method for pipeline inspection A system and method are disclosed for inspecting the wall of a pipeline while traveling therethrough. The system may comprise a portion of pipe comprising a pipe wall forming a cylindrical tube defining a circumferential direction and an axial direction. The system ... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7859256 | Defect discriminator for in-line inspection tool An in-line inspection tool comprising primary and secondary sensor suites is disclosed. The primary sensor suite may detect both interior and exterior defects. The secondary sensor suite may comprise a plurality of housings distributed in the circumferential directi... | 12/28/2010 |
| 7782048 | Eddy current testing method, eddy current testing differential coil and eddy current testing probe for internal finned pipe or tube The invention provides an eddy current testing method for an internal finned pipe or tube which can securely detect a micro defect generated in a trough portion in an inner surface of the pipe or tube, even in the case that an inner surface shape of the internal fin... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7768259 | Device for non-destructive eddy current inspection of a hole formed in a conductive part Using eddy currents to inspect a hole that is possibly not rectilinear and/or of section that is not circular. The inspection device comprises a stick shaped and dimensioned to be capable of being engaged in said hole, at least one arm hinged to a support fastened t... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7733085 | Flangeless canister for in-line inspection tool An in-line inspection tool comprising a sensor suite, a processor processing the signal generated by at least one sensor of the sensor suite, and a canister housing the processor is disclosed. The canister may comprise a canister body formed as a hollow cylinder ext... | 06/08/2010 |
| 7733084 | Eddy current acquisition system An eddy current acquisition system integrates traditional elements of a nuclear steam generator tubing inspection into a single modular system comprising three subsystems: the take-up reel subsystem, the acquisition instrument, which is located in the hub of the tak... | 06/08/2010 |
| 7688067 | Probe for electrical measurement methods and use of a flexible probe for production of a rigid probe The invention relates to a probe for electrical measurements and use of a flexible probe to produce an inflexible probe. Conventional probes comprise a substrate which is mechanically rigid. As a result only planar surfaces may be examined with the probe. According ... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7683611 | Pipeline inspection using variable-diameter remote-field eddy current technology The present disclosure relates to a device and method for pipeline inspection, The inspection device may include an exciter coil capable of providing an alternating current magnetic field and producing eddy currents. A plurality of sensors may then be provided which... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7548059 | Pipeline inspection tool with spirally arranged sensor blocks A pipeline inspection tool has a spirally arranged series of blocks, with each block having a magnet and at least one magnetic flux sensor. An axially extending support may be provided which terminates in mounts and the series of blocks may be mounted between the mo... | 06/16/2009 |
| RE40515 | Method and apparatus for inspecting pipelines from an in-line inspection vehicle using magnetostrictive probes A method and system for implementing magnetostrictive sensor techniques for the nondestructive evaluation of pipeline structures. The system consists of a magnetostrictive sensor instrument unit, a data storage unit, and a plurality of magnetostrictive sensor probes... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7415363 | High resolution torque measurement on a rotating shaft with movement compensation An apparatus for determining the torque imposed on a rotatable shaft. The shaft has at least four paired probes, paired horizontal probes and paired vertical probes. The horizontal probes are positioned 90 degrees apart from the vertical probes. If the shaft moves h... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7414395 | Method and apparatus inspecting pipelines using magnetic flux sensors The method for detecting stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of pipelines, comprising the steps of: identifying pipeline locations and pipeline conditions that are amenable to inspection by a magnetic flux inline tool and by a TFI tool; performing two inspections on the... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7413011 | Optical fiber system and method for wellhole sensing of magnetic permeability using diffraction effect of faraday rotator Systems and methods for optically determining casing collar and/or corrosion locations within boreholes, using the diffraction effect of Faraday crystals through which depolarized continuous light is transmitted within optical fibers. ... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7402999 | Pulsed eddy current pipeline inspection system and method A pulsed eddy current pipeline inspection device is provided. The pulsed eddy current pipeline inspection device comprises a plurality of stages longitudinally spaced apart from each other and adapted to move between a contracted position and an expanded position, a... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7362097 | RFT pipeline inspection system and method therefor A system (20) and method for the inspection of a pipeline (22) is disclosed. The system (20) is made up of a plurality of flexibly coupled modular units (24) configured to pass through the pipeline (22). One modular unit (24... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7354348 | Hollow universal joint A hollow universal joint having a first member, a second member and a first hollow yoke ring coupling the first member to the second member to transfer rotational motion between the first and second members. The first hollow yoke ring has a first central axis. The f... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7339341 | Surgical camera robot The present invention is a miniature camera robot which can be placed entirely within an open space such as an abdominal cavity. The instant camera robot has pan and tilt capabilities, an adjustable focus camera, and a support component for supporting the robot body... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7322410 | Controllable production well packer An apparatus and method for operating an electrically powered device in a packer using the piping structure of the well as an electrical conductor for providing power and/or communications. The electrically powered device may comprise an electrically controllable va... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7320249 | Magnetically attracted inspecting apparatus and method using a fluid bearing An apparatus and method for inspecting a structure are provided which include probes with sensing elements and are disposed proximate opposite surfaces of a structure, where only one of the probes need be driven. A tracking probe may be magnetically coupled to a dri... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7321228 | Detection of metal disturbance in a magnetic tracking system A method for tracking an object includes producing energy fields at a plurality of different frequencies in a vicinity of the object, and receiving signals that are generated at a location of the object at the different frequencies in response to the energy fields. ... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7317308 | System and method for measuring electric current in a pipeline A system for measuring a voltage differential in a current-carrying pipe using a propulsion vehicle for conveying the system inside the pipe. The system includes a first contact for maintaining electrical contact with the pipe as the vehicle moves through the pipe, ... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7302867 | Magnetic transducer torque measurement A magnetic transducer element is formed by rotating an integral region of a shaft about an axis in the presence of a magnetic source. An annulus of magnetization results in having its magnetization in the axial direction. The exterior magnetic field emanated by the ... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7295004 | Eddy current probe and method of manufacture thereof An eddy current probe includes a plurality of deformable substrates each having a pair of coils wound coaxially thereabout in spaced relation and a housing supporting said plurality of substrates adjacent to each other with each substrate compressed in a direction l... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7295003 | Non-destructive testing system and method utilizing a magnetic field to identify defects in a layer of a laminated material Techniques for detecting defects in the proximity of a hole of a laminate structure include inserting a generally cylindrical body portion into a hole such that a first coil of wire will reside in a plane substantially parallel to a first electrically conductive lay... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7284456 | Apparatus for moving a measuring device along a pipe The apparatus is for displacing a measurement device along a pipe. The apparatus comprises a bracelet; a support device for supporting the measurement device in relation to the bracelet; at least one drive wheel each having an axis, mounted on the bracelet and orien... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7268541 | Detecting failures of flexible multistrand steel structures A flexible elongate structure, such as a flexible riser (10), comprising at least one layer (20) of steel wires near the surface which extend at least partly along the length of the structure, can be monitored by inducing a small, alternating magnetic ... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7259688 | Wireless reservoir production control A reservoir production control system includes a plurality of wells for producing a reservoir linked to a central computer over a downhole communication network and a surface communication network. Both the downhole and the surface communication networks are wireles... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7256576 | ID-OD discrimination sensor A sensor body for use in a pig for determining characteristics of a pipeline wall though which the pig passes includes a circuit board and a single coil wrapped around the circuit board. A microcontroller is mounted to the circuit board and connected to the single c... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7240574 | Sensors carrier for in-tube inspection scraper A sensor carrier for an in-tube inspection scraper has setting places for installation of monitoring sensors responsive to any diagnostic parameters of a pipeline being inspected. The carrier includes a set of kinematically interconnected sensor supports that are su... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7242201 | Apparatus and method for detecting state of heat exchanger tube Provided is an apparatus for concurrently detecting a defect occurring in a heat exchanger tube and a geometric transition of the heat exchanger tube. The apparatus for detecting the state of a heat exchanger tube, including: the first detection unit detecting a def... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7236200 | Slip ring laser illuminator for speed domes An illumination system is provided to enable speed dome camera systems with a minimum of weight increase and existing motor designs to be used in conditions where the ambient illumination is insufficient for surveillance needs. A laser illumination system is divided... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7218101 | Eddy current method of inspecting a pressure vessel shell A pressure vessel penetration sidewall adjacent a tube installed in the penetration by a clearance fit is inspected by passing an eddy current probe having a pair of circumferential coils through the tube. Eddy currents are induced in the pressure vessel as the prob... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7218102 | Pipeline inspection apparatus and method A apparatus for pipeline integrity monitoring comprising a magnetically permeable backing bar and at least three magnets comprising a relatively medium-strength magnet positioned at one end of the backing bar, a relatively low-strength magnet positioned at the other... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7215117 | Measurement with a magnetic field Material properties such as stress in a ferromagnetic material may be measured using an electromagnetic probe. While generating an alternating magnetic field in the object, and sensing the resulting magnetic field with a sensor, the signals from the magnetic sensor ... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7210364 | Autonomous robotic crawler for in-pipe inspection The specification discloses a robot for inspection adapted to travel virtually unlimited distances through small-diameter enclosed spaces such as conduits or ducts, preferably using a fluid-driven screw-drive propulsion system. The robot preferably includes a drive ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7212895 | Magnetic sensor A magnetic flux is sensed within a gap at a first location between two portions of a vehicle body/structure and a signal generated responsive thereto controls an element of the vehicle, wherein the magnetic flux is responsive to a disturbance of the vehicle body/str... | 05/01/2007 |
