Claims
- 1. A system comprising, in combination, a flexible means for accessing an assembly having a difficult to access geometry, which comprises a flexible member having a distal end, an optical cable extending lengthwise along and within said flexible member for illuminating a portion of the difficult to access geometry, a video cable, a video camera connected to said video cable at the distal end of said flexible member for forming an image of a sense visible from the distal end of said flexible member for transmission by said video cable, a retractor tool mounted at the distal end of said flexible member, and at least one actuating cable for said retractor tool extending lengthwise along and within said flexible member, said flexible member having a plurality of separate, integrally formed hosebar supports, each comprising a pair of separate, longitudinally extending shapes engaging the separate shapes of adjacent hosebar supports and together defining flexible, longitudinally extending strips, and a bar joining said pair of shapes, said bar having a plurality of apertures aligned with a corresponding plurality of apertures in bars of adjacent hosebar supports, said plurality of apertures respectively receiving said optical cable, said video cable, and said actuating cable, a rigid guide extending lengthwise of said flexible member, said flexible member being movably mounted along said rigid guide, said rigid guide having an end positioned to turn said flexible member in a predetermined angle with respect to an extending direction of said flexible member as said flexible member passes from said rigid guide through said end, a drive means positioned to engage and drive said flexible member through said rigid guide, a transporter for said combination, in which said rigid guide comprises a body of said transporter, and at least one transporter drive means attached to said transporter, said flexible member comprising separate segments strung on at least one flexible cable which runs the length of the flexible member.
- 2. The system of claim 1 in which said retractor tool comprises a multi-prong retriever.
- 3. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising a positioning handle connected to said at least one actuating cable for said retractor tool.
- 4. The system of claim 3 in which said positioning handle includes a joystick mechanism and said at least one actuating cable for said retractor tool includes a plurality of flexible steering cables connected to said joystick mechanism and to said retractor tool.
- 5. The system of claim 4 in which said retractor tool comprises a multi-prong retriever and said at least one actuating cable includes a tool operating wire connected to said retractor tool to open and close the multi-prong retriever.
- 6. The system of claim 4 in which said at least one actuating cable for said retractor tool includes at least one retractor tool rotating cable attached to said retractor tool.
- 7. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising a transport rail, said transporter being mounted to said rail for movement along said transport rail.
- 8. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising a support member positioned proximate to an access opening to the difficult to access geometry and a take-up reel for said flexible member attached to said support member, with said flexible member extending into the difficult to access geometry through the access opening.
- 9. The system of claim 8 in which said retractor tool comprises a multi-prong retriever.
- 10. The system of claim 8 additionally comprising a positioning handle connected to said at least one actuating cable for said retractor tool.
- 11. The system of claim 10 in which said positioning handle includes a joystick mechanism and said at least one actuating cable for said retractor tool includes a plurality of flexible steering cables connected to said joystick mechanism and to said retractor tool.
- 12. The system of claim 11 in which said retractor tool comprises a multi-prong retriever and said at least one actuating cable includes a tool operating wire connected to said retractor tool to open and close the multi-prong retriever.
- 13. The system of claim 10 in which said at least one actuating cable for said retractor tool includes at least one retractor tool rotating cable attached to said retractor tool.
- 14. The system of claim 6 in which said retractor tool comprises a multi-prong retriever and said at least one actuating cable includes a tool operating wire connected to said retractor tool to open and close the multi-prong retriever.
- 15. The system of claim 6 additionally comprising a support member positioned proximate to an access opening to the difficult to access geometry and a take-up reel for said flexible member attached to said support member, with said flexible member extending into the difficult to access geometry through the access opening.
- 16. A system comprising, in combination, a flexible member for accessing a tube gap, said flexible member having a distal end, and a transport for moving said flexible means in the tube gap, said flexible means for accessing comprising a plurality of separate, integrally formed hosebar supports, each comprising a pair of separate, longitudinally extending shapes engaging the separate shapes of adjacent hosebar supports and together defining flexible, longitudinally extending strips and a bar joining said pair of shapes, said bar having a plurality of correspondingly positioned apertures with respect to said plurality of apertures in bars of the adjacent hosebar supports, a pair of flexible support members, each extending lengthwise through corresponding one of said plurality of apertures in the bars of the adjacent hosebar supports, an optical cable extending lengthwise along and within said flexible member in a corresponding one of said plurality of apertures in the bars of the adjacent hosebar supports for illuminating a portion of the difficult to access geometry, a video cable extending lengthwise along and within said flexible member in a corresponding one of said plurality of apertures in the bars of the adjacent hosebar supports, a video camera connected to said video cable at the distal end of said flexible member for forming an image of a scene visible from the distal end of said flexible member for transmission by said video cable, a retractor tool mounted at the distal end of said flexible member, and at least one actuating cable for said retractor tool extending lengthwise along and within said flexible member in a corresponding one of said plurality of apertures in the bars of the adjacent hosebar supports.
- 17. The system of claim 16 in which said retractor tool comprises a multi-prong retriever.
- 18. The system of claim 16 additionally comprising a positioning handle connected to said at least one actuating cable for said retractor tool.
- 19. The system of claim 18 in which said positioning handle includes a joystick mechanism and said at least one actuating cable for said retractor tool includes a plurality of flexible steering cables connected to said joystick mechanism and to said retractor tool.
- 20. The system of claim 19 in which said retractor tool comprises a multi-prong retriever and said at least one actuating cable includes a tool operating wire connected to said retractor tool to open and close the multi-prong retriever.
- 21. The system of claim 20 in which said at least one actuating cable for said retractor tool includes at least one retractor tool rotating cable attached to said retractor tool.
- 22. The system of claim 16 additionally comprising a transport rail, said transporter being mounted to said rail for movement along said transport rail.
- 23. . The system of claim 16 additionally comprising a support member positioned proximate to an access opening to the difficult to access geometry and a take-up reel for said flexible member attached to said support member, with said flexible member extending into the difficult to access geometry through the access opening.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of commonly assigned application Ser. No. 07/303,268, filed Jan. 27, 1989, in the name of Robert A. S. Lee, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,703, which is in turn a continuation-in-part of commonly assigned application Ser. No. 07/027,810, filed Mar. 18, 1987, in the name of Robert A. S. Lee, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,953, both entitled "Flexible Lance for Steam Generator Secondary Side Sludge Removal." This application is further a continuation-in-part of commonly assigned application Ser. No. 07/314,091, filed Feb. 22, 1989, in the names of Steven K. Ruggieri, Stephen C. Jens and Robert Sykes, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,871, and entitled "Flexible Lance and Drive System."
US Referenced Citations (18)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
202642 |
Mar 1966 |
SEX |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
314091 |
Feb 1989 |
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Parent |
27810 |
Mar 1987 |
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