Apparatus for an inspection device
View Patent ↗An inspection device for inspecting storage silos having mobile body with a tray portion for holding internal components for powering and controlling the inspection device, such as a control circuit and power source. Pairs of spaced apart in-line drive wheels are mounted to the tray portion. An external equipment mounting location (space) is provided between the pairs of drive wheels. A universal wiring harness is located within the tray portion and extends to the external mounting location such that at least two non-identical items of inspection equipment can be interchangeably mounted to the mobile body and connected to the wiring harness. A top portion may be secured over the tray portion to enclose the internal components. Optional fenders may be secured over the wheels and external equipment. Preferably, the external equipment can be swapped without having to remove the top portion from the tray portion.
1. An inspection device for inspecting storage silos comprising:
a mobile body having a tray portion;
an equipment mounting location disposed on an exterior surface of the mobile body and sized and configured to enable an item of inspection equipment to be removably mounted to the mobile body and accessed and exchanged with another item of inspection equipment from outside the mobile body;
a power source located within the mobile body for supplying power to the mobile body and to the item of inspection equipment mounted to the equipment mounting location;
a control circuit located within the mobile body for at least partially controlling movement of the mobile body and operating the item of inspection equipment; and
a wiring harness located within the tray portion configured to connect with the item of inspection equipment and operable to form an electrical circuit comprising the item of inspection equipment mounted to the mobile body at the equipment mounting location, the control circuit, and the power source.
2. The inspection device of claim 1 wherein the mobile body may be controlled remotely.
3. The inspection device of claim 1 wherein the equipment mounting location is configured to allow at least two non-identical items of inspection equipment to be interchangeably and removably mounted to the mobile body.
4. The inspection device of claim 3 comprising a universal wiring harness configured to interchangeably connect with each of the least two non-identical items of inspection equipment.
5. The inspection device of claim 1 further comprising pairs of spaced apart in-line drive wheels disposed on left and right sides of the tray portion.
6. The inspection device of claim 5 comprising an equipment mounting location provided in a space located between each pair of in-line drive wheels.
7. The inspection device of claim 6 further comprising:
an abrading instrument for abrading a portion of a surface to be inspected;
a coolant ejector for ejecting a coolant onto the portion of the said surface to be inspected;
a metal thickness sensor for contacting the coolant and determining the thickness of the portion of said surface to be inspected; and
a coolant supply configured to supply coolant to the coolant ejector,
wherein the abrading instrument, coolant ejector, and metal thickness sensor are all disposed in one of said equipment mounting locations and the coolant supply is disposed in the other of said equipment mounting locations.
8. The inspection device of claim 1 further comprising a side wall forming an enclosure for the tray portion having left, right, front and back vertical surfaces and an open top, wherein the equipment mounting location is located on the left vertical surface or the right vertical surface.
9. The inspection device of claim 1 further comprising a top portion configured to removably mount to and to extend over the tray portion.
10. The inspection device of claim 9 further comprising one or more equipment bays formed in the top portion, each equipment bay configured to receive a hot swappable piece of equipment.
11. The inspection device of claim 10 wherein the hot swappable piece of equipment is a power source.
12. The inspection device of claim 9 further comprising a fender configured to removably mount to and to extend laterally outwards from a left side or a right side of the top portion and over the inspection equipment mounted to the tray portion at the equipment mounting location.
13. The inspection device of claim 12 wherein the fender is configured to removably mount to the equipment mounted to the tray portion at the equipment mounting location.
14. The inspection device of claim 12 further comprising:
pairs of spaced apart in-line drive wheels disposed on left and right sides of the body portion;
wheel cutouts formed in the fender that are located proximate to and are approximately equal in size to the drive wheels.
15. The inspection device of claim 12 wherein the fender and the equipment mounted to the tray portion at the equipment mounting location may be removed as a unit without removing the top portion from the tray portion.
16. The inspection device of claim 12 wherein the fender, the top portion, and the equipment may be removed, as a single unit, from the tray portion.
17. The inspection device of claim 12 wherein the fender and the equipment mounted to the tray portion at the equipment mounting location may be removed, as a single unit, from the top portion and the tray portion.
18. The inspection device of claim 1 further comprising a tether connection disposed on an exterior of the inspection device and configured to removably receive a flexible tether for raising and lowering the inspection device.
19. The inspection device of claim 18 wherein the tether connection comprises a pair of spaced apart eyes for connecting to a corresponding pair of spaced apart eyes disposed on said tether.
20. The inspection device of claim 18 further comprising an elongate substantially rigid tether guide extending from an exterior of the inspection device and configured to guide the flexible tether to the tether connection.