Robotic platform for traveling on vertical piping network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8944192-B2
Application number	US-201113260884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2011
Priority date	Apr 20, 2010
Publication date	Feb 3, 2015
Grant date	Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

This invention relates generally to robotic systems and is specifically designed for a robotic system that can navigate vertical pipes within a waste tank or similar environment. The robotic system allows a process for sampling, cleaning, inspecting and removing waste around vertical pipes by supplying a robotic platform that uses the vertical pipes to support and navigate the platform above waste material contained in the tank.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A method of using a robotic platform to climb a network of pipes comprising the steps of:
releasing a grip of an upper roller gripper on a vertical pipe and maintaining a grip of a lower roller gripper;
extending pneumatic cylinders between the lower and the upper roller grippers to raise the upper gripper along the pipe;
gripping a new position of the pipe by the upper roller gripper;
releasing the grip of the lower roller gripper from the pipe;…

Assignees

• Nance Thomas A
• Vrettos Nick J
• Krementz Daniel
• Marzolf Athneal D
• Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Llc

Inventors

• Nance Thomas A
• Vrettos Nick J
• Krementz Daniel
• Marzolf Athneal D

Classifications

• B62D57/024 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• F22B37/005

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic