公开(公告)号：US11560977B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-24

申请号：US16751655

申请日：2020-01-24

Applicant: General Electric Company

Inventor： Alexander Kyle Duncan ,  Todd William Danko ,  Justin Foehner ,  Yakov Polishchuk ,  Douglas R. Forman

IPC: B08B9/00 ,  F16L55/44 ,  B08B9/049 ,  F16L55/30 ,  F16L55/32 ,  B08B7/00 ,  B08B9/051 ,  F16L55/34 ,  F16L55/48 ,  F16L101/12 ,  F16L101/20 ,  F16L101/30

Abstract: A motorized apparatus for use in maintaining a pipe having a sidewall is provided. The motorized apparatus includes a body assembly sized to fit within and to travel along an interior cavity of the pipe. The body assembly includes a first end and a second end and extending along a longitudinal axis. The body assembly also includes a plurality of leg assemblies coupled circumferentially around the body assembly. Each leg assembly includes a telescoping portion, a bias member coupled to the telescoping portion, and a drive mechanism configured to interact with the sidewall as the body assembly travels along the pipe. The body assembly also includes at least one sensor configured to collect data associated with a force between the sidewall and the drive mechanism, and an actuator assembly coupled to each leg assembly and configured to independently actuate each the leg assembly.