Inspection method and apparatus for tanks and the like

摘要

A method and apparatus for remotely visually inspecting the interior of an elongated tank. The apparatus includes an articulated arm which extends into the tank through an access opening and is adapted to pivot at successive joints by operation of associated servomotors to enable it to follow a path along the axis of the tank. A TV camera is carried on the lead end of the arm and scans the interior of the tank through 360 DEG rotation about the tank axis. The arm carries the camera to the zones where the tank end walls are joined to the sidewall for viewing the zones from advantageous lines of view.