Method and Apparatus for Investigating Mechanical Properties of Soft Materials
OwnerBruce David Johnson, Bernard Paul Boudreau +3inventors
InventorsBruce David Johnson, Bernard Paul Boudreau, Mark Andrew Barry, Kelly Dorgan, Peter Alfred Jumars
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for investigating subsurface properties of sediment, soil, snow, food stuff and other soft materials incorporates a probe head, preferably in the form of a coil spring that functions as a screw thread, which moves into the soil, snow, sediment, food stuff or other soft material, isolates a column of the material and applies tension to that column while measuring the applied force with a force sensor.
Claims29
A probe for determining the tensile strength of a material, comprising:
- a housing;
- a longitudinal member rotatably journaled in the housing, the longitudinal member defining a longitudinal axis;
- a coil spring thread, rigidly connected to the longitudinal member, and disposed external of the housing;
- a motor for rotating the longitudinal member and coil spring thread, wherein, upon rotation of the longitudinal member and the coil spring thread, the coil spring thread is pulled into the material generating a reactionary pull in the material and causing a stress on the longitudinal member;
- a strain gauge for measuring the strain on the longitudinal member;
- and
- a controller connected to the strain gauge for determining the tensile strength of the material based on the strain experienced by the longitudinal member.
A method for determining the tensile strength of a material, comprising:
- (a) provisioning a probe comprising a housing and a longitudinal member rotatable in the housing, the longitudinal member terminating in a coil spring thread disposed external to the housing, the coil spring thread defining a column;
- (b) positioning the coil spring thread at a first depth in the material;
- (c) rotating the longitudinal member so as to pull the coil spring thread into the material and generate a reactionary pull substantially in a corresponding columnar portion of the material scored by the coil spring thread, the terminating end of the coil spring thread being pulled to a second depth;
- (d) measuring a strain on the longitudinal member as the coils spring head moves to the second depth;
- and
- (e) determining the strength of the material based on the measured strain.
A method for determining the tensile strength of a material, including:
- (a) driving a material engagement head into the material to hold a volume of material therein, wherein the material engagement head has a longitudinal axis;
- (b) generating a longitudinal force in the material engagement head to urge the volume of material longitudinally away from remaining material, wherein the longitudinal force is resisted by adherence of the volume of material to the remaining material;
- (c) increasing the longitudinal force until the volume of material separates from the remaining material;
- and
- (d) determining the tensile strength of the material based on the longitudinal force applied in step (c) at the time the volume of material separated from the remaining material.
A probe for determining the tensile strength of a material, comprising:
- a housing having a longitudinal axis;
- a material engagement head, disposed external of the housing and movable longitudinally relative to the housing;
- a motor system operatively connected to the material engagement head and operable to drive the material engagement head into the material, wherein the material engagement head is shaped to hold and engage a volume of material, wherein the motor system is further operable to exert a longitudinal force on the material engagement head, wherein the material engagement head is shaped to transmit the longitudinal force into the volume of material to urge the volume of material longitudinally away from remaining material, wherein the motor system is operable to progressively increase the longitudinal force;
- a sensor positioned to sense the longitudinal force applied by the motor system;
- and
- a controller for receiving signals from the sensor, wherein the controller is programmed to determine the longitudinal force applied at the time that the volume of material separated from the remaining material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.