Apparatus for measuring the mechanical characteristics of a body

An apparatus for measuring mechanical characteristics of a body or medium, such as soil, comprising two elements aligned in accordance with their common axis;

• first means provided between said two elements and arranged to combine them and to oppose the relative displacements of said elements along their common axis, when a stress along the said axis is applied at the free end of one of these elements and directed towards the other element;
• and also to oppose the rotation of the elements in relation to each other around their axis, a probe affixed to the free end of one of the elements;
• second means provided at the free end of the other element to enable the aforementioned stress to be applied in accordance with the axis of the elements and a torque to be applied to the elements in relation to their axis;
• a cursor arranged to move along the element bearing the probe, parallel to the axis of the said element, from the free end of the probe towards the other element, when the probe penetrates into the body or medium to be measured;
• and third means arranged, in a first position, to enable the aforementioned stress along the axis of the element bearing the probe and the displacement of the cursor on the element bearing the probe to be measured simultaneously and, in a second position, for the simultaneous measurement of said stress along the axis of the elements and the aforementioned torque, the conversion from the said first position to said second position being obtained by a locking appliance able to solidarize said third means to the element bearing the probe.