Apparatus for determining the properties of a material having plastic properties by determining its density

Abstract

A method for determining the properties of a material having plastic properties, e.g. the fat content of minced meat or meat cut into pieces, comprises determination of the density of the material. The measurement required for the determination of density is effected by means of a chamber which is substantially filled with the material and into which a displacement member is slidingly introduced through a hole in the wall of the chamber, said displacement member having a considerably smaller cross sectional area than the chamber. The displacement member is introduced so far into the chamber that the force of introduction applied reaches a predetermined value, and then the length of penetration of the member is recorded. An apparatus for carrying out said method comprises a chamber (6) having a wall through which the displacement member of smaller cross sectional area than the chamber may be introduced, said displacement member being connected to means (3, 16, 9, 10) for pressing the unit into the chamber and indicating the length of penetration.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.