# US 4,391,141 A · Apparatus for determining the properties of a material having plastic properties by determining its density

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- Number: US 4,391,141 A
- Document ID: US4391141A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/195,305
- Filed: 1980-10-08
- Granted: 1983-07-05
- Earliest claimed: 1979-10-08
- Assignees: Slagteriernes Forskningsinstitut
- Inventors: Olfert H. Petersen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4391141A

## CPC

- G01N 33/12: Meat; Fish
- G01N 9/02: by measuring weight of a known volume
- G01N 2009/024: {the volume being determined directly, e.g. by size of container}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for determining the properties of a material having plastic properties by determining its density on the basis of a measurement of weight and volume, which comprises:
a chamber for receiving said material;
a displacement member for contacting the material to thereby apply pressure to the material, which member is slidably movable through a wall of the chamber and has a cross sectional area perpendicular to the direction of movement smaller than the cross sectional area of the chamber in the cross section;
drive means connected to said member for applying a predetermined force on said displacement member towards the interior of the chamber, said drive means comprising means for applying a predetermined weight to said displacement member; and
measuring means for measuring the penetration depth of the displacement member into the chamber to thereby determine the volume of the material, the measured volume and weight being used to determine density of the product.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for maintaining the chamber substantially air-tight during the introduction of the displacement member into the chamber.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the displacement member is a cylindrical rod.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the displacement member comprises a cylindrical member having a circular cross section.