Automatic measurement of areas
AssigneeThe University of Birmingham
InventorsDonald A. Hobbs, Geoffrey W. Rowe
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Abstract
The invention provides an apparatus and method for determining the hardness of a test piece supported in a predetermined position, by illuminating the test piece with an electromagnetic medium, receiving reflected medium in a television camera which provides a signal which varies in accordance with variations in intensity of the reflected medium, and electrically processing the signal to provide an output dependent upon the size of indentation which can be interpreted to determine the hardness of the test piece.
Claims9
A hardness testing apparatus for determining the hardness of a test piece comprising:
- means for supporting the test piece in a predetermined position;
- indenter means for making an indentation in the test piece;
- means for directing an electromagnetic medium onto the test piece;
- television camera means responsive to said medium for providing a signal which varies in accordance with variations in intensity of said medium reflected from said test piece;
- electrical processing means for processing the signal to provide an output dependent upon the area of the indentation in the test piece;
- and
- means for interpreting said output to determine the hardness of the test piece in which the indentation is made.
A method of determining the hardness of a test piece, including the steps of:
- making an indentation in the test piece;
- directing an electromagnetic medium onto the test piece;
- sensing the medium reflected from said test piece with a television camera means to provide a signal which varies in accordance with variations in intensity of said reflected medium, processing said signal with electrical processing means to provide an output dependent upon the area of the indentation in the test piece;
- and
- interpreting said output to determine the hardness of the test piece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.