Method and apparatus for compacting material samples

An apparatus for compacting material comprising:

• a mold having a central longitudinal axis and open opposite ends adapted for receiving material to be compacted;
• first and second pucks received within said mold for confining therebetween the material to be compacted;
• compression means mounted for movement into an open first end of said mold and cooperating with said first puck for moving said first puck axially within said mold relative to said second puck and thereby applying an axial compressire force to the material confined within the mold between the pucks along an axis of compression normal to the faces of the pucks;
• and
• a base positioned to support a second end of said mold, said base including means for moving said second end of said mold so that the central longitudinal axis of the mold moves from an initial neutral position in which the central longitudinal axis of the mold is collinear with the axis of compression to a tilted operative position in which the central longitudinal axis of the mold is angularly displaced from the axis of compression and orbits thereabout at said second end of said mold.

An apparatus for compacting material comprising:

• a mold having a central longitudinal axis and a first open end for receiving material to be compacted;
• compression means for movement into said first open end of said mold for applying compressive force to the material in the mold along an axis of compression to compact the material;
• a turntable carrying a second end of said mold;
• and
• a support platen carrying said turntable and mounted for rotation of the turntable, relative to the support platen, through a limited arc about an axis of rotation parallel to and displaced from the axis of compression so as to move said mold from an initial neutral position in which the central longitudinal axis of the mold is collinear with said axis of compression to a tilted operative position in which the central longitudinal axis of the mold is angularly offset from said axis of compression.

A method for compacting a material comprising the steps of:

• placing the material in a first open end of a mold, said mold having a central longitudinal axis therethrough;
• compressing said material from the first end of said mold along an axis of compression;
• supporting a second end of said mold during said axial compression;
• shifting said second end of said mold so that the central longitudinal axis of the mold moves from an initial neutral position in which the central longitudinal axis of the mold is collinear with the axis of compression to a tilted operative position in which the central longitudinal axis of the mold is angularly offset from the axis of compression;
• and
• moving said second end of said mold such that said central longitudinal axis of the mold orbits about said axis of compression at said second end of said mold while maintaining the angular offset established therebetween by the shifting step.