Hole elongation testing system
AssigneeAvco Corporation
InventorGlen R. Sherwin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for testing and measuring hole elongation or deformation in a test article. The system includes a frame, a bearing member, and a referencing arm. The frame has a receiving area adapted to receive a portion of a test article. The bearing member is positionable into a hole of the test article. The referencing arm is movably connected to the frame and is adapted to signal the location of a portion of the test article relative to the bearing member. A distance measuring device is wholely supported on the frame and arm to allow the test article to be tested to catastrophic failure without risk of damaging the measuring device.
Claims18
An apparatus for measuring deformation of a test article, the apparatus comprising:
- a testing attachment having means for receiving a first portion of the test article, means for fixedly connecting the test article to a frame of the testing attachment, and means for measuring the distance between two locations on the test article inside the means for receiving, the means for measuring including a first member for positioning in a hole of the test article inside the means for receiving and a second member for positioning on a top surface of the test article inside the means for receiving, the means for measuring measuring the distance between the first member and the top surface as the test article is deformed;
- and
- means for moving the testing attachment relative to a second portion of the test article to thereby deform the test article.
A hole elongation measuring device comprising:
- a frame having a receiving area adapted to at least partially receive a test article;
- a first bearing member positioned in the frame and positionable into a hole of the test article;
- a second bearing member positionable on a perimeter edge of the test article at two spaced corners of the perimeter edge inside the receiving area, the second bearing member being suitably sized and shaped relative to the test article such that the second bearing member initially contacts only the two spaced corners of the test article perimeter edge inside the receiving area;
- and
- a measurer connected to the first and second bearing members having a referencing arm movably connected to the frame, the arm extending into the receiving area and being adapted to signal the location of the second bearing member inside the receiving area to thereby signal the location of the two spaced corners of the perimeter edge of the test article relative to the hole of test article.
A method of measuring hole elongation of a test article, the method comprising steps of:
- connecting a first portion of the test article to a hole elongation fixture, the fixture having a bearing surface having a longitudinal axis, positioning the bearing surface;
- in a hole of the test article and the first portion being located in a receiving area of the hole elongation fixture, contact between the bearing surface and the test article at the hole being substantially the only longitudinal retainment of the test article with the fixture;
- positioning a member on a perimeter edge of the test article inside the receiving area, the perimeter edge being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bearing surface;
- moving the fixture relative to a second portion of the test article to longitudinally deform the test article between the bearing surface and the second portion;
- and
- measuring a distance between the member on the perimeter edge of the test article and the bearing surface as the test article is being deformed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.