Holder for corrugated paperboard test specimen during edge compression test

A holder for a corrugated paperboard test specimen that is to be tested for edgewise compression strength;

• said holder comprising:
• a support mechanism that includes a vertical slideway (57);
• a lower specimen clamp means (29) carried by said support mechanism;
• and
• an upper specimen clamp means (31) slidably mounted on said slideway for vertical movement toward or away from said lower clamp means;
• each said clamp means comprising a vertical clamping wall (33 or 34) adapted to engage one major face of a test specimen, a horizontally movable clamping pad (35 or 36) adapted to engage the other major face of the test specimen, spring means (37) continually biasing said pad toward the associated vertical wall, and manual actuation means (at 43, 45) for pulling the respective pad away from the associated vertical wall to permit the insertion of a test specimen into the upper and lower clamp means;
• each said manual actuation means comprising a reaction wall spaced from said vertical clamping wall, an elongated threaded element (43) extending from said vertical clamping wall across said reaction wall, and a manually rotatable nut (45) on said threaded element;
• each said nut being rotatable in one direction to exert a force on the associated reaction wall, whereby the associated pad is pulled away from the associated vertical clamping wall;
• and
• each said nut being rotatable in a reverse direction to allow the associated spring means to bias the pad toward the vertical clamping wall.