Fretting wear machine
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsJames J. Wert, Miangui Xue, Pedro C. Bastias
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hardened steel ball presses against a vibrating sample to be subject to fretting. The amplitude and frequency of vibration can be precisely controlled by a stack of piezoelectric transducers. The biasing force of the steel ball against the sample can also be precisely controlled by a pulley supported weight that pulls against a movable mass coupled to the steel ball. The movable mass has sufficient inertial mass to eliminate the movement of the ball which might otherwise be produced in reaction to the vibration of the sample, which need not be absolutely flat.
Claims8
A fretting wear machine comprising:
- (a) sample support means for supporting a sample member for motion in a first direction;
- (b) a load bearing counter-force member, coupled to a movable mass, for pressing against said sample member in a second direction perpendicular with respect to said first direction;
- (c) biasing means for mechanically biasing said counter-force member against said sample member by asserting a force against said movable mass;
- (d) motion inducing means for moving said sample in a plane perpendicular to said second direction;
- and
- (e) wherein said movable mass has a mass sufficient to eliminate movement of the counter-force member in response to motion of the sample member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.