Material testing machine, test piece attachment set for the material testing machine, and method of conducting a material test with the material testing machine

A material testing machine having a frame, load applying means for applying a load in a predetermined direction to a test piece and load measuring means for sensing a load applied to the test piece, said material testing machine comprising:

• (a) said load measuring means comprising a load sensing block having (a-1) a body with sufficient volume and mass and (a-2) at least one sensing projection which is sufficiently smaller than said body of said load sensing block and which has (i) a distal end, (ii) a proximal end connected to said body of said load sensing block, (iii) a longitudinal axis extending in said predetermined direction and (iv) a side surface;
• (b) said load measuring means further comprising (b-1) a plurality of strain gages affixed on said side surface of said sensing projection and (b-2) processing means for processing outputs of said strain gages to determine a load acting on said sensing projection;
• (c) said load sensing block being arranged such that a stress wave produced in said sensing projection by an impact acting on said distal end of said sensing projection can propagate along said longitudinal axis of said sensing projection from said distal end to said proximal end and that a first part of an energy of the stress wave reaching said proximal end can further propagate into said body of said load sensing block to reach peripheral surfaces of said body and reflect again and again from one peripheral surface to another so that the stress wave in said body will finally decades out to lose dynamic behavior thereof;
• (d) said load sensing block being arranged such that a second part of the energy of the stress wave reaching said proximal end can be reflected at said proximal end to return back to said distal end to create shuttling echoes of the stress wave between said distal and proximal ends and that said sensing projection has a sufficiently short length so that said shuttling echoes has a turnaround time sufficiently shorter than a duration of the impact applied to said distal end so as to prevent dynamic behavior of said sensing projection due to the stress wave from substantially effecting on the measurement provided by said load measuring means;
• (e) said load measuring means being capable of measurement of static and quasi-static loads with accuracy by using said strain gages to sense any static and quasi-static strains of said sensing projection produced by static and quasi-static loads applied to said distal end of said sensing projection and of measurement of impact loads with accuracy by using said strain gages to sense any dynamic strains of said sensing projection produced by dynamic loads applied to said distal end of said sensing projection;
• (f) said load applying means comprising (i) a load applying block, (ii) guide means for guiding said load applying block for movement in said predetermined direction, (iii) drive means for driving said load applying block in said predetermined direction and (iv) control means for controlling said driving means;
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• (g) said material testing machine being capable of installation of the test piece thereto such that any loads applied by said load applying block to the test piece can be transmitted to said distal end of said sensing projection.