In-situ non-destructive elastic recovery tester

Abstract

A method for the non-destructive, in-situ assessment of a resilient elastic substrate, said method comprising the steps of: applying detector means to a surface of said substrate; urging said detector means into said substrate at a substantially constant speed to a predetermined depth; holding said detector means at said predetermined depth for a predetermined time; releasing said detector means, allowing elastic recovery of said substrate; and processing compressibility and/or elastic recovery of said substrate during said urging, holding and/or releasing steps. An elastic recovery testing assembly for the non-destructive, in-situ assessment of a resilient elastic substrate, said assembly comprising: detector means adapted to be applied to a surface of said substrate and urged into said substrate at a substantially constant speed and held in said substrate at a predetermined depth for a predetermined time; actuating means for actuating said urging of said detector means into said substrate; and processing means for storing and/or processing compressibility and/or elastic recovery of said substrate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.