Portable device for testing the shear response of a material in response to a repetitive applied force

A system for testing a response of a generally cylindrical material specimen, characterized by two ends, a length and a periphery to transverse shear forces applied across the cylindrical material specimen, said system comprising:

• (a) a base;
• (b) a stationary holding device attached to said base for clamping about the periphery of said cylindrical material specimen near one end thereof, wherein said stationary holding device further comprises a pair of aligned opposed retaining clamp members, each having a concave arcuate surface, disposed to provide circumferential clamping of the specimen;
• (c) a movable holding device for clamping about the periphery of said cylindrical specimen near another end thereof, wherein said movable holding device comprises a pair of aligned opposed retaining clamp members, each having a concave arcuate surface, disposed to provide circumferential holding of the specimen;
• (d) flexure members each having two ends, one of which is connected to each of said holding devices in a manner such that a force applied to said movable holding device in a direction transverse of a longitudinal axis of said specimen applies a corresponding transverse shear force to said specimen in relation to the relative displacement of said holding devices and the corresponding connected ends of said flexure members;
• and
• (e) an actuator attached to said movable holding device wherein said actuator applies a force to said movable holding device which thereby applies said transverse shear force against said specimen.