June 17, 1941- A. u.

HUGGENBERGER 2,246,175
STRAIN GAUGE

Filed March 14, 1959

\
I2
L14
28)

A T. T O R N E Y
 Patented June 17, 1941
2,246,175

UNITED : STATES PATENT?"iorricgj

'- Application‘
In Switzerland
March '14, Octoberf17§1938
1939’, saga-stared.
V ‘,1
3 Claims. (01. vet's-'14s).
This invention relates generally to‘ strain“ stages which ‘is unsatisfactory because each re
gauges for measuring and indicating the strain _‘ setting operation gives rise toerrors which impair
of material specimens or of life size members. _ thenaccuracyrequired,
The quantity to be measured is usually indi Y_'It'f.is an object ‘of (my‘inventio'n to provide an
cated in a greatly enlarged scale on a ‘dial by impro ed‘ extensometer that,'in one continuous
means of a special mechanism which heretofore“ operationQwill effect correct measurements with
has included only levers or only pinions ‘or’ a great accuracy ‘and ‘sensitivity while at the same
combination of these elements. Operation“, of time insure 'that'r/theuforce of shift is ‘kept as
this mechanism requires‘ a forceiof certain "small as possible“ ‘ ‘
"amount, sometimes called a “force __of shift.” 10_ 'l ,Another objectiswto, provide an‘improved. ex
This force of shift gives‘rise to a certain reactive ‘ ‘p tensometer‘ thatis'lrelatively‘ simple in construc
force which acts upon the measuring instrument tion and‘ operation "a‘nd'provides great ease of
on the one hand and upon the object to be'meas , readingas well as being ‘rugged without impairing
ured on the other hand. If the force of shift is its I accuracy andv sensitivity} and which also has
great and the test specimen is of a certain soft 15 improved'means forpreventing‘ damage to the
ness, a reaction may occur which prevents Dre; ‘ instrument when 'thevabsolute limit ofits ca
cision transfer of the quantityuto be measured.
It is therefore of basic importance for a correct Other objects ‘and advantages will be more ap
measurement that the force of shiftbe as’small ,"par_ent to those skilled in the art from the fol
as possible. Prior art devices which: employ 20 lowing ' ’ description of ‘the, accompanying draw
pinions alone, or pinions in combin‘ation'with ing in which'yfjjf _ _ . . r H

levers, require a‘ relatively great force of shift. so I Figl is alongitudinalsection through my. im
that these measuring instruments cannot be used ' ‘proved device ‘shown in somewhatenlarged scale
for highly sensitive measurements. ' ' " ' ' ",for sake of clarity; ’
In testing materials it is also‘ necessary under, ‘Fig. 2 is a 'verticalisectionjtaken on therline
certain circumstances to determine thejhysteresis'
characteristics of the material. This value rep ‘F1 13 is a plan‘vi'ew of the dial shown'in Fig.1;
resents the permanent deformation or elongation " is a: transverse sectionitaken orithe line
' remaining after loading and unloading the test
specimens. Also, a test may frequently‘ pass the; 30'
yield point of the material thereby necessitating" ’
an especially great range of measuring since the Fig.“ ?'isiafhorizontal sectionv ‘taken substan
deformation upon reaching the ‘yield pointin i-tiell'ylbn the line ii-e'iof Fig-v 1; .
creases rapidly. On the other hand, duringan .Figj'z 1's’ gaverticalsnection of ‘a’modi?‘ed knife
unloading operation a permanent elongation is edge‘ wfiilcrum' for 'supportingilthe pivotal end of’ a
35’
usuallyv a very small quantity which has to be“ Hleve'rwhi chfjcooperate's with the screw spindle of
ascertained with great accuracy. “These two re ved'device; y,
quirements, i. e. a great measurin'g'rangeand ‘g. 8_1S:a, ‘fragmentary side elevation of a
7 great accuracy andjsensitivity'r,v have not been sat ‘ modified ‘lever "arrangement;
40 >1“ - " " “ I
isfactorily accomplished by the‘ extensometers of vli‘ig. _9¥_is"a horizontal‘ section taken on the line
the prior art. In some instances, the'prionart‘
‘v ‘_ 94490f ‘Fig. .3; and j '
has possessed a great measuringrang'e but at ‘Fig. '10 is alfurth'er modi?cation of the lever
considerable sacri?ceof sensitivity and ‘accuracy, system. . v ., .

this being particularly true ofrthose devices which In the particular embodimentro'fr the. invention,
operate by means of pinions or a'combination 45 such as is disclosed’ herein merelyfor the purpose
thereof with levers. In other instances. prior ‘*of ‘illustrating certain {speci?c- forms" among pos
art instruments ful?ll the requirements as to sible’others that’t'hé, ‘invention ‘might take in
sensitivity and accuracy but their measuring practice, I'have shown a housing I‘ closed‘on all
range is not su?iciently great. This class of in sides and containing my improved mechanism
struments is generally operated solely by levers, 50 for transferring strain from the specimen to the
mirrors and the like. In other types of instru indicating means. This transfer mechanism in
ments, the indicating hand or pointer can'be cludes a lever 2 pivotally supported as at 3 while
reset to an initial zero position upon reaching the the other end of lever 2 has a pin 4, Fig. 6, ‘lo
limit of the measuring range after which the test cated laterally of a spindle 5 and extending into
is continued. Such an‘ operation is done by a helical thread or groove 6 broadly de?ning a
 2,246,175
helical directrix of suitable pitch so that the with the knife edge fulcrum 3 I. If it is desired to
screw may be rotated by lever 2 when the force employ a multiplying action in combination with
' of shift is applied thereto. The spindle 5 is the helical spindle 5, a combined gauge point
suitably journalled in transverse brackets 1 and and knife fulcrum 34, Fig. 8, is supported upon
8 connected to the sides of housing I. The pin 5 bracket 35 and is provided with a short lever arm
4 is maintained in contact with one side of the 36 engageable with a lever arm 31 of a lever 38
helical groove 6 by a spring 9 whose ends are corresponding to lever 2. Lever 38 is pivotally
secured respectively to lever 2 and to a lower supported at 38 in the housing I. Instead of sup
U-shaped- rail fl4 vwhich formsL'the lowermost porting lever 36 by a knife fulcrum, a pivot pin
portion for- the housing' I. Therhousingcand rail 10 ~4l may be inserted through bracket 35 and lever
provide a sturdy and compact frame. The piv 36. Either modi?cation of Figs. 8 or 10 will give
otal end of lever 2 is provided with an armil'? ‘any desired multiplying action, while at the same
which is suitably formed rigidly with theeleverl 2 timemaintaining the advantages of the helical
and has a gauge point ll preferably in the‘form spindle. Due to the preferably knife edge contact
of a knife edge. To determinezftheligaugel length, a fof lever¢361with arm 31, there is minimum possi
a second gauge member 12,‘. preferably in the .bilityv of error notwithstanding the large degree
form of a knife edge or other suitable» substitute a of multiplication that might be obtained. It will,
form as may be required, is longitudinally slid of course, be understood that this instrument is
ably supported within or removable from‘ a dove held in contact with the specimen in a usual and
tailed. channel l3lextending . along the .bottom, of 20 well-known-manner either by hand or by suita
rail 14. _ble. clamping means, one common form of which
The" helical spindle " 5 ._ is -.normally' rotatably .isrubber bands encircling the instrument and
“biased, in one “direction by asmall spiral .spring specimen. Also, if desired, the rail 14 may be
16 whose outerend is connected as .at- l'IfFig. .2, .formed of Invar steel’so as torender the trans
to .housing I .and ‘whose inner .endfisconnected 25 .fer mechanism, insensitive against temperature
.to astem l8. projectingifrom. an'dfformed as a changes. It then .becomes possible'to measure
.parteof spindlej5. .. A dial'face or annulus? I915 ro . testlspecimens under certain temperature condi
tatably supported in a suitablerecess. beneath. a tions. »
dial .cover _ 20 ..and has ‘.a. central opening'lbelow ‘From the foregoing disclosure it is seen that
which -a preferably?xed plate ’i2|.is .‘disposed so‘ 30 I. have provided an instrument having a large
, as 1to..provide a second .dial face.22,_Fig..3. .The . range while maintaining maximum accuracy and
plate 2 I, is suitablyisecuredtolthe sides oflhous sensitivity and at thesame time the instrument
,. log.‘ I . , A- pointer. 23. issecured to. spindle stem - l8 is. rugged, compact and easily placed in operation
while a. second,.pointer ,24 . is. rotated 'from_..stem 'wi'thexcellent vision of the indicating pointers.
l8 through areducingpinion and. gear. generally 35 ‘It will of coursebe understood that various
indicated at‘ 25. Pointer’24 indicates .onea dial .changesin .details of. construction and arrange- .
22 the number .of revolutions made‘lbyfpointer 23. .ment‘of partsmay be made by those skilled in
To initially. set dial [.9 .to.zero,,preparatory .to .the art without departing from the spirit of the
startinga test, .a bevel gearsegmentl26. is secured invention as set forth in the appended claims.
to annulus l9 while a bevel pinionis rotated by.a .I claim:
?nger knob..2'| journalledinhousing l. .1. ,The combination in a strain measuring in
In,operation,jthe.gauge pointsJLand 12. are strument comprising a frame, gauge means car
suitably held against a specimemgenerally indi ,ried by said frame for contacting a specimen,
cated- at. 28 .whereupon ..elongation oncontraction strain responsive indicating mechanism carried
of the specimen will cause the lever 2_to swing up 45 ‘by. said .frame, andmeans for lifting one of said
or .down .and .therebycause. rotation .of spindle 5 7 gauge ‘points -- from the specimen automatically
through the .slide ,pin 4 .and ‘ helical . groove 6. whenthe strain reaches a predetermined limit.
Pointer‘23 will indicate the extent ‘of-‘deforma '22. In .astrain measuring instrument compris
tion, although. if. the .deformation is sufficiently ingaframe, .a, gauge point, means for slidably
large so as to cause multiple revolutions of point 50 adjustingsaidgauge point on said frame so as
er .24 then .pointer v24 .can vbe .followed‘ to indi ‘to effect incremental adjustments, a second
cate the total number-bf revolutions .made by gauge point-pivotally-.supported by said frame,
.pointere23. .It is-seen that thisiwill insure alarge _..and. strain indicating. means operated by said piv
range .for lthe .instrumentalthough iflthe defor otaLgauge point. 1 '
.mationshouldtend to: exceedthercapacity of the 55 "3.‘The combination in a strain measuring in
instrument, then as lever 2.moves downwardlyit strumentcomprisinga rail, a gauge point slida
{will ultimately_engage--a.pin..30 which slidably } ~ bly carriedby said rail: so as to effect incremental
extends through rail .Msintobon-tact with-the adjustmentsof the gaugelength, a housing sup
,surface ..of,specime'n;28. ‘(Hence engagement of ,portedbysaid rail, a second gauge point pivotally
lever'2 with pin 30 will'causegauge point.“ and 60 connected.‘ to,.said rail, and strain ‘indicating
the left. end oflhousingll .tobelbodily. lifted :away . means ,operatedQby said pivotal gauge point dis
vfrom the specimen and’thereby avoid damageto =poseddentirely :within said housing in ?xed're
(the instrument. .él'ationltheretoand- operatively connected to said
. Instead. of employing ¢.a>,pivotal.fulcrum. suchas .pivotaLgauge point to be actuated thereby upon
3,.aknifeedge. 3l,,_Fig._.7, maybe formed on lever 65 , re1ative..movementbetween said gauge‘ points.
1.2 andr seated , ina suitable .bracket 32lsecured‘lto
rail H. .A gauge .‘point .33rislformed integrally ' .‘ ARNOLD U.-HUGGENBERGER.