Claims
- 1. A torsion tester, comprising:a housing; a load cell interchangeably mounted to the housing; a memory wherein performance characteristics of the load cell is stored; a first tooling member coupled to the load cell; a second tooling member rotatably secured to the housing, to apply a rotational force to a test object mounted between the first tooling member and second tooling member wherein the load applied to the test object is transferred to the first tooling member and is sensed by the load cell to generate a signal representative of torque; and an electronics package, said electronics package capable of interrogating said memory and using the performance characteristics stored therein with at least one other signal to provide accurate torsion test data.
- 2. A torsion tester, as in claim 1, wherein the load cell further comprises an cartridge in which the load cell is mounted such that the cartridge containing the load cell is interchangeably mounted within the torsion tester.
- 3. A torsion tester, as in claim 1, wherein the performance characteristics are selected from the group consisting of:a full scale value of the cartridge; an electrical output of the load cell when zero load is applied to the cell; an electrical output of the load cell when a load approximating the full scale value of the load cell is applied to the load cell; and data used by the torsion tester to linearize an output of the load cell.
- 4. A torsion tester, as in claim 1, wherein the electronics package further comprises a processor to process a signal received from the load cell, a memory, and a display.
- 5. A torsion tester, as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the tooling members is interchangeably secured to the housing.
- 6. A torsion tester, as in claim 5, wherein the tooling member further includes a threaded bore and the torsion tester further includes a threaded shaft coupled to a knob, wherein the threaded shaft is securely received by the threaded bore in the tooling member so as to releasably secure the tooling member.
- 7. A torsion tester, comprising:a housing; a load cell attached to the housing wherein performance characteristics of the load cell is calibrated prior to attaching to said housing; a first tooling member coupled to the load cell, wherein a load applied to the first tooling member is sensed by the load cell; a second tooling member attached to the housing; and a zeroing pin attached to one of the first and second tooling members and a zeroing slot formed in the other of the first and second tooling members to receive the zeroing pin during calibration.
- 8. A torsion tester, as in claim 7, further comprising an electronics package coupled to an encoder to receive signals representative of angular deflection and coupled to the load cell to receive signals representative of torque.
- 9. A torsion tester, as in claim 8, further comprising a means for determining the zeroing pin is received within the zeroing slot.
- 10. A torsion tester, as in claim 7, further comprising at least one of the first tooling member and the second tooling member interchangeably secured to a housing.
- 11. A torsion tester, as in claim 10, at least one of the first tooling member and the second tooling member further comprising a threaded bore and the housing further comprising a threaded shaft coupled to a knob, wherein the threaded shaft is received by the threaded bore.
- 12. A torsion tester, as in claim 8, wherein the electronics package includes a means for receiving signals generated by a load cell and an encoder, a means for processing a signal received from the load cell and the encoder, a memory, and a display.
- 13. A torsion tester as recited in claim 1, wherein performance characteristics are selected from the group consisting at least one of an offset, gain, linearity and deflection.
- 14. A torsion tester as recited in claim 7, wherein performance characteristics are selected from the group consisting at least one of an offset, gain, linearity and deflection.
- 15. A torsion tester, comprising:a first tooling member having an interchangeable load cell couplable thereto, said interchangeable load cell including a memory module having performance characteristics of said load cell stored in said memory module, said performance characteristics being selected from the group consisting of a full scale value, an electrical output of said load cell when no load is applied to said load cell, an electrical output of said load cell when a first load approximating the full scale value of the load cell is applied to the load cell, and data used to linearize an output of the load cell; and a housing including a second tooling member rotatably secured thereto, wherein a test object is securable between said first and second tooling members, and further wherein when said second tooling member is rotated, a test load is applied to the test object and said interchangeable load cell senses an amount said test object is torqued.
- 16. A torsion tester, as in claim 15, further comprising an electronic package couple to the interchangeable load cell to receive a signal indicative of the amount said test object is torqued.
- 17. A torsion tester, as in claim 15, wherein said load cell further comprises a cartridge in which the load cell is mounted such that the cartridge containing the load cell is interchangeably mountable within the torsion tester.
- 18. A torsion tester, as in claim 16, wherein the electronics package further comprises a processor to process the output of said load cell.
- 19. A torsion tester, as in claim 16, wherein the electronic package compensates for unintended angular displacement of the first tooling member as the test load is applied to the test object.
Parent Case Info
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 09/169,254, filed Oct. 9, 1998, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/062,352, filed Oct. 15, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/062352 |
Oct 1997 |
US |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/169254 |
Oct 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/543166 |
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US |