Consolidation and shear test apparatus

Claim 1

IN A SHEAR APPARATUS WHEREIN A SOIL SPECIMEN IS SUBJECTED TO A COMPRESSIVE FORCE WHILE LATERALLY CONFINED, SAID COMPRESSIVE FORCE BEING TRANSMITTED THROUGH RIGID POROUS MEMBERS POSITIONED ABOVE AND BELOW SAID SPECIMEN, ONE OF SAID RIGID POROUS MEMBERS BEING FIXED AND ONE OF SAID RIGID POROUS MEMBERS BEING MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE OTHER, THE IMPROVEMENTS COMPRISING: (A) SUPPORT MEANS SECURED TO THE FIXED POROUS MEMBER AT A POINT ADJACENT THE SPECIMEN SAID MEANS HAVING AT LEAST A SINGLE, ARM EXTENDING THEREFROM FOR SUPPORTING AN EXTENSOMETER OPPOSITE SAID MOVABLE RIGID POROUS MEMBER; (B) AN EXTENSOMETER MOUNTED ON SAID ARM AND POSITIONED OPPOSITE THE SAID MOVABLE RIGID POROUS MEMBER, SAID EXTENSOMETER HAVING A RECIPROCATING PROBE EXTENDING TOWARD THE SURFACE OF SAID MOVABLE RIGID POROUS MEMBER FARTHEST REMOVED FROM SAID SPECIMEN; (C) MEANS FOR APPLYING AND REMOVING A CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE FORCE TO THE SAID SURFACE OF SAID MOVABLE RIGID POROUS MEMBER FARTHEST REMOVED FROM SAID SPECIMEN, SAID MEANS FOR APPLYING A FORCE BEING POSITIONED BENEATH THE RECIPROCATING PROBE OF THE SAID EXTENSOMETER AND BEING FREE OF CONTACT THEREWITH WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF THE SAID MEANS FOR APPLYING FORCE WILL NOT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE SAID EXTENSOMETER AND PROBE, SAID MEANS FOR APPLYING A FORCE HAVING A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH CO-AXIAL WITH SAID EXTENSOMETER PROBE FOR RECEIPT OF A PIN, SAID PASSAGE EXTENDING TO THE SURFACE OF SAID MOVABLE RIGID POROUS MEMBER FARTHEST REMOVED FROM SAID SPECIMEN; (D) A PIN POSITIONED IN THE SAID PASSAGE AND PLANAR MEANS AT THE TOP THEREOF FOR CONTACTING AND CONTROLLING MOVEMENT OF THE SAID PROBE OF THE SAID EXTENSOMETER, SAID PIN DIRECTLY CONTACTING THE SURFACE OF SAID MOVABLE RIGID POROUS MEMBER FARTHEST REMOVED FROM SAID SPECIMEN, SAID PIN AND SAID PROBE OF SAID EXTENSOMETER BEING FREE TO MOVE HORIZONTALLY RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER.