Material testing process and apparatus

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR TESTING ELONGATED PIECES SUCH AS WIRES, BANDS, BARS, AND THE LIKE, IN COMBINATION, AN ENCLOSURE ADAPTED TO BE FILLED WITH A LIQUID, SAID ENCLOSURE HAVING A TOP WALL FORMED WITH AN OPENING HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA ADAPTED TO FORM THE LIQUID IN THE CONTAINER INTO A MENISCAL BULGE EXTENDING TO AN ELEVATION SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN SAID OPENING; GUIDE MEANS FOR GUIDING THE TEST PIECE ALONG A PATH PASSING THROUGH SAID MENISCAL BULGE SO THAT THE TEST PIECE ENGAGES THE LIQUID AT SAID MENISCAL BULGE THEREOF; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING INTO SAID ENCLOSURE AT LEAST SUCH A QUANTITY OF LIQUID THAT A MENISCAL BULGE IS MAINTAINED IN SAID OPENING DURING MOVEMENT OF THE TEST PIECE; AN ELECTRO-ASCOUSTIC TRANSDUCER IN SAID CONTAINER SUBMERGE IN THE LIQUID ADJACENT SAID OPENING; AND ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT MEANS SUPPORTING THE TRANSDUCER AT AN ANGLE DIRECTING WAVES FROM THE TRANSDUCER TO SAID MENISCAL BULGE INTO CONTACT WITH THE TEST PIECE ENGAGING THE MENISCAL BULGE.