Fast acting tensile tester

Claim 1

A TENSILE TESTING MACHINE INCLUDING A STANCHION PROVIDED WITH A CYLINDER HAVING A POWER CAVITY AND A PAIR OF ARMS EXTENDING VERTICALLY UPWARD FROM SAID CYLINDER, A BLOCK FOR CLOSING THE BOTTOM END OF SAID CAVITY, A WALL CLOSING THE TOP END OF SAID CAVITY, A SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH A MATING HOLE IN SAID WALL, A PISTON FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON THE LOWER END OF SAID SHAFT IN SAID CAVITY FOR VERTICAL RECIPROCATION THEREIN, A YOKE MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT IN SAID STANCHION BETWEEN SAID ARMS SO AS TO BE SLIDINGLY SUPPORTED THEREBY, SAID YOKE BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT FOR RECIPROCATION BY SAID PISTON, A BORE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BLOCK INTO COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CAVITY, A VALVE SEAT LOCATED AT THE MOUTH OF SAID BORE IN SAID CAVITY, A VALVE ASSEMBLY MOUNTED IN THE LOWER SECTION OF SAID SHAFT FOR DISPLACEMENT WITHIN SAID PISTON INTO CONTACT WITH SAID VALVE SEAT TO BLOCK COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID BORE AND SAID CAVITY, A LOWER PLATEN INTEGRALLY FORMED BETWEEN SAID ARMS, AN UPPER PLATEN CARRIED BY SAID YOKE, A PAIR OF WORK TRANSDUCERS RESPECTIVELY MOUNTED ON SAID LOWER PLATEN AND SAID UPPER PLATEN FOR SECURELY GRIPPING A SPECIMEN THEREBETWEEN, A PNEUMATIC SYSTEM INCLUDING A HIGH PRESSURE PIPING SYSTEM FOR DELIVERING HIGH PRESSURE GAS TO SAID BORE TO ENERGIZE SAID PISTON FOR RUPTURING THE SPECIMEN WHEN SAID VALVE ASSEMBLY IS UNSEATED FROM SAID VALVE SEAT, MEANS IN SAID PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR INITIALLY DISPLACING SAID PISTON TO UNSEAT SAID VALVE ASSEMBLY, AND MEANS FOR DAMPING THE SURPLUS ENERGY IN SAID PISTON AND YOKE BY OSCILATION THEREOF BETWEEN TWO AIR CUSHIONS RESPECTIVELY FORMED IN SAID CAVITY ABOVE AND BELOW SAID PISTON.