Vibration energy transfer techniques using stretched line element

Claim 1

IN AN ENERGY TRANSFER SYSTEM INCLUDING A VIBRATABLE TEST BODY, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID BODY AT AT LEAST ONE LOCATION DEFINING A NODAL POINT ON SAID BODY WHEN IN VIBRATION, AN ENERGY TRANSFER DEVICE SEPARATE FROM SAID SUPPORT MEANS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE VIBRATABLE LINE ELEMENT, HOLDING MEANS SECURED TO THE ENDS OF SAID ELEMENT AND OPERABLE TO MAINTAIN SAID ELEMENT SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT UNDER TENSION WITH SAID ELEMENT EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH TRANSVERSELY TO THE DIRECTION OF VIBRATION OF SAID BODY, POSITIONING MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUPPORTING MEANS AND THE HOLDING MEANS TO EFFECT RELATIVE POSITIONAL ADJUSTMENT BETWEEN THE ELEMENT AND BODY AND OPERABLE TO ESTABLISH SUBSTANTIALLY ONLY POINT CONTACT THEREBETWEEN AT A RELATIVE LOCATION INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE ELEMENT, WITH MINIMUM CONTACT PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SUCH CONTACT CONTINUOUS THROUGHOUT EACH VIBRATION CYCLE, AND ENERGY TRANSFER COUPLING MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ELEMENT AT A LOCATION SPACED FROM SAID POINT OF CONTACT AND OPERABLE TO EFFECT TRANSFORMATION BETWEEN VIBRATION OF SAID ELEMENT AND ANOTHER FORM OF ENERGY.