Instrument for capacitively testing the condition of lubricating oil

Claim 1

AN INSTRUMENT FOR TESTING THE CONDITION OF A FLUID BY INDICATING AN ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTIC THEREOF COMPRISING A SUPPORT HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, ELECTRICAL INSULATING MEANS SECURED TO THE WALLS OF SAID OPENING, AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE INSERT SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID INSULATING MEANS AND HAVING A SPHERICALLY CONCAVE SURFACE PORTION FORMING A RECEPTACLE FOR A SAMPLE OF FLUID TO BE TESTED, AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SPHERE, MOUNTING MEANS DISPOSED ON SAID SUPPORT ABOUT AN IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO SAID OPENING, THE DIAMETER OF SAID MOUNTING MEANS BEING LESS THEN THE DIAMETER OF SAID SHPERE, SAID SPHERE BEING REMOVABLY DIRECTLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID MOUNTING MEANS TO LOCATE THE SURFACE OF SAID SPHERE IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION OPPOSITE AND SLIGHTLY SPACED FROM SAID SPHERICALLY CONCAVE SURFACE PORTION OF SAID INSERT TO FORM AN ELECTRICAL CELL FOR RETAINING A PREDETERMINED SAMPLE OF FLUID THEREBETWEEN, AND AN ELECTRICALLY CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING SAID INSERT AND SAID SPHERE FOR INDICATING AN ELETRICAL PARAMETER DEPENDENT UPON THE ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCH A SAMPLE OF FLUID.