In-vehicle dynamometer

Claim 1

A DYNAMOMETER, THE POWER OF A PRIME MOVER TO BE MEASURED BY SAID DYNAMOMETER, SAID DYNOMOMETER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF FLEXURAL SUPPORTS TO CARRY THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL COMPONENTS OF THE PRIME MOVER WEIGHT AND ACCELERATION AND PRIME MOVER TORQUE REACTION, A PAIR OF SERIALLY CONNECTED VARIABLE IMPEDANCE ELEMENTS RESPONSIVE TO VARIATION IN MECHANICAL STRESS MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID SUPPORTS AND CONTACTING SAID SUPPORT TO ACQUIRE A VARIATION IN STRESS IN PROPORTION TO THE TORQUE APPLIED BY THE PRIME MOVER WHEREBY THE IMPEDANCES OF SAID ELEMENTS ARE ALSO VARIED, SAID ELEMENTS CONNECTED TO PROVIDE AN ELECTRICAL BRIDGE CIRCUIT, A SWITCH MEANS DRIVEN BY THE OUTPUT SHAFT OF SAID PRIME MOVER AT A RATE PROPORTIONAL TO SHAFT SPEED, SAID SWITCH MEANS CONNECTED TO ALTERNALELY CONNECT AND DISCONNECT A SOURCE OF CONSTANT ELECTRICAL VOLTAGE TO TWO OPPOSITE NODES OF SAID BRIDGE CIRCUIT, A CAPACITOR, A FIRST DIODE AND A CURRENT METER SERIALLY CONNECTED IN THE STATED ORDER BETWEEN ONE OF THE REMAINING NODES OF SAID BRIDGE CIRCUIT AND THE OTHER REMAINING NODE, SAID FIRST DIODE CONDUCTING CURRENT FROM SAID CAPACITOR TO SAID METER, A SECOND DIODE CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID OTHER REMAINING NODE AND THE COMMON CONNECTION POINT OF SAID CAPACITOR AND SAID FIRST DIODE, SAID SECOND DIODE CONDUCTING CURRENT TOWARD SAID COMMON CONNECTION POINT, THE AVERAGE CURRENT THROUGH SAID METER BEING PROPORTIONAL TO THE POWER DELIVERED BY SAID PRIME MOVER.