Soil-testing apparatus

Claim 1

A SOIL CONSOLIDATION MEASUREMENT APPARATUS ADAPTED TO COMPRESS AND MEASURE THE COMPRESSION OF A SOIL SAMPLE CONTAINED WITHIN AND FLUSHLY FILLING A CYLINDRICAL SAMPOLE RING AND COMPRISING IN COMBINATION THEREWITH: (A) A POROUS BOTTOM DISK ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED AGAINST AND TO SUPPORT THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE SOIL SAMPLE WITHIN THE RING; (B) A POROUS UPPER DISC HAVING A DIAMETER SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF THE RING AND BEING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED AGAINST THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SOIL SAMPLE WITHIN THE RING; (C) A CUP-LIKE BODY HAVING CYLINDRICALLY STEPPED INNER CHAMBER PORTIONS WITH THE BOTTOM PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND HOLD THE BOTTOM DISC AND WITH AN ADJACENT PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND HOLD THE SAMPLE RING WITH THE BASE OF THE RING BEING AT THE SURFACE OF THE DISC; (D) A RESTRAINING SLEEVE HAVING AN INTERNAL DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF THE SAMPLE RING, AND BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED WITH A CHAMBER PORTION IN THE BODY OVER THE RING AND TO HOLD THE UPPER DISC IN POSITION UPON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SOIL SAMPLE WITHIN THE RING AND TO HOLD THE SOIL SAMPLE IN ITS CYLINDRICAL FORM SHOULD SWELLING OF THE SAMPLE OCCUR; (E) AN ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE CHAMBER PORTION OF THE INNER WALL OF THE CUP AND THE SAID RETAINING SLEEVE ADAPTED TO FORM A MOST ABOUT THE SLEEVE AND ABOVE THE SAMPLE RING; (F) AN ANNULAR SEAL BETWEEN THE RESTRAINING SLEEVE, THE SAMPLE RING AND THE BODY INNER WALL ADAPTED TO PREVENT BYPASS AND LEAKAGE OF WATER FROM THE MOAT WHEREBY TO PERMIT PERMEABILITY MEASUREMENTS WITH THE APPARATUS; (G) MEANS FOR APPLYING A FORCE AGAINST THE UPPER DISC TO PUSH IT AGAINST THE SOIL SAMPLE AND THEREBY EFFECT COMPRESSION THEREOF; AND, (H) MEANS ADAPTED TO MEASURE THE MOVEMENT OF THE UPPER DISC RESPONSIVE TO THE EFFECT OF FORCE-APPLYING MEANS.