Apparatus for measurement of capacitivity of materials in large bulk form having movable support and guide means

Claim 1

CAPACITOR TEST CELL APPARATUS RESPONSIVE TO CAPACITIVITY OF A SUBSTANCE IN BULK FORM AND ADAPTED TO BE COUPLED INTO AN ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM, COMPRISING A PAIR OF BROAD-AREA CAPACITOR ELECTRODES, MEANS MOUNTING SAID ELECTRODES IN INSULATED RELATIONSHIP WITH A HOLLOW MEASUREMENT REGION THEREBETWEEN FOR ACCOMMODATING QUANTITIES OF SAID SUBSTANCES IN BULK FORM, GROUNDED SHIELDING MATERIAL IN ENCLOSING AND INSULATED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID ELECTRODES, SAID SHIELDING MATERIAL AND MOUNTING MEANS BEING DISPOSED PERIPHERALLY BEYOND THE EXTREMITIES OF AN OPENING WHICH EXPOSES SAID MEASUREMENT REGION BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES FOR ACCESS FROM OUTSIDE SAID TEST CELL APPARATUS, INSULATING SUPPORT MEANS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR SYMMETRY ABOUT AN AXIS OF ROTATION FOR SUPPORTING A SUBSTANCE IN BULK FORM, MEANS POSITIONING SAID SUPPORT MEANS FOR ROTATION AT LEAST PARTLY WITHIN THE ELECROSTATIC FIELD BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES WITH SAID AXIS OF ROTATION SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH LINES OF ELECTROSTATIC FLUX BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES AND AT A POSITION WHEREIN SAID SUPPORT MEANS SUPPORTS A SUBSTANCE IN BULK FORM THEREON WHOLLY WITHIN THE ELECTROSTATIC FIELD IN SAID MEASUREMENT REGION, AND MEANS FIXED IN A RELATIONSHIP TO SAID ELECTRODES FOR ROLLING THE BULK SUBSTANCE INTO SAID MEASUREMENT REGION THROUGH THE OPENING AND THEREBY PRODUCING ROTATION OF SAID INSULATING SUPPORT MEANS AT LEAST PARTLY WITHIN THE ELECTROSTATIC FIELD IN SAID MEASUREMENT REGION BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES, WHEREBY DIFFERENT ANGULAR ORIENTATIONS OF SAID INSULATING MEANS ABOUT SAID AXIS OF ROTATION DO NOT AFFECT THE MEASUREMENT FIELD PATTERN BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES.