Low torque meter

Claim 1

IN A DEVICE TO MEASURE TORQUE FORCES OVER A GIVEN RANGE OF VALUES, THE COMBINATION OF: A FLEXIBLE BEAM RIGIDLY ANCHORED AT ONE END WITH THE OTHER END FREE TO FLEX; RESTRAINING MEANS ENGAGING THE OTHER END OF THE BEAM AND FLEXING THE BEAM IN ONE LATERAL DIRECTION TO A GIVEN DEGREE WITH THE BEAM FREE TO FLEX IN SAID ONE LATERAL DIRECTION BEYOND THE GIVEN DEGREE; A SPRING-BIASED INDICATOR GAGE UNDER LOAD BY THE BEAM WITH THE SPRING FORCE OF THE GAGE URGING FLEXURE OF THE BEAM IN SAID LATERAL DIRECTION, SAID GAGE HAVING A SCALE COVERING THE GIVEN RANGE OF TORQUE VALUES WITH THE SCALE RISING IN THE DIRECTION OF UNLOADING OF THE GAGE; ROTARY INPUT MEANS TO RECEIVE TORQUE FORCES TO BE MEASURED, PORTION OF THE ROTARY INPUT MEANS HAVING A CONCENTRIC PERIPHERAL SURFACE; AND ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEANS CONNECTING SAID ROTARY INPUT MEANS WITH THE BEAM TO FLEX THE BEAM IN SAID ONE LATERAL DIRECTION BEYOND THE GIVEN DEGREE AND THUS CORRESPONDINGLY UNLOAD THE INDICATOR GAGE; SAID ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEANS LYING AGAINST SAID CONCENTRIC PERIPHERAL SURFACE TO EXTEND TANGENTIALLY THEREFROM TO THE BEAM THROUGHOUT THE GIVEN RANGE OF TORQUE VALUES.