Apparatus for measuring and testing electrical properties of nonconductive materials

Claim 1

A MEASURING SYSTEM FOR TESTING NON-ELECTROCONDUCTIVE MATERIALS, COMPRISING: (A) AN OSCILLATOR FOR PRODUCING AN ELECTRIC OSCILLATION THE FREQUENCY OF WHICH VARIES IN RESPONSE TO CAPACITY VARIATIONS; (B) A DISCRIMINATOR FOR PRODUCING A DIRECT-CURRENT SIGNAL THE AMPLITUDE OF WHICH IS A FUNCTION OF THE FREQUENCY OF SAID ELECTRIC OSCILLATION; (C) A SENSING CAPACITOR FOR SENSING A PREDETERMINED PARAMETER OF A NON-ELECTROCONDUCTIVE MATERIAL UNDER TEST, THE SENSING CAPACITOR HAVING A PREDETERMINED INHERERNT CAPACITY; (D) A COMPARISON CAPACITOR HAVING A CAPACITY OF A VALUE SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE INHERENT CAPACITY OF THE SENSING CAPACITOR; (E) MEANS FOR EXPOSING THE SENSING CAPACITOR TO THE MATERIAL UNDER TEST FOR CAUSING THE SENSING CAPACITOR TO EXPERIENCE A CAPACITY VARIATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SAID PARAMETER OF THE MATERIAL UNDER TEST;