Force measuring apparatus

Claim 1

IN A DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE TORSIONAL FORCE BETWEEN A DRIVING SHAFT AND A DRIVEN SHAFT MOUNTED IN COAXIAL RELATIONSHIP THERETO, THE COMBINATION OF: A FIRST DISC-SHAPED CLUTCH-LIKE MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID DRIVING SHAFT AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY-SPACED TEETH EXTENDING PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER AND AT AN ANGLE TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT; A SECOND DISC-SHAPED CLUTCH-LIKE MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID DRIVEN SHAFT IN FACE-TO-FACE RELATION WITH SAID FIRST CLUTCH MEMBER, SAID SECOND CLUTCH MEMBER ALSO HAVING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL CIRCUMFERENTIALL-SPACED TEETH AND BEING DESIGNED TO ENGAGE SAID FIRST CLUTCH MEMBER SO THAT THE RESPECTIVE SETS OF TEETH ON THE TWO MEMBERS MESH BUT LIE IN SPACED-APART RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER IN THE ABSENCE OF A ROTATIONAL FORCE APPLIED TO SAID DRIVING SHAFT; AND A BAND OF FERROMAGNETIC MATERIAL OVERLYING THE PERIPHERY OF THE TWO MESHED CLUTCH MEMBERS, SAID BAND BEING SECURED TO EACH OF THE TEETH OF EACH CLUTCH MEMBER SO AS TO BE FREE OF STRESS IN THE ABSENCE OF A ROTATIONAL FORCE APPLIED TO SAID DRIVING SHAFT; WHEREBY, UPON THE APPLICATION TO SAID DRIVING SHAFT OF A FORCE TENDING TO ROTATE THE LATTER, THE TEETH ON SAID FIRST CLUTCH MEMBER WILL BE URGED TOWARD CONTACT WITH THE TEETH ON SAID SECOND CLUTCH MEMBER, THUS PLACING INDIVIDUAL PORTIONS OF THE MATERIAL OF WHICH SAID BAND IS COMPOSED UNDER TENSION AND OTHER INDIVIDUAL PORTIONS OF SAID BAND MATERIAL IN A STATE OF COMPRESSION, THE BAND PORTIONS SO COMPRESSED ALTERNATING IN ANY SELECTED CIRCUMFERENTIAL DIRECTION WITH THE BAND PORTIONS PLACED UNDER TENSION.