Composite force measuring assembly

Claim 1

A COMPOSITE, FORCE-MEASURING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A WIND TUNNEL SUPPORT STING; (B) FIRST CONNECTING MEANS ON THE FORWARD END OF SAID SUPPORT STING; (C) A WIND TUNNEL MODEL ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED FROM THE FORWARD END OF SAID SUPPORT STING, SAID MODEL INCLUDING AN ELONGATED BODY HAVING A REMOVABLE NOSE PORTION ON THE FORWARD END THEREOF AND HAVING A HOLLOWED PORTION OPENING TO THE OPPOSITE, REARWARD END THEREOF; (D) SECOND CONNECTING MEANS WITHIN THE FORWARD END OF SAID HOLLOWED PORTION OF THE MODEL; (E) A SEPARABLE, FORCE-MEASURING DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOLLOWED PORTION OF THE MODEL BODY; (F) THIRD CONNECTING MEANS PROVIDED ON ONE END OF SAID FORCE-MEASURING DEVICE; (G) FOURTH CONNECTING MEANS PROVIDED ON THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID FORCE-MEASURING DEVICE; (H) SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONNECTING MEANS BEING ADAPTED FOR INTERCONNECTION WITH EITHER OF SAID THIRD AND FOURTH CONNECTING MEANS SO AS TO ALLOW INTERCHANGEABILITY OF DIFFERENT, FORCE-MEASURING DEVICES AND MODELS WITH RESPECT TO SAID SUPPORT STING; (I) SAID SEPARABLE, FORCE-MEASURING DEVICE BEING DEFINED BY A DRAG BALANCE FOR MEASURING DRAG FORCES DEVELOPED ON THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID MODEL, SAID BALANCE COMPRISING, (1) AN ELONGATED BODY MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL, AXIALLY EXTENDING SLOT FORMED IN THE MIDPORTION THEREOF, (2) AN H-SHAPED DRAG LINK DISPOSED IN SAID SLOT, SAID LINK INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED-APART, PARALLEL, UPRIGHT LEGS AND A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, CENTER BEAM CONNECTED AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS TO THE RESPECTIVE MIDPORTION OF SAID UPRIGHT LEGS, SAID BEAM BEING READILY INFLUENCED BY BENDING FORCE IMPOSED THEREON, THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF EACH OF THE UPRIGHT LEGS BEING RIGIDLY SECURED TO THE ELONGATED BODY MEMBER AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SLOT, AND (3) STRAIN GAGES SECURED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CENTER BEAM AND IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID UPRIGHT LEGS WHEREBY A FORCE APPLIED IN THE APPROXIMATE DIRECTION AXIALLY OF THE CENTER BEAM, SUBJECTING SAID BEAM TO BENDING STRESSES, MAY BE MEASURED.