Load cell device

Claim 1

A LOAD CELL, COMPRISING: (A) A BLOCK OF ELASTIC MATERIAL HAVING: (1) ONE END UPON WHICH IT IS ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED; (2) AN OPPOSITE PARALLEL END ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN APPLIED FORCE TO BE MEASURED; (3) TWO OPPOSITE SIDE FACES; (4) OPPOSITE FRONT AND REAR FACES; (5) AN APERTURE EXTENDING FROM THE FRONT FACE TO THE REAR FACE, IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND SPACED FROM BOTH ENDS AND BOTH SIDE FACES, SAID APERTURE HAVING AT LEAST THOSE PORTIONS OF ITS SURFACE NEAREST THE SIDE FACES OF ARCUATE CROSS-SECTION, WITH THE AXES OF CURVATURE OF SAID ARCUATE CROSS-SECTION PORTIONS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID ENDS AND TO SAID SIDE FACES; (6) RECESS OF ARCUATE CROSS-SECTION EXTENDING ACROSS SAID SIDE FACES FROM THE FRONT FACE TO THE REAR FACE, THE AXES OF CURVATURE OF SAID RECESSES LYING IN THE SAME PLANE AS THE AXES OF CURVATURE OF SAID ARCUATE CROSS-SECTION PORTIONS OF SAID APERTURE SURFACE AND THE RADIUS OF THE ARCUATE RECESSES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE RADIUS OF THE ARCUATE CROSS-SECTION PORTIONS OF THE APERTURE; (7) SAID RECESSES AND SAID APERTURE COOPERATING TO DEFINE TWO PARALLEL COLUMNS INTEGRAL WITH THE BLOCK, EACH COLUMN HAVING A NARROW NECK AND FLARING FROM THE NECK TOWARD BOTH ENDS; AND (B) A PLURALITY OF STRAIN SENSITIVE ELEMENTS ATTACHED TO THE COLUMNS ON THE ARCUATE CROSS-SECTION SURFACES THEREOF.