Method and apparatus for testing soil corrosivity or resistivity

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE CORROSIVE AND RESISTIVE PROPERTIES OF A SUBSTANCE, IN COMBINATION: FIRST AND SECOND PROBE-TYPE METAL ELECTRODES; A CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING A SAMPLE OF SAID SUBSTANCE, LIQUIFIED BY A ADMIXTURE WITH PURE WATER, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING A SAMPLE CUP CONSTITUTING A THIRD ELECTRODE AND INCLUDING A COVER HAVING MEANS DEFINING AN INSULATIVE OPENING THEREIN FOR SELECTIVELY RECEIVING EITHER SAID FIRST OR SAID SECOND ELECTRODE FOR INJECTION INTO SAID SUBSTANCE AND TO POSITION EACH IN A PREDETERMINED FIXED SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID THIRD ELECTRODE, SAID SAMPLE CUP BEING OF A METAL THE SAME AS THAT OF SAID FIRST ELECTRODE AND DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF SAID SECOND ELECTRODE; MEANS PROVIDING CONNECTIONS TO AN ELECTRIC VOLTAGE SOURCE; AN ELECTRIC CURRENT METER; MEANS, INCLUDING AN ELECTRIC SWITCH, FOR ESTABLISHING A RESISTIVITY-INDICATING CIRCUIT BETWEEN SAID VOLTAGE SOURCE, SAID METER, SAID SAMPLE CUP AND SAID FIRST ELECTRODE WHEN THE LATTER IS INSERTED INTO A LIQUIFIED SAMPLE OF SAID SUBSTANCE CONTAINED IN SAID CUP, WHEREBY THE FLOW OF ELECTRIC CURRENT PRODUCED BY SAID VOLTAGE SOURCE MAY BE READ ON SAID METER AS AND INDICATION OF RESISTIVITY OF SAID SAMPLE; AND MEANS INCLUDING SAID SWITCH, FOR ESTABLISHING AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BETWEEN SAID SAMPLE CUP AND SAID SECOND ELECTRODE, SHUNTING OUT SAID VOLTAGE SOURCE, WHEN SAID SECOND ELECTRODE IS INSERTED INTO A LIQUIFIED SAMPLE OF SAID SUBSTANCE CONTAINED IN SAID CUP WHERE SAID SUBSTANCE, WHEN MIXED WITH PURE WATER IS SUCH AS TO CONSTITUTE SAID LIQUIFIED SAMPLE AN ELECTROLYTE OF A VOLTAIC CELL INCLUDING SAID SAMPLE CUP AND SECOND ELECTRODE, WHEREBY A FLOW OF ELECTRIC CURRENT, GENERATED BY SAID CELL, MAY BE READ AS AN INDICATION OF THE CORROSIVITY OF SAID SUBSTANCE UPON A METAL OF THE SAME KIND AS SAID SECOND ELECTRODE, IN CONTACT WITH SAID SUBSTANCE.