Viscurometer

Claim 1

An apparatus for determining the physical properties of vulcanizable elastomeric material comprising a pair of die means cooperable to define a test sample receiving chamber with an annular opening between said die means and wherein said chamber receives a test sample, means connected to one of said die means for oscillatIon thereof to provide a shearing force on said sample in said test chamber, means operatively connected to said oscillating means for measuring said shearing force and providing an output signal therefrom, means to move the other of said die means relative to said one die means for cooperative engagement with the sample to maintain a pressure on said sample held between said die means; a pressure dome providing a closure for said opening between said die means, means to supply pressurized fluid to said pressure dome under controlled pressure to maintain a preselected fluid pressure on a test sample confined in said test chamber, means to heat said die means to a predetermined temperature, indicator means operative to receive said output signal for indicating its progressive value for use in analyzing said materials, and means operatively connected to said die moving means to provide a primary pressure and a secondary controlled linearly increasing programmed pressure.

Claim 2

An apparatus for determining the physical properties of vulcanizable elastomeric material comprising a pair of die means cooperable to define a test sample receiving chamber with an annular opening between said die means and wherein said chamber receives a test sample, means connected to one of said die means for oscillatIon thereof to provide a shearing force on said sample in said test chamber, means operatively connected to said oscillating means for measuring said shearing force and providing an output signal therefrom, means to move the other of said die means relative to said one die means for cooperative engagement with the sample to maintain a pressure on said sample held between said die means; a pressure dome providing a closure for said opening between said die means, means to supply pressurized fluid to said pressure dome under controlled pressure to maintain a preselected fluid pressure on a test sample confined in said test chamber, means to heat said die means to a predetermined temperature, indicator means operative to receive said output signal for indicating its progressive value for use in analyzing said materials, and means operatively connected to said die moving means to provide a primary pressure and a secondary controlled linearly increasing programmed pressure.

Claim 5

An apparatus for determining the physical properties of vulcanizable elastomeric materials comprising a pair of spaced die members cooperable to define a test chamber and hold a sample of material therebetween; oscillating means operatively connected to one of said die members for oscillating said one die member relative to the other die member to provide a shearing force on said sample received by said test chamber; measuring means operatively connected to said oscillating means for measuring said shearing force and providing an output signal therefrom; means to heat said die members to a preselected temperature; means operative to receive said output signal for indicating its progressive value; air cylinder means operatively interconnecting said die members to move said other die member toward said one member into cooperative engagement with a test sample held in said test chamber to provide a pressure thereon, control means connected to said air cylinder means to provide a primary pressure followed by a secondary pressure wherein said secondary pressure is different than said primary pressure; and said secondary pressure is a programmed to linearly increase to a predetermined pressure.

Claim 6

An apparatus for determining the physical properties of vulcanizable elastomeric materials comprising a pair of spaced die members cooperable to define a test chamber and hold a sample of material therebetween; oscillating means operatively connected to one of said die members for oscillating said one die member relative to the other die member to provide a shearing force on said sample received by said test chamber; measuring means operatively connected to said oscillating means for measuring said shearing force and providing an output signal therefrom; means to heat said die members to a preselected temperature; means operative to receive said output signal for indicating its progressive value; air cylinder means operatively interconnecting said die members to move said other die member toward said one member into cooperative engagement with a test sample held in said test chamber to provide a pressure thereon, control means connected to said air cylinder means to provide a primary pressure followed by a secondary pressure wherein said secondary pressure is different than said primary pressure; and said secondary pressure is a programmed to linearly increase to a predetermined pressure.

Claim 11

An apparatus for determining the physical properties of vulcanizable elastomeric materials comprising a pair of spaced die members cooperable to define a test chamber and hold a sample of material therebetween; oscillating means operatively connected to one of said die members for oscillating said one die member relative to the other die member to provide a shearing force on said sample received by said test chamber; measuring means operatively connected to said oscillating means for measuring said shearing force and providing an output signal therefrom; means to heat said die members; means operative to receive said output signal for indicating its progressive value; air cylinder means operatively interconnecting said die members to move said other die member toward said one member into cooperative engagement with a test sample held in said test chamber to provide a pressure thereon, control means connected to said air cylinder means to provide a primary pressure followed by a secondary pressure operative on said air cylinder means, and said control means includes circuit means for maintaining said secondary pressure at a constant pressure followed by a linearly increasing pressure to a predetermined pressure, and said circuit means including means responsive to a minimum torque output signal from said output signal to actuate said linearly increasing pressure following a preset time interval.

Claim 12

An apparatus for determining the physical properties of vulcanizable elastomeric materials comprising a pair of spaced die members cooperable to define a test chamber and hold a sample of material therebetween; oscillating means operatively connected to one of said die members for oscillating said one die member relative to the other die member to provide a shearing force on said sample received by said test chamber; measuring means operatively connected to said oscillating means for measuring said shearing force and providing an output signal therefrom; means to heat said die members; means operative to receive said output signal for indicating its progressive value; air cylinder means operatively interconnecting said die members to move said other die member toward said one member into cooperative engagement with a test sample held in said test chamber to provide a pressure thereon, control means connected to said air cylinder means to provide a primary pressure followed by a secondary pressure operative on said air cylinder means, and said control means includes circuit means for maintaining said secondary pressure at a constant pressure followed by a linearly increasing pressure to a predetermined pressure, and said circuit means including means responsive to a minimum torque output signal from said output signal to actuate said linearly increasing pressure following a preset time interval.

Claim 14

An apparatus for determining the physical properties of vulcanizable elastomeric materials comprising a pair of spaced die members cooperable to define a test chamber and hold a sample of material therebetween; oscillating means operatively connected to one of said die members for oscillating said one die member relative to the other die member to provide a shearing force on said sample received by said test chamber; measuring means operatively connected to said oscillating means for measuring said shearing force and providing an output signal therefrom; means to heat said die members; means operative to receive said output signal for indicating its progressive value; air cylinder means operatively interconnecting said die members to move said other die member toward said one member into cooperative engagement with a test sample held in said test chamber to provide a pressure thereon, control means connected to said air cylinder means to provide a primary pressure followed by a secondary programmed pressure, said control means for said programmed pressure to said air cylinders includes an integrator circuit and a current control circuit, said integrator circuit provides an increasing input signal to said current control circuit, a pneumatic booster relay operatively connected to said air cylinder means to provide an input thereto, an electric-to-pneumatic transducer operative in said control circuit to receive the output from said current control circuit and to provide a control signal to said pneumatic booster relay to incremental linearly increase the air pressure to said air cylinder means upon actuation of said secondary pressure, said secondary pressure being linearly increased to a predetermined pressure.

Claim 15

An apparatus for determining the physical properties of vulcanizable elastomeric materials comprising a pair of spaced die members cooperable to define a test chamber and hold a sample of material therebetween; oscillating means operatively connected to one of said die members for oscillating said one die member relative to the other die member to provide a shearing force on said sample received by said test chamber; measuring means operatively connected to said oscillating means for measuring said shearing force and providing an output signal therefrom; means to heat said die members; means operative to receive said output signal for indicating its progressive value; air cylinder means operatively interconnecting said die members to move said other die member toward said one member into cooperative engagement with a test sample held in said test chamber to provide a pressure thereon, control means connected to said air cylinder means to provide a primary pressure followed by a secondary programmed pressure, said control means for said programmed pressure to said air cylinders includes an integrator circuit and a current control circuit, said integrator circuit provides an increasing input signal to said current control circuit, a pneumatic booster relay operatively connected to said air cylinder means to provide an input thereto, an electric-to-pneumatic transducer operative in said control circuit to receive the output from said current control circuit and to provide a control signal to said pneumatic booster relay to incremental linearly increase the air pressure to said air cylinder means upon actuation of said secondary pressure, said secondary pressure being linearly increased to a predetermined pressure.

Claim 16

A method for determining physical properties of elastomeric materials comprising: subjecting a sample of material to a first confining pressure, heating such sample to a predetermined temperature thence subjecting said confined heated sample to oscillating shearing strains from an input source having predetermined constant rate and amplitude of oscillation, measuring the torsional resistance to said shearing strains, subjecting said sample of material to a second pressure different than said first pressure which second Pressure is a controlled programmed pressure linearly increasing to a predetermined maximum.

Claim 17

A method for determining physical properties of elastomeric materials comprising: subjecting a sample of material to a first confining pressure, heating such sample to a predetermined temperature thence subjecting said confined heated sample to oscillating shearing strains from an input source having predetermined constant rate and amplitude of oscillation, measuring the torsional resistance to said shearing strains, subjecting said sample of material to a second pressure different than said first pressure which second Pressure is a controlled programmed pressure linearly increasing to a predetermined maximum.

Claim 19

A method for determining physical properties of elastomeric materials comprising: subjecting a confined sample of material to a first pressure for a predetermined period of time, heating such sample to a predetermined temperature, subjecting said confined heated sample to oscillating shearing strain from an input source, subjecting said sample of material to a secondary linear increasing confining pressure after elapse of said predetermined time while being subjected to said oscillating shearing strain; and measuring the torsional resistance to these shearing strains.

Claim 20

A method for determining physical properties of elastomeric materials comprising: subjecting a confined sample of material to a first pressure for a predetermined period of time, heating such sample to a predetermined temperature, subjecting said confined heated sample to oscillating shearing strain from an input source, subjecting said sample of material to a secondary linear increasing confining pressure after elapse of said predetermined time while being subjected to said oscillating shearing strain; and measuring the torsional resistance to these shearing strains.