Force sensing transducer

Claim 2

A force sensing transducer comprising: a three dimensional body having first and second spaced opposite surfaces and having a plurality of parallel cavities opening out to said first surface; a strain responsive cylinder positioned in each of said cavities and wherein: one end of each said cylinder is supported by the bottom of a said cavity, the opposite end of a said cylinder extends above the surface surrounding the cavity in which it is positioned a distance of 0.05 to 0.2 percent of the height of said cylinder, an annular flexible ring interconnecting and separating a said cylinder from the sidewalls of a said cavity, and a plurality of strain responsive, electrically indicating, elements positioned on each said cylinder; whereby force applied between like ends of said cylinders and said second surface is sensed by said strain responsive elements and thereby said force is measured.

Claim 3

A force sensing transducer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strain responsive elements are on the sidewalls of said cylinders, at least four of said strain responsive elements are positioned to register strain parallel to the axis of a said cylinder and at least four oppositely positioned strain sensitive elements are positioned to register strain perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder whereby axial force alone is measured while cancelling out any bending moments which are imposed on individual strain responsive cylinder.

Claim 4

A force sensing transducer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cylinders are substantially solid and the height of each said cylinder is no greater than 1.0 times the diameter of a said cylinder.

Claim 5

A force sensing transducer as set forth in claim 3 wherein said three dimensional body comprises an annular ring.

Claim 6

A force sensing transducer as set forth in claim 4 further comprising: An annular washer of relatively hard material providing an interface between said strain responsive cylinders and a said first surface of any member applying force thereto, whereby any deformation of the surface of the member providing said applied force is isolated from a said first surface of a said annular ring and thus deterioration of operation by the lowering of the upper cutoff level of measurement is prevented.

Claim 7

In a force measurement assembly in which an adjustable force is applied to opposed rollers of a roller assembly adapted to flatten or reduce the thickness of an article and including a pair of shafts adapted to apply a force to opposite ends of one of said rollers with respect to a housing of a said roller asembly, an annular force transducer surrounding each of said shafts and positioned to be compressed by the force applied to said rollers wherein each said transducer comprises: an annular body having first and second spaced opposite surfaces and having a plurality of parallel spaced cavities opening out to said first surface; a strain responsive cylinder positioned in each of said cavities and wherein; one end of each said cylinder is supported by the bottom of a said cavity, the opposite end of a said cylinder extends above the said first surface surrounding the cavity in which it is positioned a distance of 0.05 to 0.2 percent of the height of said cylinder, an annular flexible ring interconnecting and separating a said cylinder from the sidewalls of a said cavity, and a plurality of strain responsive, electrically indicating, elements positioned on each said cylinder; whereby force applied between said opposite ends of said cylinders and said second surface of said annular body is sensed by said strain responsive elements and thereby said force applied to said rollers is measured.

Claim 8

In a force measurement assembly in which an adjustable force is applied to opposed rollers of a roller assembly adapted to flatten or reduce the thickness of an article and including a pair of shafts adapted to apply a force to opposite ends of one of said rollers with respect to a housing of a said roller asembly, an annular force transducer surrounding each of said shafts and positioned to be compressed by the force applied to said rollers wherein each said transducer comprises: an annular body having first and second spaced opposite surfaces and having a plurality of parallel spaced cavities opening out to said first surface; a strain responsive cylinder positioned in each of said cavities and wherein; one end of each said cylinder is supported by the bottom of a said cavity, the opposite end of a said cylinder extends above the said first surface surrounding the cavity in which it is positioned a distance of 0.05 to 0.2 percent of the height of said cylinder, an annular flexible ring interconnecting and separating a said cylinder from the sidewalls of a said cavity, and a plurality of strain responsive, electrically indicating, elements positioned on each said cylinder; whereby force applied between said opposite ends of said cylinders and said second surface of said annular body is sensed by said strain responsive elements and thereby said force applied to said rollers is measured.