Gap filler for rheometer

Claim 2

In a rheometer having a cylindrical stator with a cavity therein and a rotatable cylindrical rotor concentrically positioned within said cavity and with a space therebetween, heating means supplying heat to said stator, the improvement comprising said stator being formed of two parts having a. a cylindrical bottom part having a concave, annular reservoir in the surface thereof which abuts with the second part of said stator, and b. a cylindrical top part having an annular embossment on the surface thereof which abuts with said aforesaid reservoir containing surface of said bottom stator part, said embossment shaped and positioned to fit into said reservoir, means for axially moving said top and bottom parts into abutting relationship at the aforesaid surfaces with said embossment and reservoir moved together, and passageway means connecting said reservoir and said space between said stator and rotor such that molten material extrudes from said reservoir into the space between the stator and rotor when said embossment and reservoir are moved together.

Claim 3

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said concave, annular reservoir has the form of approximately 1/2 a toroid.

Claim 4

The improvement of claim 2 wherein said annular embossment has the form of approximately 1/2 a toroid.

Claim 5

The improvement of claim 3 wherein the cross-sectional area of said annular embossment is approximately equal to but no greater than the cross sectional area of said concave, annular reservoir.

Claim 6

The improvement of claim 1 wherein the means for axially moving said top and bottom parts comprises a screw-type means.

Claim 7

The improvement of claim 5 wherein said screw-type means comprises mating screw threads on said top and bottom parts such that said threaded parts can be screwed together and apart.

Claim 8

A rheometer adapted to indicate the rheological properties of highly viscous and/or thermally sensitive materials, said rheometer having a cylindrical stator element, a cylindrical rotor element concentrically positioned within said stator element, said rotor element being capable of axial and rotational movement, means for heating said stator element and said rotor element, means for sensing the temperature of said stator element and said rotor element, a gap between the outer surface of said rotor element and the inner surface of said stator element, means for moving said rotor element relative to said stator element, means for measuring the parameters of movement of said rotor element, wherein the improvement comprises a two-part cylindrical stator element having an upper part and a lower part, said upper part having an inner surface parallel to the axis of said stator element, an other surface spaced radially outward from said inner surface and parallel thereto, and a lower surface between said inner surface and said other surface and substantially normal to said inner surface, said lower part having an inner surface parallel to the axis of said stator element, an other surface spaced radially outward from said inner surface and parallel thereto, and an upper surface between said inner surface and said other surface and substantially normal to said inner surface, means for connecting the upper part to the lower part so that the inner surface of said upper part is axially aligned with the inner surface of said lower part, the upper part having a projection-like ring on the lower surface thereof, the lower part having a trough-like ring in the upper surface thereof for receiving said projection-like ring which is aligned with said trough-like ring, said trough-like ring being used as a depository for the material to be tested while said material is changing from its deposited state to a flowable state, said connecting means being capable of moving said lower part and said upper part together into an operational position wherein simultaneously said projection-like ring moves into said trough-like ring and extrudes the flowable material therebetween through a passageway means into the gap between said rotor and said stator and the bottom edge of the inner surface of the upper part moves into contact with the top edge of the inner surface of the lower part to form a complete and uninterrupted stator inner surface and said connecting means also being capable of moving said upper part and said lower part apart out of said operational position.

Claim 9

A rheometer adapted to indicate the rheological properties of highly viscous and/or thermally sensitive materials, said rheometer having a cylindrical stator element, a cylindrical rotor element concentrically positioned within said stator element, said rotor element being capable of axial and rotational movement, means for heating said stator element and said rotor element, means for sensing the temperature of said stator element and said rotor element, a gap between the outer surface of said rotor element and the inner surface of said stator element, means for moving said rotor element relative to said stator element, means for measuring the parameters of movement of said rotor element, wherein the improvement comprises a two-part cylindrical stator element having an upper part and a lower part, said upper part having an inner surface parallel to the axis of said stator element, an other surface spaced radially outward from said inner surface and parallel thereto, and a lower surface between said inner surface and said other surface and substantially normal to said inner surface, said lower part having an inner surface parallel to the axis of said stator element, an other surface spaced radially outward from said inner surface and parallel thereto, and an upper surface between said inner surface and said other surface and substantially normal to said inner surface, means for connecting the upper part to the lower part so that the inner surface of said upper part is axially aligned with the inner surface of said lower part, the upper part having a projection-like ring on the lower surface thereof, the lower part having a trough-like ring in the upper surface thereof for receiving said projection-like ring which is aligned with said trough-like ring, said trough-like ring being used as a depository for the material to be tested while said material is changing from its deposited state to a flowable state, said connecting means being capable of moving said lower part and said upper part together into an operational position wherein simultaneously said projection-like ring moves into said trough-like ring and extrudes the flowable material therebetween through a passageway means into the gap between said rotor and said stator and the bottom edge of the inner surface of the upper part moves into contact with the top edge of the inner surface of the lower part to form a complete and uninterrupted stator inner surface and said connecting means also being capable of moving said upper part and said lower part apart out of said operational position.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 7 wherein said other surface of said upper part comprises an intermediate surface and said other surface of said lower part comprises an intermediate surface.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 7 wherein said other surface of said upper part comprises an outer surface and said other surface of said lower part comprises an intermediate surface.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 7 wherein said other surface of said upper part comprises an intermediate surface and said other surface of said lower part comprises an outer surface.

Claim 13

A rheometer adapted to indicate the rheological properties of highly viscous and/or thermally sensitive material, said rheometer having a cylindrical stator element with a cavity therein, a cylindrical rotor element concentrically positioned within the cavity of the stator element, means for moving said rotor element relative said stator element in either axial or rotational movement, means for measuring the parameters of movement of said rotor element, means for controlling the heating of both said stator element and said rotor element, said rotor element being sized relative the cavity of the stator element to provide a gap between the outer surface of said rotor element and the inner surface of said stator element, the improvement comprising making said stator element in two parts, an upper part and a lower part, said cavity extending through both parts, means for moving said upper part and said lower part together into an operational position and apart out of said operational position, when said two parts are together in said operational position, the inner surface of the upper part and the inner surface of the lower part form a complete and uninterrupted stator inner surface, on the surfaces of the upper and lower parts which surfaces move together into abutting relationship in said operational position and outwardly from the inner surface of both parts, there being positioned on one part a projection-like ring and on the other part a trough-like ring for receiving said projection-like ring, whereby said trough-like ring being used as a repository for the material to be tested while said material is changing from its deposited state to a flowable state, said upper and lower parts moving together into said operational position whereby said projection-like ring moves into said trough-like ring and extrudes the flowable material therebetween through a passageway means into the gap between said rotor and said stator with said measuring of parameters taking place after the two parts have moved together into said operational position to form a complete and uninterrupted stator inner surface.

Claim 14

A rheometer adapted to indicate the rheological properties of highly viscous and/or thermally sensitive material, said rheometer having a cylindrical stator element with a cavity therein, a cylindrical rotor element concentrically positioned within the cavity of the stator element, means for moving said rotor element relative said stator element in either axial or rotational movement, means for measuring the parameters of movement of said rotor element, means for controlling the heating of both said stator element and said rotor element, said rotor element being sized relative the cavity of the stator element to provide a gap between the outer surface of said rotor element and the inner surface of said stator element, the improvement comprising making said stator element in two parts, an upper part and a lower part, said cavity extending through both parts, means for moving said upper part and said lower part together into an operational position and apart out of said operational position, when said two parts are together in said operational position, the inner surface of the upper part and the inner surface of the lower part form a complete and uninterrupted stator inner surface, on the surfaces of the upper and lower parts which surfaces move together into abutting relationship in said operational position and outwardly from the inner surface of both parts, there being positioned on one part a projection-like ring and on the other part a trough-like ring for receiving said projection-like ring, whereby said trough-like ring being used as a repository for the material to be tested while said material is changing from its deposited state to a flowable state, said upper and lower parts moving together into said operational position whereby said projection-like ring moves into said trough-like ring and extrudes the flowable material therebetween through a passageway means into the gap between said rotor and said stator with said measuring of parameters taking place after the two parts have moved together into said operational position to form a complete and uninterrupted stator inner surface.