Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
A hardness tester, comprising; a load application shaft having an indenter at a lower end thereof, and having loading means at an upper end thereof for applying variable loads to the shaft to press the indenter into a specimen; a reference cylinder coaxially fitted around the shaft for sliding of the shaft along the cylinder, the cylinder having a datum plane at a lower end thereof for contacting the specimen at the inception of the applying of a load to the shaft; stop means on the shaft and cylinder for limiting any sliding of the shaft, downwardly along the cylinder, to a predetermined length to limit the pressing of the indenter into the specimen to a predetermined corresponding depth; a load detector on the shaft between the indenter and the loading means for detecting loads applied to the shaft by the pressing of the indenter into the specimen; and means for indicating the load applied to the shaft and detected upon the pressing of the indenter into the specimen to the predetermined depth, to thereby indicate a corresponding hardness of the specimen without any need for measuring variable dimensions of an indentation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
A hardness tester, comprising; a load application shaft having an indenter at a lower end thereof, and having loading means at an upper end thereof for applying variable loads to the shaft to press the indenter into a specimen; a reference cylinder coaxially fitted around the shaft for sliding of the shaft along the cylinder, the cylinder having a datum plane at a lower end thereof for contacting the specimen at the inception of the applying of a load to the shaft; stop means on the shaft and cylinder for limiting any sliding of the shaft, downwardly along the cylinder, to a predetermined length to limit the pressing of the indenter into the specimen to a predetermined corresponding depth; a load detector on the shaft between the indenter and the loading means for detecting loads applied to the shaft by the pressing of the indenter into the specimen; and means for indicating the load applied to the shaft and detected upon the pressing of the indenter into the specimen to the predetermined depth, to thereby indicate a corresponding hardness of the specimen without any need for measuring variable dimensions of an indentation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A hardness tester according to claim 1, in which the load detector comprises a stress-voltage transducer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A hardness tester according to claim 2, in which the means for indicating the load includes a maximum value detector to detect a maximum voltage provided by the transducer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
64 words
A hardness tester according to claim 1, also including a guide cylinder mounted coaxially around the reference cylinder for sliding movement of the reference cylinder along the guide cylinder, the guide cylinder having a surface at a lower end thereof for contact with a surface of the specimen to guide the reference cylinder and thereby the shaft normally of the surface of the specimen.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
A hardness tester according to claim 4 also including a press cylinder mounted coaxially around the guide cylinder for sliding movement of the guide cylinder along the press cylinder; and spring means for controlling the relative sliding movements of the cylinders and shaft to facilitate the limiting of the pressing of the indenter into the specimen.