Thick-film strain gauge for sensing stresses & strains in mechanical members or structures

Claim 1

A strain gauge sensor for sensing stress and deformations in a mechanical member, said sensor comprising a support substrate in the form of a thin rectangular plate separate from said member but adapted to be secured to said member, said plate being made of an electrically insulating ceramic material, said plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, a plurality of thick-film resistors deposited on said upper surface and surface metal tracks on said upper surface connected to said thick-film resistors for connecting said resistors to circuits remote from said plate, said lower surface of said support substrate being adapted to be firmly attached onto said member of which stresses and deformations are to be locally sensed so that said stresses and deformation of said member cause, through the substrate, corresponding deformations of said thick-film resistors and clamping means for clamping the sensor to said mechanical member, said clamping means comprising a pair of plates each having recess in one surface adapted to overlie and engage opposite ends of said substrate with each end of said substrate being located within a respective recess and means for securing said plates to said mechanical member.