Patent ID: 9383303
Filing Date: 2016-07-05
CPC Classification: G01N

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for carrying out, in a controlled atmosphere, material fatigue tests of a specimen in a high cycle regime with a controlled strain ratio, comprising: a pressure vessel having an outer wall defining an internal chamber, a load train composed of a first horn and a second horn between which the specimen is to be arranged, wherein said load train has a longitudinal axis and is essentially arranged within said internal chamber of said pressure vessel, and a converter adapted to apply ultrasonic waves into the load train by exciting the first horn in order to apply a dynamic stress to the specimen in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis, wherein internal chamber is divided into a first chamber defining a free volume around at least a portion of said load train including said specimen and a second chamber which is axially aligned with said first chamber along said longitudinal axis, said second horn comprising a base part which is partially and movably engaged into said second chamber to define in said second chamber a second free volume separated from the first free volume of said first chamber, a first gasket being interposed between said base part and a portion of the outer wall of said pressure vessel which is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis to sealingly separate said first chamber from said second chamber, and first feeding means and second feeding means being provided for feeding said first and second free volumes of said first and second chambers with gases respectively having different gas pressures in order to apply a predetermined static stress to the specimen.