Patent ID: 9719903
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: E02D,G01N

Claim:
1. A heavy dynamic penetrometer, comprising: a chassis, a mast, mounted on the chassis and positioned to be substantially vertical during a test, a rod string, including a tip for penetrating the ground, which is positioned at one end of the rod string, an anvil, which bears against the rod string, at an end opposite the tip, a hammer for striking the anvil, means for raising the hammer along the mast up to a fall height, at which the hammer is released, means for measuring the sinking of the tip into the ground, an electronic control unit for controlling the fall height of the hammer, which is configured to select, from among several predetermined values, the fall height to be adopted for the test based on the sinking of the tip measured by the measuring means during one or more earlier tests, and mechanical triggering means for triggering the fall of the hammer, which are controlled by the electronic unit so that the hammer is released at the selected height of the electronic control unit, wherein the means for raising the hammer comprise a support element for supporting the hammer and the mechanical triggering means comprise windows for releasing the support element, which are distributed over the height of the mast and which are respectively situated at different heights corresponding to said predetermined values, and wherein the electronic unit controls the opening of the windows.