Patent ID: 6487902
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: G01L,G01N

Abstract:
An apparatus for biaxial load deformation testing of textile and membrane materials, said apparatus comprising:(a) a first pair of spaced-apart segmented clamping systems for detachably engaging a membrane test material along opposing sides extending in a first (X) direction, said clamping systems each comprising a plurality of clamps interconnected by a pantograph and slidably extendable and slidably contractible with respect to each other; (b) a second pair of spaced-apart segmented clamping systems for detachably engaging a membrane test material along opposing sides extending in a second (Y) direction, orthogonal to said first direction, said clamping systems each comprising a plurality of clamps interconnected by a pantograph and slidably extendable and slidably contractible with respect to each other; (c) a first drive system for moving said first pair of segmented clamping systems apart each from each other so as to impart a predetermined stress and/or strain in the second (Y) direction, and a second drive system for moving said second pair of segmented clamping systems apart each from each other so as to impart a predetermined stress and/or strain in the first (X) direction; (d) a first linkage system operatively interconnecting said first and second pair of segmented clamping systems so as to slidably extend said second pair of segmented clamping systems in the second (Y) direction proportional to strain imparted to a membrane test material in the second (Y) direction when said first pair of segmented clamping systems is caused to move apart in the second (Y) direction by said first drive system; and (e) a second linkage system operatively interconnecting said first and second pair of segmented clamping systems so as to slidably extend said first pair of segmented clamping systems in the first (X) direction proportional to strain imparted to a test membrane in the first (X) direction when said second pair of clamping systems is caused to move apart in the first (X) direction by said second drive system.