A New or Improved Machine for Testing the Strengths of Materials.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 11th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Machine for Testing the Strengths of Materials.
We, GEORGE Cussons, of 104, Gt. Clowes Street, Lower Broughton, Salford,
Lancashire, Technical Apparatus Manufacturer, and JAMES EAGLES, of 99, Brierley
Street, Bury, Lancashire, Science Teacher, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for testing the behaviour under tensile,
compressive, shearing and bending forces of such materials as metal, wood, stone,
cement, and the like.
It consists of an upright frame at the top of which is fitted gearing for raising
and lowering the supports of a horizontal lever in order to put the required stress
on the material being tested, the said gearing being made suitable for the work
to be done, hydraulic gearing of any well-known form being preferably employed
for very powerful machines, but screw and wormwheel gearing is preferable for
the less powerful machines. When screw and worm wheel gearing is employed
the worm which drives the worm wheel is carried by a bracket arranged so that
when desired the said worm may be readily put out of gear in order that the
said worm wheel may be caused to raise or lower at a quick rate, the supports
beforementioned.
The aforesaid horizontal lever has two arms and is provided with a fulcrum
resting on the aforesaid supports, each of its arms being provided with one or more
knife edges, at suitable distances from the said fulcrum, the longer arm being
connected with a spring balance which indicates the load on the specimen under
examination, and the shorter arm being connected with the said specimen by means
of a suitable shackle hereafter called the upper shackle.
The shorter arm of the lever also carries a balance weight which is adjustable
in position.
The spring balance beforementioned is connected at its lower end with a fixed
horizontal bar, which is made to project beyond both ends of the base of the
machine frame, to which it is also rigidly attached.
The upper shackle beforementioned is provided with suitable gripping pieces
for holding the specimen under tension, and is also arranged to carry a com-
pression block by means of suitable links suspended from bosses formed on the
said upper shackle, the said compression block being used in conjunction with a
cross bar hereafter called a compression bar, which is supported against seats
provided for it on the frame of the machine.
For the examination of bars of material under transverse loads, the load is
applied by means of a ✓ shaped piece provided to rest on the compression block
carried by the upper shackle aforesaid, jockey links adjustable in position and
of suitable form to receive the ends of the specimen, being carried by the fixed
horizontal bar beforementioned.
In order to prevent shock to the various knife edges a buffer pillar is attached
by its lower end to the fixed horizontal bar aforesaid, being placed near to the
spring balance, the buffer which is made adjustable, being at the upper end of

page_text: the pillar and arranged to receive the end of the horizontal lever aforesaid when
the specimen under examination breaks.
-
Connected with the said fixed horizontal bar and the lower part of the frame
of the machine is a suitable shackle, hereafter called the lower shackle, con-
structed for use in the examination of specimens under tensile or shearing forces,
and suitable shackles are also provided for supporting the specimen being examined
ander shearing forces.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
When the specimen is to be tested under tensile or shearing forces it is con-
nected with the upper and lower shackles in the ordinary manner.
When a specimen is to be tested by compression, the beforementioned links are
placed on the upper shackle, the compression block and bar are placed in position
and the specimen to be tested is placed between them.
When a specimen is to be examined under a transverse load the compression
har is removed, the V shaped piece provided purposely is placed on the compression
block, and the jockey links beforementioned are placed in position on the fixed
horizontal bar aforesaid, the specimen bar being placed between them, with its
ends supported by them in the manner provided for, the V shaped piece being
arranged under the middle of the said specimen bar.
The load is in every case put on by raising the supports of the horizontal lever
in the manner arranged as herein before described, the amount of the load being
indicated at the same time by the spring balance aforesaid. The amount the
specimen is strained under any load is observed and measured in any well known
manner.
The machine may be driven by hand or power.
We, GEORGE Cussons, of 104, Gt. Clowes Street, Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Technical Apparatus Manufacturer, and JAMES EAGLES, of 44, Thornton
Street, Darlington, in the County of Durham, late of 99, Brierley Street, Bury,
in the County of Lancaster, Science Teacher, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to machines for testing the behaviour under tensile,
compressive shearing and bending forces of such materials as metal, wood, stone,
cement, and the like.
Reference being had or made to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Fig. (1) is a side elevation of the machine (a) being an end elevation of the
lever (2) and (c) being an end elevation of the jockey links (28).
Fig. (2) is a sectional end elevation of the frame of the machine and
Fig. (3) is an end elevation of the worm and bracket (7 & 9). The
shackles (17) the suspension links (19) the compression block (20) the compression
bar (22) & the shaped piece (23). The following is a description of one form
of the machine. An upright frame (1) is provided at the top with gear for
lifting the lever (2) by means of the stirrup (3) which carries the supports (4)
on which rests the fulcrum of the said lever (2).
For the heavier class of machine it is preferable to place a hydraulic cylinder

page_text: at the top of frame (1) with a piston inside, the said piston being connected to
the stirrup (3), the whole arranged in any well known manner, so as to lift the
stirrup (3) as may be required. The hydraulic lifting gear being of ordinary
construction is not shewn in the drawings.
The stirrup (3) is, for the lighter machines, made with its upper cylindrical end
square threaded as shewn, and screwed into the boss of a worm wheel (5), which
rests on a bearing washer. (6), and is actuated by a worm (7), fixed on the axle (8),
the said axle having a handle or wheel placed on it to be driven by hand or
power.
The bracket (9) which carries the axle (8), & the worm (7), is carried on the
stud (10), and is arranged so that by withdrawing the pin (11), it can be rotated
round the stud (10), the worm (7) being thus disengaged from the wheel (5),
which said wheel can then be readily turned so as to quickly lower or raise the
stirrup (3). The pin (11) passes through both the frame (1) & the bracket (9),
keeping the said bracket in position when the worm (7) & wheel (5) are required.
to be in gear.
The lever (2) has two arms, each arm being provided with one or more knife
edges (12, 13, 14,) the longer arm being connected to a strong spring balance,
only the hook ends (15) of which are shewn, the connection of the lever (2) &
the balance being by means of the adjustable shackle (16) which is carried on
the knife edge (12) as shewn.
The shorter arm of the said lever carries on one of its knife edges the upper
shackle (17) which is provided with the usual gripping wedges for testing rods
in tension & also provided with bosses (18) on which may be suspended the
links (19) which carry the suitably arranged compression block (20) as shewn.
The said upper shackle (17) may be used on either or any of the knife edges
carried by the shorter arm of the lever (2).
The said shorter arm of the lever (2) is also provided with an adjustable balance
weight (21) as shewn.
A compression bar (22) is provided to be used in conjunction with the com-
pression block (20), seats (24) being arranged on the frame (1) for the said bar
to rest against when pressed upwards & pins (25) prevent the said bar (22) from
falling when such pressure is not applied.
The shaped piece 23 is only carried by the compression block when the
bar (22) is removed & the machine is being used for testing bars transversely.
At the lower part of the frame (1) is the lower shackle (26) fitted with ordinary
wedge shaped or other gripping pieces for testing bars in tension, the said lower
shackle (26) being arranged to drop down out of the way of the block (20), oblong
holes in the bosses which support the said lower shackle, being provided purposely.
Suitably arranged shearing shackles of ordinary construction are provided to
connect to the shackles (17) and (26), for the purpose of testing materials under
shear stress.
Firmly fixed to the lower part of the frame (2) the horizontal bar (27),
which carries the jockey links (28), the said jockey links being adjustable along
the said bar (27) and being provided with knife edges (30) to receive the ends
of bars to be tested transversely.
Near one end of the fixed bar (27) is attached the lower hook (15) of the aforesaid
spring balance and at the end of the bar (27) is fastened an upright rod (29)
having its upper end screwed and fitted with a screwed sleeve (33).
Washers of metal (31) and rubber or leather (332) are provided at the top of
the sleeve (33) to act as a stop and cushion for the end of the lever (2) when
the specimen under examination breaks.
By properly adjusting the position of the shackle (16) as regards height, the
lever (2) can be caused to remain in a practically level position, the adjustment
of the shackle in height being effected before commencing the test.
Shearing & tension tests are carried out in the usual manner.
.
· Compression tests are carried out by removing the piece (23), placing the

page_text: links (19), the block (20) and the bar (22) in position, the object to be com-
pressed being placed between the blocks (20) and the bar (22).
To test bars transversely they are placed in the jockey links (28), the V piece
(23) is placed under the specimen bar and on the block (20).
The load is in every case put on by raising the stirrup (3) and with it the
lever (2) the amount of the load being indicated by the spring balance before-
mentioned, which is properly graduated for the purpose.
The amount the specimen is strained is measured in any usual manner?
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
(1) In testing machines of the class herein-before described, the combination
of the lever (2) having its fulcrum on liftable bearings, with the spring balance
beforementioned.
(2) In testing machines of the class herein-before described, the combination
of the lever (2) with the specially arranged disengagable worm and worm wheel
gear, bracket and stirrup, substantially as described for lifting the said lever (2).
(3) In testing machines of the class hereinbefore described, the combination of
the lever (2), the aforesaid spring balance, the worm and worm wheel lifting
gear, the stirrup (3), and the movable bracket (9) for disengaging the worm and
worm wheel substantially as described.
(4) In testing machines of the class hereinbefore described, the combination
of the lever (2) the aforesaid spring balance, the disengagable worm and worm
wheel lifting gear, the stirrup (3), the upper shackle (17), the suspension links (19)
the compression block (20) and the compression bar (22) substantially as described.
(5) In testing machines of the class hereinbefore described the combination of
the lever (2), the aforesaid spring balance the stirrup (3), the suspension links (19),
the upper shackle (17) the compression block (20) and the compression bar (22)
substantially as described.
(6) In testing machines of the class hereinbefore described, the combination
of the lever (2) with liftable supports, the aforesaid, spring balance, and the
cushion rod (29), sleeve (33) and washers (31, 32), all arranged substantially as
described.
(7) In testing machines of the class hereinbefore described the combination of
the lever (2) the stirrup (3) the disengageable worm & wormwheel lifting gear,
the upper shackle (17) the suspension links (19), the block (20) the bar (22)
and the cushion rod (29) sleeve (33) and washers (31, 32) all arranged substantially
as described.
(8) In testing machines of the class hereinbefore described the combination of
the aforesaid spring balance, the lever (2) the stirrup (3) the disengagable worm
and wheel lifting gear, the upper shackle (17), the suspension links (19), the
block (20) the bar (22) and the cushion rod (29), sleeve (33) and washers (31, 32)
all arranged substantially as described.
(9) In testing machines of the class herein before described the combination of
the whole of the various parts arranged substantially as hereinbefore described
and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 10th day of January 1900.