Patent ID: 8857246

Claim:
A testing device for measuring physical characteristics of a polymeric or elastomeric material, said device comprising: (a) an indenter probe; (b) a drive system for effecting movement of said probe, said drive system comprising a motorized linear slide and stage operatively associated with the probe to advance said probe from a first position to a second position to deform said polymeric or elastomeric material, and to effect retraction of said probe to a predetermined intermediate position between said first and second positions; (c) a force/displacement measurement system including means for measuring force at the tip of said probe during contact with said polymeric or elastomeric material and means for measuring displacement of the probe; and (d) a control system configured to at least temporarily suspend retraction of the indenter probe at the predetermined intermediated position and to continue retraction, in response to sensing engagement between the force displacement measurement system and the polymeric or elastomeric material, after the deformed polymeric or elastomeric material has at least partially recovered.