Patent ID: 7017423

Claim:
A method of testing in pure bending or alternating bending, the method comprising the following succession of steps: a) making or selecting a testpiece having two mutually opposite end grip zones and a bending zone interconnecting the two grip zones the testpiece presenting, in a rest state, a first mean plane crossing the bending zone and each of the grip zones and constituting a first plane of symmetry at least for the bending zone, and a mean surface for the bending zone and each of the grip zones, wherein the mean surface is perpendicular to the first mean plane; b) leaving the testpiece in the rest state rigidly securing its two grip zones so as to define for each of them a respective pivot axis perpendicular to the first mean plane and occupying a determined first position relative to the respective grip zones and a second position relative to the mean surface; and c) imparting controlled opposing turning movements to the two grip zones of the testpiece, optionally in alternation, about the respective pivot axes and away from the rest state, while leaving the pivot axes free to move towards each other or apart from each other, so as to impart optionally alternating bending to the bending zone and so as to study the behavior of the bending zone in pure bending; wherein the method is simultaneously performed on two mutually identical testpieces (1) by implementing step b) in such a manner that the first mean planes of the two testpieces are mutually parallel and the mean surfaces of the two testpieces are mutually symmetrical about a point when the two testpieces are in the rest state, and in such a manner that the pivot axes of the two testpieces are common and mutually symmetrical about the point; and by implementing step c) in such a manner that optionally alternating opposing torques in controlled manner are applied about each pivot axis to the respective corresponding grip zones so as to impose optionally alternating opposing bending movements to the bending zones of the two testpieces, while allowing the pivot axes to move freely relative to each other.