Patent ID: 8074497

Claim:
An indentation testing instrument comprising: a loading lever supported pivotally; an indenter provided on a lower surface of a first end of the loading lever; a displacement sensor movable section provided on an upper surface of the first end of the loading lever, the displacement sensor movable section being associated with the indenter; a loading lever driving section provided on an opposite end of the loading lever, the loading lever driving section configured to turn the loading lever; a reference lever supported pivotally so as to have a shaft center that is approximately the same as a shaft center of the loading lever; a contactor provided on a lower surface of a first end of the reference lever, the contactor being a positional reference of a tip portion of the indenter; a displacement sensor fixing section provided on an upper surface of the first end of the reference lever, the displacement sensor fixing section configured to detect a displacement amount of the displacement sensor movable section; a reference lever driving section provided on an opposite end of the reference lever, the reference lever driving section configured to turn the reference lever; a stopper to stop the reference lever so that the contactor is in a predetermined position with respect to a specimen surface; a specimen surface reference measurement member configured to turn the loading lever from a state that the contactor touches the specimen surface, and configured to measure a first indentation depth amount at a time when the indenter touching the specimen surface is pressed against the specimen by detecting the displacement amount of the displacement sensor movable section with the displacement sensor fixing section; and a machine frame reference measurement member configured to turn the loading lever from a state that the reference lever touches the stopper and the contactor is spaced apart from the specimen surface, and configured to measure a second indentation depth amount at a time when the indenter touching the specimen surface is pressed against the specimen.