Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CONSISTOMETER
BACKGROUND OF THh INVENTION
Thls lnventlon relates to consistometers for
measuring the conslstency of a dough sample, and
particularly to a consistometer havlng an lmproved
constructlon for precisely measuring vertlcal
displacement of a rod lnto a dough sample. Also, thls
lnventlon relates to consistometers having
lnterchangeable penetrating rod ends.
Thls Invention may also be adapted ~for use as a
conslstometer for measurlng any of a variety of edible
food products, lncluding but not llmited to breads~,
pas~rieS, fillings, cookles, crackers, laminated food~
products, or any other edlbIe goods which have a
measurable consistency.
In the conventlonal conslstometers, a welght Is
released agalnst a dough or food sample. The dough or
food sample is respective;y penetrated to broken. The
prior art testers commonly use gauges to measure~
displacement~ the gauge usually being dlrectly connected
to a testlng arm~which moves into the dough or food
sample. Such consistometers do not have co~nveniently
lnterchangeable penetrating rod ends. Moreover, such
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prlor art conslstometers do not have a readily varlable
welght attached to the vertlcally displaced penetratlng
rod end which could be used to adapt the conslstometer
for varylng doughs or varylng materlals to be tested.
Also, slnce the prlor art consistometer~ that rely on a
dlal lndlcator for preclse measurements have lncluded lt
wlth the dropplng rod assembly, the welght of the rod
cannot be measured lndependently Or the dlal lndlcator.
Thls ls undeslrable, ln that a conslstometer ldeally
should be usable with any Or a variety of food products
or doughs, and ln order to provide the most slgnlficant
measurements the weight of a falilng mass used to
penetrate the dough or food product sample must be
variable, and should be susceptible of preclse
measurement wlthout oomplete dlsassemb~ly of the
conslstometer. Furthermore, the rod should ~be
separately removable from th~e con~lstometer wlthout~
disturblng the dlal lndlcator so that the rod assembly~
may be perlodlcally cleaned and lnspected wlthout
contactlng the dlal lndlcator. Such contaot~or~bumplng
of the dial lndlcator ln a di~assembly operatlon mlght
,
or~dlnarlly damage lt~ or cause a prevlous calibratlon to ~ -~
become lnaccurate. Al~o, dlal lndlcators are easlly
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suspectlble to belng broken or otherwlse damaged by
lmpacts such as mlght occur i~ the dlal ~indlcator were
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removed from its support stand.
Other prior art devices, whlch do not use dial
lndlcators, have simpler operation and ~tructure but are
not as precise as those devlces using a dial indlcator.
In such devices, marks have been placed along one movlng
part and the gross movement ls detectable by relatlve
movement of the marks against a second, fixed part.
Whlle belng convenlent to use, these devices sufrer from
a lack of accuracy. Furthermore, ln these devlces,
obJectlve ~measurements are very dlf`ficult to obtaln
slnce the polnt Or vlew of the observer and the aculty
of the observer's vlsion are influencing factors ln the
measurement whlch ls ultlmately recorded by the
observer.
The prior art oonsletometers employ release
mechanisms of varying types. However, the prior art
release mechanlsms either rely upon complex llnkages or~
else are clumsy and awkward to use with one hand lf~an
observer ls using the other hand to operate; a stopwatch
; 20 or timer. Thus, ease of operatlon i8 an important
quality in a consistometer, as ls rellabllity and
accuracy.
Attempts have been made in the~ prlor art to
overcome the disadvantages associated wlth the prlor art
consistometers. Typical of the prlor art attempts to
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solve the above-noted problems as30ciated wlth
consl~tometers 1~ the type dlsclosed by Claus in ~.S.
Patent No. 2,347,082 and Bloom in U.S. Patent No.
2,119,699. Other lnventors have made varylng attempts
to solve the above-ldentlfied problems, and those
effects are also discu~sed below.
U.S. Patent No. 1,458,130 dlscloses a process and
apparatus for classlfylng food products, wherein a
C-shaped support portlon havlng a ~orked upper arm
slldably retalns a cylinder having a varlable weight (a
shot-bearing cup) attached to the top. The welght i8
supported upon a horizontal dlsk. The ~lldable cylinder
has lnterchangeable strlking members attached to the
bottom thereof, a striking member being retained in
,
place by a setscrew,~ A baklng sample ~s elevated
sllghtly above the lower portlon o~E the C-~haped suppor~
memb~er by a palr of~ralls whlch are pa~rallel~to~but
offset from, the elongated strlklng member. In~test~lng
the samples, the total welght of the rod assembly
2~ (lncluding the upper sho~t-bearlng cup an~d the lower
~str~lklng member) is measured, and the rod assembly ls~
allowed to ~all a predetermlned dlstance ~o as to break
the baked good sample~ If, howe~er9 the baked good
~` sample does not break, more welght ls ;added to the~
~hot-bearlng cup and the proces~ is repeated. However,
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no dial lndicator is used for measuring dlsplacement,
nor are rod-shaped, alternate plungers used as strlklng
members. Furthermore, the upper disk portlon of the
vertically travellng rod ls not used to measure vertical
travel.
The U.S. Patent 2,119,699 discloses a consistency
tester havlng a dlal pressure indicator attached to the
uppermost end of a cylinder, the lower end of the
cylinder having a slldable plston mounted thereln whlch
lo is attached at lts lowermost extremlty to a special head
used to penetrate a food product sample. Glycerin ls
retalned ln the otherwlse hollow portion of the upper
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end of the cyllnder so as to transmit force Or the
movable rod to the pressure gauge. The speclal heads
are interchangeable, and the vertically ~movable rod has
a shoulder thereon for llmltlng downward travel through
the hollow cyllnder. In operatlon, the conslstency
tester is pushed lnto a~dou~h~sample untll th~e speclal
head has completely penetrated the dough sample. From
thls point on a constant pressure readlng wlll be
obtalned, a~nd th~ls reading may be compared wlth~ other
dough samples~ However, a C-shaped support stQnd ls~not
shown nor is a horlzontal dl~k used to dlsplace an
instrument arm to provide a mea~ure of vertlcal
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dlsplacement of a rod. Furthermore, no dial indlc~ator
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for lndlcatlng vertlcal travel is shown.
The U.S. Patent 2,347,082 dlscloses a method and
apparatus for testing dough, having a vertlcally
adJustable dlal lndlcator mounted to an upstandlng
support rod which ls attached flxedly to a bottom table
support. A rounded dough contacting element ls
vertically centered beneath the dial lndlcator. Three
vertlcally ad~ustable support arms are also attached to
the rod between the dial lndlcator support arm and the
lower table portlon, the uppermost and the lowermost
arms used to constraln~ the vertlcal movment of a rod
~hlch passes through openlngs ln each of the arms. The
rod is attached a~t is uppermost portlon to the dlal
indlcator and at lts lowermost portlon to the dough
`~ ~contactln~ head. A third arm between the two
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constrainlng arms has~a hanged Jolnt therein. The
extremity of the Jolnted~ arm contacts a vertically
hanging, ad~usta~le support arm whlch can be pivoted out
of supportlng engagement of the extremlty. The pivotlng
;20 support arm contact~ a pin fixed to the vertlcally
movable rod 90 that dl6engagement of the support arm
permits the rod to fall downward from an accurately
predetermined ~dlstance. The dl~al lndlcator measures
vert1cal dlsplacement of the rod. Upon release Or the
load on the douKh specimen~ a stopwatch i8 started to
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that the amount of compresslon can be read at definite
tlme intervals and recorded to lndlcate any varlatlon ln
the tlme compresslon readlng. In a second embodiment a
counterwelght ls used to accurately balance the welght
of the speclmen engaglng member so that only a selected
amount of welght 1~ applled to the dough sample
regardless of the posltion of the testing apparatus.
However, a C-shaped support member having a dial
vertlcal travel lndlcator at an upper extremlty thereof
with a vertlcal travel indicatlng rod adapted to contact
at an upper end of the dial a portlon of a vertically
movable rod ls not shown. Further, lnterchangeable
dough contacting elements are not shown, nor is a
setscrew shown to engage the rod to llmit vertlcal
downward travel of the rod to limit vertlcal downward
travel.
The U.S. Patent 2,975,631 shows a softness gauge
for bakery products whereln a hollow, cylindrlcal
support element recelves a rod member wlth a welght
attached to lts top, and a dough contactlng element at
its bottom. A portlon Or the rod within the cyllnder is
exposed so that a callbration mark ls vlsible thereon,
and correspondlng mark~ are present on the~portion o~
the cyllnder closely adJacent the exposed portlon Or the
rod so that relatlve travel of the rod and cylinder may
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be readlly measured. In uqe, a dough sample is placed
dlrectly under the rod, the welght released, and
vertlcal travel downwards measured. However, no dlal
indlcator for indlcatng vertical relatlve movement ls
shown, no C-shaped ~upport ls shown havlng a dlal
indlcator attached to lts upper extremlty for contacting
an upper portlon of a vertlcally movable rod wblch has a
setscrew for adJustlng a predetermlned distance~of fall
for the rod. Further, no lnterchangeable dough
contactlng elements are shown.
The U.S. Patent 3,~750,467 discloses ~a device to
measure compressibility of soft materiaIs. Here, an
:
overall C-shaped ~tand has three rods. A mlddle rod has
calibrating lndlcia thereon and~ha~ at its top a~support
rlng for attachlng to the uppermost extremlty of the top
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support. On elther~side are~ two rods whlch are~
constralned to move along a vertlcally~flxed axls. The~
rods are fixedly~attached~ at ~their lower extremi~tles to~
a dough contactlng element~.~; In use, the~ rlng~ ls
disconn~ected rrOm the uppermost support member, ~and~
vertlcal travel~ln a downward dlrectlon~of~the assembly~
agalnst a dough~sample~ i9: measured~by observatl~on Or the~
relative dlsplacement of the lndlcla upon the~lndlcla~
bearing rod relatlve to a flxed plate. HoweverJ~no~dlal
indlcator ls shown for meaquring vertical dl3placement
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of a fixed ~rod member. Further, no lnterchangeable
dough contacting elements are shown, nor 1~ a dial
lndlcator shown whlch is attached to an extremity of an
upper C-shaped support member.
The French patent 903,602 shows a flxed support
plaform for a movable rod. The rod has a callbratlng
mark thereon and is placed centrally wlth~n apertures in
support member. A vertical scale is placed closely
adJacent to the calibratlng mark. In use, the support
member is placed upon a dough sample and the weight is
released. Vertical downward travel of the welght into
the dough sample is then recorded by comparing the
relative beginning and endlng levels of the rod.
However, no C-shaped support member ls shown havlng a
vertical travel lndicatlng dial lndlcator thereon at an
upper extremlty thereor, nor ls there shown a rod
mounted ~or vertlcal travel wlthin the upper C~shaped
member such that lts upper portlon bear~ a horlzontal
surface for contact with an operatively attached rod of
the dial lndlcator for lndlcating relative movement
therebetween. Further, no interchangeable dough
contactlng elements are shown.
The French patent 1,206,824 shows a more complex
device rOr indlcating traYel Or a rod withln a support
member. However, no C-shaped support member is shown
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which supports a dial indicator to an upper arm, nor ls
contact shown of a rod with a horizontal surface of a
vertlcally movable member~ Further, no interchangeable
dough contacting elements are shown.
Russian patent 506,804 discloses a complex
conslstency measuring devlce for use with soft food
products. An indenter is motor-driven lnto a tested
sample and a dynamometer measures the consistency whlle
a potentiometer measures the electrlcal reslstance so as
to indicate food quality. However, no C-shaped support
member is shown for supportlng at lts ~upper arm's
extremity a dial lndicator having a rod operatlvely
attached thereto for contactlng a horlzontal ~upper
surface of a vertlcally movable member for contacting a
dough sample. ~ Further, no interchangeable dough
oontactlng elements a~re~shown.
SUMMARY OF THE INYENTION ;~
-; It is accordingly one ob~ect of the present
lnvention to provide an~impro~ve~d consistometer which~is~
reliable, accurate, req~ulres no~extraordinary equlpment
in ~the fabrlcatlon thereor, and~ that ls formed
readily avallable materials that can be manuraatur;ed~by~
persons skilled ln the mechanlcal arts.
Another obJect of the present lnv~ention is to
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provide an lmproved consistometer having a vertically
dropplng rod wlth a penetratlng rod end, and whlch
together are supported by a C-shaped stand.
A further ob~ect of the present inventlon i~ to
provide an lmproved conslstometer which can be operated
by one hand when necessary, lncludlng a pull chaln for
removal of a predetermlned-wldth spaclng member.
A still further obJect of the present lnvention ls
to provlde an lmproved conslstometer whlch lncludes a
C-shaped support stand, a vertlcally dropplng rod,
interchangeable penetratlng rod ends, a dlal lndlcator
whlch is not dlrectly connected to the vertlcally
; dropping rod, and a horizontal dlsk atop the ver~tically
dropping rod whlch actuates an arm of the dial
indlcator.
A still further ob~ect of the present lnvention is
to provlde an lmproved Gonsl~tometer for~ measu~ring~
consistency of~ a dough sample of predetermined
thlckness, includlng an assoclated devlce havlng two
spaced bars between whlch a dough sample ls placed, and
havlng a rolling pln and a cookie sheet, so that a~
plurallty of uniform dough samples may be produced and
tested, and the results of the measurements may be
compared.
Another ob~ect of the present inventlon is to
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provide an improvecl consistometer having a C-shaped support
stand, a horizontally disposed middle guide bar for stabil-
izing and guidiny a penetrating rod end of a vertically mov-
able rod, a manually removable spacer and support element for
initiating falling of the rod, a dial indicator having an arm
in contact with a horizontal disk attached to the rod so that
falling of the rod is indicated by the dial indicator.
A still further object of the present .invention is to
provide an improved consistometer having a C-shaped support
stand, a vertically displaceable rod having interchangeable
penetrator rod ends, a spacer member for precisely position~
ing the vertically displaceable rod which can be manually
removed by a pulling action, and a dough sample of a pxede-
termined thiclcness which is prepared by being rolled by a
rolling pin between two Elat~spacer bars~upon a conventional
cookie sheet, so that a plurality of dough samples taken Erom
a plurality of batches may all be rolled to a uniform thick-
ness and then measured under the penetrating rod ends of the
consistometer.
The present invention is therefore directed to a
consistometer for measuring the consistency of a deformable
sample, comprising: a support having a vertical post
supporting a horizontal arm in spaced relation from a base
~ adapted to support a specimen for testing; a movable mass
adapted to be guided in a downward direction under the force
of gravity by an aperture ln said horizontal arm, said mov-
able mass slidably received within said aperture; a means for
indicating displacement on said horizontal support having an
arm extending upwardly to contact a portion of said movable
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mass; a horizon~al support carried by said vertical post and
disposed between said base and said horizontal support, said
horizontal support having an aperture therein to receive and
guide said movable mass; and a removable spacer element to
S support said movable mass in a predetermined spaced relation
to said support which is supported by said horizontal arm
when holding said movable mass and selectively disengagable
so as to release said movable mass during testing; whereby
disengagement of said means for retaining said movable mass
causes said movable mass to drop vertically under the force
of gravity against a deformable specimen placed thereunder,
so that said means for indicating can indicate depth of
penetration of the deformable specimen by said movable mass.
The improved consistometer of the present invention
15 comprises a C-shaped support stand having a dial indicator ~ :
mounted at the upper end of the stand adjacent the f:urthest
edge of the C-shape. A vertical bore is :
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formed ln the upperrnost arm of the C-shaped stand, and
ls adapted to permit slldlng passage of a cyllndrlcal
rod therethrough.
A lower portlon of the rod has a tap drllled
thereln for recelving a threaded fastener member of
alternate penetratlng rod ends so that varylng dlameters
of rod ends may be used. A horlzontal cyllndrlcal dlsk
havlng a bore therethrough ls flxed at a looatlon near
the upper end of the rod. The horlzontal disk ls
adapted to contact and dlsplace a vertical arm of the
dlal lndicator so that dIsplacement o~ the vertlcal arm
of the dlal lndlcator may be measured.
Intermedlate the top of the C-shaped support stand
and the horlzontal dlsk fixed to the rod ls a detachable
; collar. The collar lS formed in the shape oE a
generally seml-cyllndrlcal sleeve havlng one side
~ubstantlally removed so that from a top view the
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detachable collar ltself appears to comprlse a C-shape.
A chaln 18 attached both to the detachable co~llar and to
the C-shaped support stand so that upon sudden force
exerted agalnst the chain the detachable collar will be
~erked free and the horlzontal dlsk wlll no longer be
supported. Thus, the welght of the rod and the
horlzontal disX causes the rod and dlsk a~sembly to~all
aga1nst a dough sample.
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The dough sample ls placed upon the lower end Orthe C-shaped support stand directly beneath the
penetratlng rod end. Upon release o~ the rod assembly,
the penetratlng rod end ralls agalnst the dough sample,
and the impact causes lmmedlate deformatlon Or the dough
sample. A timer monltors the passage of tlme, while the
dlal lndlcator monltors the preclse dlstance traveled
lnto the dough by the penetratlng rod end. Penetratlon
of the rod assembly into the dough sample ls monitored
over a perlod of tlme untll a speclfled penetratlon or a
speclfled time has elapsed. No full penetratlon of the
dough sample is made. Thus, the softness of varlous
doughs may be directly measured. For example, various
batches Or dough having dlfrerent chemlcal composltlons
may be measured for softness and a conslstent measure Or
softness obtalned ln ail cases. Furthermo~e, the ef~ect~
Or time upon varlous dough samples ls also measurable,~
slnce allowlng dough to stand for a long period Or tlme
will generally toughen the dough and make lt less soft.
In this way, conslstency of a plurality Or dlfferent
samples of dough can be measured.
The horizontal dlsk member may~be readlly attached
to t~he rod or detached from lt by means Or a palr Or
setscrews whlch are screwed through a collar flxedly
attached to She horizontal dlsk member. Thus, the
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assembly may be readlly disassembled or adJusted for
drop height. For example, for a thlck dough a Breater
drop helght ls deslrable. In thl3 case, the setscrews
would be loosened and the horlzontal dlsk assembly moved
downward relatlve to the rod. When the detachable
collar ls lnserted between the upper arm Or the C-shaped
support stand and the lower end of the horizontal disk
assemblyj the lower penetratlng rod end ls ralsed to a
greater helght above the bottom arm of the C-shaped
support stand thereby allowlng a thicker dough sample to
::
be lnserted beneath lt.
Further detalls ~and advantages Or the present
Invent~lon appear from the followlng descrlption of a
preferred embodiment shown ~ schematlcally ln the
drawings.
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8RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Flgure 1 show~ ~a;~side ~elevational ;vlew Or~ a~
conslstometer of~ the present lnventlon;
Flgure 2 shows d front elevat~lonal vlew of the~
consistometer o~ the present lnventlon;
Flgure 3 shows~a top elevatlonal vlew ~Or the
detachable collar used in the conslstometer~of thè
`:: ~ ~ : : : : :
; present lnvention;
Figures 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d ~how alternate
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penetrating rod ends usable with the consistometer of
the present lnventlon;
Flgure 5 ls a front elevational view of the
conslstometer of the present lnvention as the detachable
collar ls belng inserted;~
Flgure 6 is a front elevational view of the top
portion of the consistometer Or the present inventlon
after the detachable collar has been removed;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the apparatus
used ln preparlng dough :samples for testing~ln the~
: consistometer of the present inYentlon.
: DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
: A conslstometer 18 shown ln a~side plan vlew ln
f~igure l. As can be~ seen, the cons:lstometer l 1
: composed o~ a plate which~serves~;as base 2 of the stand,
a vertical support~po;st 3~which is fixedly attached ~to
the~base~plate~2, and~a horlzontal support arm 4 whlch~
ls flxedly att~ached at a top~portion of vertical suppo:rt :
: post 3. The attachments may be:made by any known means
~ 20 for example weldlng, use oE threaded fasteners,~epoxy~
lue, and the like.: :
: A dlal indicator 5 havlng a~vertical arm 7~1s
attached to horlzontal support arm 4 by connecting~arm
18. The vertlcal arm 7~1s movable relative to the dial~
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indlcator 5 such that vertlcal dlsplacement of the
vertlcal arm 7 relatlve to the dlal indicator 5 ls
lndlcated on the face of the dial indlcator 5 by a
pointer. The dial l~dlcator 5 lndlcates dlsplacements
accurately to as llttle as one one-thousandth of an
lnch. The dial lndlcator may be any known dlal
displacement lndicator, and in a preferred embodlment a
Teclock brand indicator is used. The vertical arm 7 of
the dlal dlsplacement lndicator ~5 has an enlarged
vertical arm tip 8 for contactlng another part of the
apparatus which ls movable ~o as to ~dlspIace the
vertical arm 7.
The horlzontal support arm 4 has~a bore 19 ~ormed
therein generally near the~end o~ horizontal support arm
4 that is~rurthermost ~rom~vertlcal ~support post~3.~ The~
bor~e~l9~may be~ormed by ~slmp~ly drllllng~th;rou~gh and
bor~lng~the materi~al of horizont~al~support~arm 4, or ~1n~a;~
preferred embodiment the bore~l9~is formed by;the~lnner~
surface ~oP a ~bushlng 32 ~which 18 in a preferred
20 ~ embodlment formed;~or~bro~nze. ~The bushlng ~32 Itse~1
; would be flxed~;ln ~place ln a bore rormed~ in horizontal~
support~arm 4 ln the prererred embodl~ment.~ The bore l9
adapted to~ per~lt slidlng~passage ~ O r a~ rod l0
therethrough.
The rod 10 19 oylindrlcal and i9 sized~so~as to fit
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snugly withln bore 19 wlthout signiflcant frlctional
resistance to slidlng movement of rod 10 therethrough.
A horlzontal dlsk 9 ls flxedly attached to a sleeve
16. The sleeve 16 has a palr of bores formed thereln
adapted to recelve setscrews 15 thereln. The horlzontal
disk 9 and the sleeve 16 both have a passage
therethrough adapted to recelve rod 10. As shown ln
flgure 1, the horlzontal disk 9, whlch ls fixedly
attached to sleeve 16, ls mounted upon rod 10 such that
rod 10 passes through the hole formed ln horlzontal disk
9 and sleeve 16. In a preferred embodlment, the hol~e
formed in horizontaI dlsk 9` and sleeve 16 is a
cyllndrical bore whlch ls coaxial wlth both the disk 9
and sleeve 16. Also in the preferred embodlment, the
bore pa~slng through dl-sk 9 and :sleeve~ 16 snugly
recelves rod 10.: Setscrews 15 (shown in figure 2) are
:
~: screwed~ Into sleeve 16~suoh~that they pass through the ~ :
thlckness of a wall ~o~ sleeve 16 and abut rod 10.~:
: ~ : Further tightening of ~etscrews 15 results ln ~very :
strong~frlctional oontact of sets~orews 15 with the rod
10, thereby retaining the dlsk 9 and lts a~soclated
: ~ sleeve 16 flrmly against rod 10.
~ ; Rod 10 Is mounted ln bore 19, as shown in figure 1,~
::` : while the horizontal disk 9 and flxedly attached sleeve
16 are spaced above horlzontal support arm 4 by
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detachable collar 6. The detachable collar 6 has a
diameter greater than that of bore 19, and ls open along
one slde as shown in flgure 3. The sleeve 16 has a
sllghtly larger dlameter than that of detachable collar
6, and is adapted to rest thereon. The contact surfaces
between detachable collar 6 and support arm 4 are
sufrlciently smooth that no slgniflcant reslstance ls
encountered against slldlng motlon of the detachable
collar 6 relatlve to horlzontal support arm 4. A1SOJ
the contact surfaces between sleeve 16 and detachable
collar 6 are sufflciently smooth that no signlflcant
rrlctlonal resistance~ls enoountered b~etween slldlng o~
detachable collar 6 agalnst sleeve 16. A ohain 12 ls
attached to the detachable collar 6 by a screw~13. The
chaln 12 ls in t~lrn rlxedly attached to vertical eupport
pos~t 3 by a screw 33 whlch passes through a fastener~
washer 34 which is rixedly attached to chain 12. A
; slmllar~rastener or washer 14 is used wlth screw ~13 to
attach the chaln to detachable`collar 6. The clialn 12
is sufrlclently~strong that lt may be ~erk~eù or yank~ed ~ ;
manually ln a sudden motlon with one~hand so as to sllde
detachable collar 6 3uddenly away from horlzontal
support arm 4 and sleeve 16 so as to allow rod lO to
drop.
The rod lO ls surrlclently long that it passes
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entirely through bore 19 and below the lower surface Or
horizontal support arm 4. The rod lO tapers to a
somewhat smaller dlameter as lndlcated by taper 17, at a
locatlon below the lower surface of horlzontal support
arm 4. A mlddle gulde plate 30 extends generally
-~, parallel to horlzontal support arm 4 and ls spaced
therefrom along vertlcal support post 3; The middle
guide plate 30 is ~ixedly attached to the vertlcal
support post 3. A bore 35 is formed ln mlddle gulde
plate 30 and ls adapted to snugly recelve a penetratlng
rod end 21 in slldlng contact therewlth.
The penetratlng rod end 21 ls attached flxedly to
:~ the lowermost end of tapered rod end ll by a threaded
protruslon 36 whlch ls lntegral wlth penetratlng~ rod end
21. The lowermost portlon of rod lO ls deslgnated as
tapped rod end ll. A tapQed hole 20 ls formed ln tapQèd
rod end 11. The tapped :hole .20 has a generally
cylindrlcal form and has its cylindrlcal axls oriented~
parallel with that~of rod ~lO, and ln a preferred
embodlment the cyllndrlcal axis of tapped hole 20 is
~: c:o-linear with central cyllndrlcal axi~ of rod lO.
: Thus, penetratlng rod end 21 1~ screwed~lnto tapped hole
; : 2Q so as to become flxedly attached to rod 10 at tapped
rod ll. Mlddle gulde plate 30 prevents wobbllng durlng
operatlon of penetratlng rod end 21 due to clearance~
~ 20
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which may exlst ln bore 19, since some clearance,
however small, must exlst ln order to prevent strong
frlctlonal contact between bore 19 and rod 10.
The attachments between vertlcal support post 3 and
base plate 2, as well as between horlzontal ~upport arm
4 and vertlcal support post 3, and between mlddle guide
plate 30 and vertlcal support post 3, are made by any
known attachlng means, lncludlng welding, epoxy glue,
threaded fastener members, and the llke. Nonetheless,
many variatlons of construction may be used, for example
the entire support stand lncludlng base plate 2,
vertlcal support post 3, horizontal support arm 4, and
middle guide plate 30 may be formed from a single cast
piece of materlal. The materlal may include, but ls not
limited to, steel, plastic, bronze, lron~ copper,
ceramlc material, or any other -known material havlng
sufflclent strength to support the welght of rod lO and~
avoid breakage of base plate 2 durlng deformation of a
dough sample 29.
~ In figure 2 ls shown a front elevational vlew Or
; the conslstometer of the present in~ventlon. As can be
seen, the dlal indlcator 5 is mounted to the right-hand
slde of horlzontal support arm 4 and ls ~therefore
somewhat off-center of a plane of vertical symmetry Or~
the support stand. In the preferred embodiment, bole l9
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and bore 35 are centered along the vertical plane of
symmetry Or the support stand. Nonetheless, the bores
19,35 may be located with thelr centers ln a common
vertical plane that is not coincldental with the
vertical plane of symmetry Or the support stand, wlthout
departing from the present lnventlon. Furthermore,
although rectangular prlsmatic solld elembnts are shown
for the elements of the support stand, especlally base
plate 2, vertical support post 3, horizontal support arm
4, and mlddle guide plate 30, any solid shape may be
used for any Or the~above-mentioned elements without
departing from the scope Or the present lnventlon.
Nonetheless, rectangular prlsmatlc eollds were chosen as
the preferred embodiment Or the present lnventlon due to
:
ease of assembly, ea~e Or~ machinlng where required, and~
the convenience and cost savlngs lnherent ln using plate
~ and bar shapes which are~conventlonal and which are
; readily available commercl~ally.
A~rlange 37 may be formed at the lowermost edge~o
~0 tapered rod end ll.~ However, the flange 37 is not~
necessary to the present inventlon and may be omltted if
deslred, although soch is not the~preferred embodlment. ~ `
The dough sample 29 19 shown ln flgures l and 2 as ;~
lying flat and coplanar wlth the top surface of base~
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plate 2. The dough sample 29 is placed upon base plate
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2 such that a portlon Or the dough sample 29 lles
dlrectly beneath penetrating rod end 21.
Detachable collar 6 is shown ln figure 3 ln a top
elevatlonàl view. As can be seen, the detachable collar
6 is generally cyllndrical and has a cyllndrlcal pa~sage
therethrough. A slde of the detachable collar 6 ls
removed such that the lnner diameter of the openlng in
detachable collar 6 is equal to the slze Or the rod 10.
Thus, removal of the detachable collar 6 from rod 10
wlll not be lmpeded by lnward curvature~of two ends
38,39 of the generally C-shaped detachable collar 6.
The locatlon of screw 13~and fastener washer 14 ls also
shown ln flgure 3. ;
Alternate slzes of penetratlng rod ends 21 are
shown ln ~lgures 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d. As can~be~seen,
threaded portions 36 all ~are the same slze in each Or
these flgures, h~wever dlameter ~f the penetrating rod~
~end portions 2l yary~ For~example, a maln penetratlng ~ ~ ;
rod end 21 may have a~dlameter of 5/8 inch; alternate
penetratlng rod ends 21 may have respective diameters of
:
l/2 lnch~ 7/16 inch, 3/8 lnch, and l/4 lnch. The
threadlng on treaded protruslon 36 in each of the
respectlve flgures may be any ~deslreù threading. ~The~
length of each protruslon may typlcally be 7/16 inch.
The length Or penetratlng rod ends 21 excluslve Or
23
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threaded protrusion 36 may typlcally be 4-3/16 lnches.
The overall height of the conslstotneter of the present
lnvention may be about l foot and the length of base
plate 2 may be ln the range o~ about 7 inches. It is
contemplated that the wldths o~ base plate 2, vertical
~upport post 3, and horlzontal support arm ll~ be Or the
order o~ 2-3 inches. However~ it ls wlthin the scope of
the present lnventlon that any relative dlmensions be
used, wlthout departing from the scope of the present
inventlon.
Figure 5 show~ the relatlve positlon o~ detachable
collar 6 to rod lO. In thl~ posltion, the rod 10 ls
held in posltion whlle the detachable collar 6 ls ~slid
lnto place beneath it. The welght of rod lO Is then
released agalnst detachable collar~ 6 so that the welght
:
of rod lO rests upon th~ de~achable :collar 6.
The relatlve posltlons of rod lO and horlzontal
; support arm 4 are shown in ~igure 6 after removal of~
de~tachable collar 6.; ~In thls ~ figure, rod lO ha~s ~;
descended to a polnt where ~lt ls stlll above the top
surface Or horlzontal support arm 4 but rurther movement
ls slgnlficantly retarded by dough sample 29 beneath~
penetrating rod end 21. The mlddle portion of the~
conslstometer l ls broken away in figure 6~so that only
the top portion of horlzontal support arm 4,~and~the
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bottom portion of penetratlng rod end 21 and dough
sample 29 are shown.
A cookie sheet 24 i8 shown in figure 7, Prismatlc
rectangular bars 22,23 are spaced in parallel
relationshlp across the interior portion 25 of the
cookie sheet 24. A dough sample would be rolled between
prismatlc rectangular bar~ 22,23 by a rolling pin 26
havlng handles 27,28. The thlckness of each of
rectangular prismatlc bars 22,23 determines the
thicknes~ to which a dough sample 29 can be rolled~ In~
a preferred embodlment, the cookie sheet 24 is formed of
alumlnum and may optlonally have a Teflon coatlng if
deslred. Nonetheless, any materlal for the cookiè sheet
24 may be used, and any shape of cookl~e sheet 24 may be
used. The rectangular prismatlc bars 22,23 may also be
of any materlal, includlng~wood, lronj steel, plastic,
; or the llka~ so~long as they are strong enough to~
withstand breaking or ~ubstantial deformatlon dur;ing the~
~rolllng operatlon by roller 26.
In operation, the cons~lstometer Or the present
lnvention is placed on any flat horlzontal surrac~e as
desirad. A dough sample 29 1~ rolled between
rectangular prismatic bars 22,23 on the coo~le~sheet 24.
. ~
A roller 26 rolls the dough sample 29 flat. The rlst
dough sample 29 ls then transported, usually
25~
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immedlately, to the top of base plate 2 where it i8
rested. A central portion of dough sample 29 rests
directly beneath penetrating rod end 21 of rod 10.
An operator may then ready a stopwatch or other
timer, not shown, in operatlon for the subsequent test.
At the start of the test, the timer 18 actuated
simultaneously with the sudden removal of detachable
collar 6. Rod 10 falls until penetratlng end 21 impacts
agalnst the dough sampIe 29. The dial lndlcator 5 ls
then read and the measurement noted of the distance
vertical arm 7 has traveled downward, After a
substantial amount of tlme has elapsed, for example five
minutes to flfteen minutes, a~ second reading is then
taken of the dlal indicator 5 ~to show .further
deformation of the dough sample 29. The initlal dial
lndicator 5 readlng fol:lowing lnitial lmpact of the
penetrating rod end 21 agalns~t the dough sample 29 may~
then be subtracted from the flnal readlng at the end of
the predetermlned perlod of tlme to obtaln the dlstance
~traveled by the penetrating rod end 21 into the dough
sample 29. Thls would yleld a signiflcant measure of
the softness of the dough sample 29. : : :
The partlcular dlameter of the penetratin& rod:end
21 ls selectable as suggested ln flgures 4a-4d~ Thls
prevents excesslve penetration of the dough sample 29 ln
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the case of an especially soft dough, inasmuch as the
penetration of rod end 21 ls approximately lnversely
related to the dlameter of penetratlng rod end 21.
Therefore, lf excesslve penetratlon occurs during a test
of a dough sample, the penetratlng rod end 21 ls
replaced wlth a larger dlameter penetratlng rod end 21.
Thus, the pressure applied per unit area o~ t~he dough
sample 29 ls dlmlnlshed and penetratlon correspondlngly
reduced.
Excessive penetratlon of the penetratlng rod end 21
into the dough sample 29~1s ~t~o be avolded ln that false
readings occur when penetratlng rod end 21 penetrates
too closely to base plate 2:. That is, the hardness of
bsse plate 2 would aotually become a part o~ the
.
measurement of the~sortnes~s of the dough sample 29 were~
exoesslve~penetratl~on to occur.
; Although a~ cyllndrlc`al ~rod 10 ls :shown, and~
cyl~indrloal bores 19,35 are shown:,~:rod 10 could have~any
arbltrary cross-sectional shap~e~provlded ~borss l9~an~d 35
~:20 also: had correspondlng cross-sectlonal~shapes. For
: exampl~s, a star-shapsd rod may bs uséd,~or a reotsneulsr~
sne. ~Furthermore, although cylindrlcal psne~tratlng~rod~
snùs~2~1 ars shown, any cross-ssctionsl shaps~may~bs u9sd
: for the penetrating rod ends 21J for example the rod end
21 may be star-shaped, square,~rectangular,~rhomboldal,:
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crescent-shaped, ellipsoidal, and the like may be used.
Also, although a threaded protrusion 36 ls shown
cooperating ~ith a tapped hole 20, any detachable
~astenlng means may be employed to connect rod end 11
with penetratlng rod end 21, such as a snap fastenlng, a
horlzontally orlented dovetall Joint, clamp arms~ an
outer sleeve enclosing both rod end 11 and penetratlng
rod end 21, and the llke. Furthermore, rod end ll and
penetratlng rod end 21 may be selectively permanently
attached as by welding, epoxy glue, or the like,
although thls is not the preferred embodlment.
Furthermore, although a dough sample 29 ls to be tested,
any artlcle whlch i9 deformable may be so tested,
lncluding ple filllng, cookie dough, any type of putty,
cement, mortar9 plaster, ~elly, or the llke may be u~ed.
:
Also, although a partlcular palr of bars 22~23~and a
~; ~ partlcular cookle sheet 24 is used to pro~vide~unlrormly
:
~ thlck dough samples, any method of provldlng unlformly
:
thlck dough samples may~be used includlng a palr of
spaced~ro}lers, presslng between two flat surfaces,
extrudlng, or the lIke, wlthout departlng from the scope
of the present inventlon.
Although a horlzontal disk 9 is shown for
dlsplaclng vertical arm 7 to lndlcate displacement, any
shape may be used for the disk 9, e.g., a slngle arm rnay
-28- .
be used fastened to the rod lOo Also, a square,
elllpsoidal, or even a pretzel shaped member could be
used lnstead of disk 9. The only requirements are that
the member replacing the disk 9 be sufficlently rigid so
as to di.splace arm 7 to the extent rod 10 drops, that
the member replaclng the disk 9 have a 3ultable welght,
and that the member replacing the di3k 9 be fixed to rod
10 for movememt therewith.
The lmproved conslstometer of the present inventlon
: lO ls capable of achleving the above-enumerated advantages
and obJects and while preferred embodiments of the
~resent lnventlon have been dlsclosed, lt wlll be
understood that lt ls not llmlted thereto but may be~
otherwlse~ embodled wlthin the scope of the followlng
clalms.~ :
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29
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