A viscosimeter of the type employed for measuring the viscosity of dough, semi-liquid artificial resins, paints, lubricating oils and lacquers is disclosed. The viscosimeter includes a chamber capable of being sealed to retain fluid under pressure. A drive shaft extends through an opening in one wall of the chamber. The shaft is bent at an acute angle at a distance spaced inwardly from the wall of the chamber. A tubular extension connects the shaft with a ball or paddle, or other measuring surface, which is rotated by the shaft. A flexible sleeve of substantially the same diameter as the tube extends between the end of the tube and the interior surface of the wall surrounding the shaft, thereby forming an effective rotary seal.
An improved adhesion testing apparatus (20) for the accurate, quantitative measurement of adhesion of coherent flowable materials such as doughs is provided which includes an extrusion-type sample holding device (42) together with a shiftable probe (38). The device (42) includes a base (46) threadably interconnected with a top (48), the latter supporting an extrusion screen (50). In use, a dough sample placed within the base (46) is extruded through the screen (50) in order to present a test portion (92) above the screen (50); the plunger (38) is then lowered into contact with the portion (92), and rapidly withdrawn. The force required to separate the plunger (38) from the test portion (92) is recorded as a measure of adhesion. Provision of the screen (50) essentially eliminates the potentially interferring factor of dough flow in the measurement of adhesion.
A process and apparatus for measuring rheological properties of semi-solid bodies. The apparatus comprises a vessel (4) containing the body (5 ) to be tested, a measuring head (3) immersed in the vessel (4) in the middle of the body, and a drive for driving the head (3) in rotation through the intermediacy of an axle. The driver imparts a sinusoidal or pseudo-sinusoidal rotational motion to the axle (2), a torque sensor (7) and an angle sensor (8) which are mounted on the axle (2) and are both connected to a processing device for processing information, such as a device for processing signals (9) connected to a microcomputer (10).
