Accession No

5178

Brief Description

Hounsfield tensometer with wood cover, by Tensometer Ltd., English, 2/2 20th Century

Origin

England; Croydon; 81 Morland Rd

Maker

Tensometer Ltd.

Class

weights & measures; metrology

Earliest Date

1950

Latest Date

1980

Inscription Date

Material

wood; metal (steel, brass, oxidised brass, white metal (non-magnetic), mercury); paper (card); glass; plastic (rubber)

Dimensions

length 1000mm, height 210mm; width 270mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Donated by Anglia Polytechnic University (now Anglia Ruskin University), East Road, Cambridge, on 20/08/1997.

Inscription

‘HOUNSFIELD TENSOMETER
British Patent Nos 320704, 367927, 372495.
Serial No C2639
TENSOMETER LIMITED
81, MORLAND ROAD, CROYDON.
Made in England’
(Oxidised brass label on top of box, duplicate on instrument near handle)
‘C.177 SPRING BEAM 2TON 1TON 5TON 500LB 250LB 125LB 62LB
FORCE SCALE C.178 D.193 D.194 D.500 D.511 D.512 D.513’ (ON BRASS STRIP BESIDE CAPILLARY TUBE)

Description Notes

Heavy white metal cast base painted metalic grey, Off centre depression along most of the length of the base. One end of base: painted grey metal stand with drive wheel to be turned either by handle or by a drive belt, also square crank shaft surrounded by brass knurled knob, when knob is released the drive wheel mat be turned easily to reset instrument. Two steel shafts 20mm in diameter join stand to a similar one at the opposite end, threaded shaft centred over depression between the smooth shafts, attached at one end to a painted metal cross piece which slides along smooth shafts. Drive wheel pulls threaded shaft, thus moving cross piece, drive wheel also turns narrow smooth shaft which turns chart holder on one of three gear settings. Two specimen holders, one on movable cross piece, other on stand, irregular octagonal steel beam bends ender tension as sample is extended. movement of beam measured by mercury in a reservoir and capillary tube with knurled knob to zero, reservoir joined to capillary by steel painted tube and perishing rubber. One side of capillary is brass strip ‘SPRING BEAM..’ on other newer looking removable scale held in place by knurled brass knob and divided 0 to 20 by 1 to 0.1’USE 2 TON BEAM FORCE IN K. NEWTONS. A180-1’ READINGS MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A ROTATING CHART BY MEANS OF A MANUALLY SLID YELLOWED PLASTIC POINTER ON THE CAPILLARY TUBE ATTACHED TO A NEEDLE, BRASS STAND FOR A MAGNIFYING LENS ABOVE THE POINTER (LENS MISSING). VARNISHED WOOD COVER FITS OVER INSTRUMENT, held in position by a long steel pin and two short steel prongs with some white corrosion. Fastened inside cover is a black painted wood box containing a crank to fit the square crank shaft, also slots for at least one more (missing) object. Clipped to side of black box is an empty cardboard tube labelled ‘This tube contains two plastic rods for cleaning the glass tube. Arts309-311’ Slightly worn, but working order.

Condition good; complete.

References

Events