Accession No

6695

Brief Description

Du Nouy tensiometer or surface tension apparatus, by Cambridge Instrument Company Ltd., English, 1951

Origin

England; London; 13 Grosvenor Place

Maker

Cambridge Instrument Company Ltd.

Class

physics

Earliest Date

1951

Latest Date

1951

Inscription Date

Material

metal

Dimensions

Box: 365mm (height) x 293mm (width) x 285mm (depth)

Special Collection

Michael J. Clark Bequest

Provenance

Inscription

DYNES PER CENTIMETRE
DU NOÜY TENSIOMETER

CAMBRIDGE INSTRUMENT CO. LTD.
ENGLAND
C552135

Description Notes

Surface tension apparatus, by the Cambridge Instrument Company, English, c. 1953.

The instrument is housed in a purpose-built box with hinging front door, wooden clasp and large metal handle on top.

The instrument has a tripod base; the height of two of the feet can be adjusted with knurled knobs. Affixed to the central pillar is an arm (can be detached, or loosened and height adjusted, with knurled screw), at the end of which sits a circular table, which can be raised or lowered using a knurled screw below the table. At the top of the pillar two wires intersect: the torsion wire (thinner) runs between two clamps, adjustable with knurled screws; at the end of one clamp is another circular table, perpendicular to the ground, with a graduated scale along the outside brass bring; it reads dynes per centimetre from 0-110, and the pointer gives a range from 0-10. The "boom" of the instrument is a metal rod perpendicular to the torsion wire; at one end of the boom is a small pot, to be filled with paraffin wax; at the other end is an adjustable clamp and a mirror opposite a painted white square, used for calibration of the instrument. A thin, light metal cylinder surrounds the boom where it intersects with the torsion wire, which is threaded through the cylinder; the knurled knob at the end of this cylinder is used to adjust the boom length (it is difficult to turn, possibly stuck).

Accompanying typed booklet gives Instructions, including a labelled photograph of the instrument; it is dated 6 February 1953, and annotated in various places in pen and pencil by users. Booklet is bound with brass fasteners, surrounded with masking tape.

The platinum ring (important for calibrating the instrument) is missing.

Condition: good, incomplete.

References

Events