Pressure suit joint analyzer

Abstract

A measurement system for simultaneously measuring torque and angular flexure in a pressure suit joint is described. One end of a joint under test is held rigid. A torque transducer is pivotably supported on the other movable end of a joint. A potentiometer is attached to the transducer by an arm. The wiper shaft of the potentiometer is gripped by a reference arm that rotates the wiper shaft the same angle as the flexure of joint. A signal is generated by the potentiometer which is representative of the joint flexure. A compensation circuit converts the output of the transducer to a signal representative of joint torque.