2
• Review the Connections section and install neces-
sary components.
CONNECTIONS
Vertical Displacement Transducer Rod
– Screws
into the top platform to the right of the rear pull-down
rod.
Vertical Displacement Transducer
Clamping Arm
–
Attach to the above rod.
Vertical Displacement Transducer
– Consolidation –
Attach to the clamping arm with the screw provided.
Connection is made at the rear of the readout box.
Horizontal Displacement Transducer
– Shear – At-
tach to the threaded rod on the angle bracket-top plat-
form, right front. Connection is made at the rear of the
readout box.
Air Line
– A constant supply of air is required. The air
inlet air pressure should not exceed 200 psi, nor should
it ever be less than 20 psi higher than the highest pres-
sure setting. The connection is a ¼” Swagelok, located
in the rear of the cabinet. Insert the tubing into the fit-
ting until it bottoms out. With the nut finger tight, tighten
the fitting 1 ¼ turns with a wrench. Do not over tighten.
Load Cell
– Connect the load cell to the support cast-
ing at the right end of the direct shear using the two
knobs. Adjust the knobs so that the load cell is as far
to the right as possible. This will allow room for assem-
bling the water chamber and the shear rings with min-
imum interference. Connection is made at the rear of
the readout box.
Mini USB 2.0 Port
– Connection is made at the rear of
the readout box to a computer.
Water Chamber
– Special care should be taken to
see that the four (4) roller bearings between the water
chamber and the base slide tracks are properly cleaned
and contain a slight amount of oil during and after use.
We advise using a cover over the direct shear after
use to eliminate dust from entering the precision slide
assembly. The main drive shaft should be at its home
position. This will place the sample load pad in the cen-
ter of the crossarm for consolidation.
Shear Boxes (sold separately)
– The shear rings are
held together with (2) stainless steel screws boxes.
There are also (4) screws for adjusting the gap be-
tween the rings once consolidation has been reached.
The gap is adjusted by turning the screws clockwise
from the finger tight position. One full turn will give
.031” gap. There is a line scribed on the adjusting knob
for determining how much gap each screw has provid-
ed. The screws should be turned evenly to maintain
a proper gap. At the bottom of each screw is a nylon
glide which keeps the top shear ring from dropping
during the test.
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS
The consolidation load settings and strain rates
are controlled from the front panel. Machine
must be plugged in to a properly wired ground-
ed receptable with appropriate electrical current.
PANEL CONTROLS — LOAD SETTING
Readout and Data Acquisition
– See manual for
Data Readout System. This is a four channel device for
monitoring shear load (channel 1), horizontal displace-
ment (channel 2), vertical displacement (channel 3),
and pressure (channel 4) for setting the vertical load
on the sample. See the load table for the proper load
setting.
Load Regulator
– A precision Fairchild regulator is
used to set and maintain the air pressure to the pis-
tons which provides load to the sample. The regulator
is sensitive to 1/8” variations in water column. Select
the load required from the load setting table.
Note: The consolidation load pad, porous stone, and
stainless-steel ball have not been included in the load
setting calibrations.
High Load/Low Load Selector Valve
– This valve
has two positions. The LOW LOAD position is used for
loads up to 100lbs depending on the model. The HIGH
LOAD position is used for loads up to 1500lbs.
Load Valve
– This valve is actuated by 90-degree ro-
tation of the handle. When open it allows air to flow
from the regulator to the pistons (HIGH or LOW LOAD)
selected.
PANEL CONTROLS — POWER & SHEAR RATE
Power Switch
– An indicator light is present when
power is turned on.
Strain Rate Selector
– The strain rate is set with
thumbwheel selectors. The switches are direct reading
in inches/minute with an implied leading decimal point.
Once the rate is set and the test is started, the switch
setting is ignored until the stop switch is pressed or a
limit switch is tripped.
