METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING ENVELOPE AND BULK DENSITIES

An apparatus and method for measuring the volume and calculating the envelope density of an object of known weight. The apparatus has a hollow sample cylinder of known interior diameter mounted to a motor for rotation about its horizontal axis. A dry flowing medium is placed in the sample cylinder and a plunger is removably positioned therein. The plunger is mounted to another drive motor for axial movement within the sample cylinder to compact the dry flowing medium. A load cell connected to the plunger measures the force on the plunger as it advances in the sample cylinder. Control means responsive to the load cell determines the position of the plunger in the sample cylinder at which a known force is exerted on the plunger. The control means also calculates the volume of the dry flowing medium in the sample cylinder both with and without the object positioned therein and divides the difference in the volumes into the weight of the object.