Electronic strain-level counter

Claim 1

An electronic strain level counter for obtaining strain data on a structural member comprising: means including a source of constant amplitude electrical pulses for producing electrical pulses having amplitudes indicative of the strain on said structural member; a generator means receiving said constant amplitude electrical pulses for generating strobe pulses; a plurality of level detector means with said strobe pulses and said electrical pulses having amplitudes indicative of strain applied to each level detector means; each of said level detector means having a different amplitude preset into it and including a comparator for comparing said electrical pulses having amplitudes indicative of strain with said preset amplitude and means connected to the output of said comparator and enabled by said strobe pulses for producing an electrical signal each time the amplitude of one of said electrical pulses indicative of strain exceeds said preset amplitude and for providing a dead band so that after the strain exceeds the preset amplitude and an electrical signal is produced the strain must decrease below the dead band and then increase again before another electrical signal is produced; and means associated with each of said level detector means for counting said electrical signals whereby the count on each of said counting means is the number of times the strain exceeds the preset amplitude in the corresponding level detector means.