Abstract: A rheometer uses a removable integrated environmental control cartridge that includes at least one environmental control unit, at least one supply port operative to interact with the supply port for a chassis of the rheometer. It also includes at least one mechanical alignment interface that is operative to interact with the mechanical alignment interface of the chassis to align both the mobile part with respect to the fixed part and the chassis supply port with respect to the environmental control cartridge part. In another general aspect, a rheometer can use an environmental control cartridge interface operative to report an identity of the integrated environmental control cartridge to an environmental control cartridge identification interface of its chassis.

Abstract: A rheometer uses a removable integrated environmental control cartridge that includes at least one environmental control unit, at least one supply port operative to interact with the supply port for a chassis of the rheometer. It also includes at least one mechanical alignment interface that is operative to interact with the mechanical alignment interface of the chassis to align both the mobile part with respect to the fixed part and the chassis supply port with respect to the environmental control cartridge part. In another general aspect, a rheometer can use an environmental control cartridge interface operative to report an identity of the integrated environmental control cartridge to an environmental control cartridge identification interface of its chassis.

Abstract: An interlock unit (10) for use with at least one other like unit (11) to form an interlock mechanism has a top face (13) and opposed pairs of side walls (12) with at least one runner bar (17, 18) mounted in the unit for lateral sliding movement. An actuator (14, 15, 22) is supported on the top face (13), to effect lateral sliding movement of the runner bar (17, 18). One wall of the unit is provided with one part (27) of a two-part connector with the other part (33) on the opposed wall whereby two similar units may be joined together by relative sliding movement of the two units in the plane of the side walls (12). Joining together of two units (10, 11) in this way also joins together the runner bars (17) or (18) of the two units such that sliding motion of the runner bar (17) of one unit (10) is transferred to the runner bar (17) of the connected unit (11), for at least one direction of sliding movement of the runner bars (17).

Abstract: An interlock unit (10) for use with at least one other like unit (11) to form an interlock mechanism has a top face (13) and opposed pairs of side walls (12) with at least one runner bar (17, 18) mounted in the unit for lateral sliding movement. An actuator (14, 15, 22) is supported on the top face (13), to effect lateral sliding movement of the runner bar (17, 18). One wall of the unit is provided with one part (27) of a two-part connector with the other part (33) on the opposed wall whereby two similar units may be joined together by relative sliding movement of the two units in the plane of the side walls (12). Joining together of two units (10, 11) in this way also joins together the runner bars (17) or (18) of the two units such that sliding motion of the runner bar (17) of one unit (10) is transferred to the runner bar (17) of the connected unit (11), for at least one direction of sliding movement of the runner bars (17).