A discarded syrup can is placed in position by Dr. Robert Osthoff, General Electric Research Laboratory chemist, on apparatus he developed to test the tensile strength of plastic samples. The weight of water run into the can from glass column at left exerts a pull on the sample through a tiny cable running from the can over pulleys at top of picture to the sample. The sample is located in the glass enclosed heating coil at right. When the weight snaps the plastic, the can falls on a microswitch on the ring directly below the can, shutting off a timing device.

General Electric Company1953-01-30