FIELD: testing techniques, namely determination of earth cutting efforts, possibly measurement of forces generated on propeller shaft and vanes of screw propeller of ice breakers and ships for active navigation in ice. SUBSTANCE: bed includes base supporting drive motor connected with propeller shaft, carriage with tested earth, pickups for detecting shaft revolution number, carriage speed and mounted on propeller shaft, cutting tool in the form of two vanes of screw propeller with transducers for measuring contact pressure; transducers for measuring forces and torques of screw propeller, amplifiers of signals of transducers connected with registering device by means of electric current collector. Bed is also provided with transducers for measuring vane deformation secured to surface of cutting tool; pickup of angular position of cutting tool and logic device for switching cutting tool transducers secured to propeller shaft. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency of bed operation due to possibility for obtaining new characteristics necessary for evaluating stressed condition of cutting tool; more effective use of tested pattern of earth (ice), reduced time period for testing. 2 dwg
