Combined variable resistance device and mechanism for driving same

Claim 1

A VARIABLE RESISTANCE DEVICE COMPRISING: A GEAR REDUCTION APPARATUS MOUNTED WITHIN A FIRST HOUSING AND HAVING A DRIVEN SHAFT EXTENDING THEREFROM; A MOVABLE CONTACT CARRIER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BASE ELEMENT LOCATED TRANSVERSE SAID SHAFT AND FIXEDLY MOUNTED THERETO, A GROOVED CANTILEVER BAR HAVING ONE END MOUNTED INTEGRAL WITH ONE END OF SAID BASE ELEMENT, SAID BAR BEING LOCATED PARALLEL WITH SAID SHAFT AND EXTENDING PROXIMATE THE HOUSING OF SAID GEAR REDUCTION APPARATUS, AND A MOVABLE ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS HAVING A SUPPORT SLIDABLY ENGAGING THE GROOVE IN SAID CANTILEVER BAR; A HOLLOW SECOND HOUSING HAVING A HELICAL GROOVE FORMED IN ITS INSIDE WALL; A MULTI-TURN HELICAL RESISTANCE ELEMENT SUPPORTED IN SAID GROOVE AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS, SAID ELEMENT SURROUNDING SAID GEAR REDUCTION APPARATUS AND SAID MOVABLE CONTACT CARRIER ASSEMBLY SO THAT ITS HELICAL AXIS COINCIDES WITH THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF THE DRIVEN SHAFT OF SAID GEAR REDUCTION APPARATUS; AND GUIDE MEANS ON SAID MOVABLE ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID HELICAL RESISTANCE ELEMENT FOR MOVING SAID CONTACT MEANS ALONG SAID GROOVED CANTILEVER BAR AS SAID MOVABLE CONTACT ASSEMBLY IS ROTATED.