Photosensitive low-torque transducer

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL OUTPUT WHICH BEARS A PREDETERMINED FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE POSITIONS OF A PLURALITY OF INDEPENDENTLY MOVABLE SHAFT MEMBERS IN THE DEVICE AND WHICH INCLUDES IN COMBINATION, IN A SUITABLE HOUSING: AT LEAST ONE SOURCE OF RADIATION, AT LEAST ONE RADIATION-SENSITIVE TARGET POSITIONED SO AS TO RECEIVE AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID RADIATION SAID TARGET CONVERTING THE RADIATION RECEIVED THEREON INTO AT LEAST ONE ELECTRICAL SIGNAL AND A PLURALITY OF ATTENUATING MEANS, EACH ATTENUATING MEANS COMPRISING A MASK, A DIFFUSER AND A SLIT BEARING MEMBER, EACH MASK OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID MOVABLE SHAFT MEMBERS, RESPONSIVE TO A MECHANICAL INPUT AND, IN RESPONSE TO A CHANGE IN POSITION OF SAID MOVABLE SHAFT, ADAPTED TO ATTENUATE THE RADIATION FROM SAID SOURCE PERMITTED TO REACH THE TARGET, WHEREBY THE ELECTRICAL SIGNAL OUTPUT OF SAID DEVICE IS THE INTENDED FUNCTION OF THE POSITIONS OF SAID SHAFT MEMBERS.