Rotary potentiometer with speed reduction gearing

Claim 1

IN ELECTRICAL APPARATUS HAVING A SERIES OF TERMINALS, ONE OF WHICH IS A REFERENCE TERMINAL, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A REFERENCE VOLTAGE ON THE REFERENCE TERMINAL AND VOLTAGES OF PREDETERMINED VALUES RELATIVE TO THE REFERENCE VOLTAGE ON THE RESPECTIVE OTHER TERMINALS ALONG THE SERIES, MEANS FOR DERIVING VOLTAGES INTERMEDIATE THOSE ON THE TERMINALS INCLUDING A CONTINUOUS ELECTRICAL PATH IN THE FORM OF A CLOSED LOOP OF DISTRIBUTED IMPEDANCE SUBDIVIDED INTO SECTIONS BY TAPS AT AT LEAST THREE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY SPACED POINTS THEREON, SWITCHING MEANS FOR CONNECTING PAIRS OF ADJACENT TAPS IN ROTATION ACROSS SUCCESSIVE PAIRS OF ADJACENT TERMINALS ALONG THE SERIES, AND A CONTACT MOVABLE ALONG THAT SECTION OF THE IMPEDANCE LOOP BETWEEN THE TAPS ON SAID SECTION CONNECTED TO A FIRST AND SECOND TERMINAL, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING SWITCHING MEANS HAVING AT LEAST THREE FIRST CONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS; EACH CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID TAPS, A PLURALITY OF SECOND CONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS, EACH CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID TERMINALS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND TERMINALS COMPRISING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE