Hermetically sealed potentiometers

Claim 1

A POTENTIOMETER COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER HAVING A BORE THEREIN; A CRANK-LIKE SHAFT MEMBER EXTENDING INTO SAID BORE FROM ONE END THEREOF, SAID SHAFT MEMBER HAVING AN OUTER END PORTION SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIAL WITH SAID BORE AND HAVING AN INNER END PORTION ONSET WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF SAID BORE, SAID OUTER END PORTION OF SAID SHAFT MEMBER BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED UPON SAID BODY MEMBER ADJACENT SAID ONE END OF SAID BORE AND BEING ADAPTED TO BE ROTATED BY ASSOCIATED ROTATING MEANS, SAID INNER END PORTION OF SAID SHAFT MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO ORBIT FREELY ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID BORE WHEN SAID SHAFT MEMBER IS ROTATED; A FLUID-TIGHT BELLOWS MEMBER OF RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE MATERIAL DISPOSED ABOUT SAID SHAFT MEMBER FROM SAID ONE END OF SAID BORE TO SAID INNER END PORTION OF SAID SHAFT MEMBER, SAID BELLOWS MEMBER BEING BONDED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF ONE END THEREOF TO SAID BODY MEMBER IN HERMETICALLY SEALED RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH ADJACENT SAID ONE END OF SAID BORE, THE OTHER END OF SAID BELLOWS MEMBERS BEING SEALED INWARDLY OF SAID BORE FROM THE INNER END PORTION OF SAID SHAFT MEMBER AND THUS COOPERATING WITH SAID BODY MEMBER TO PROVIDE A HERMETIC SEAL AT SAID ONE END OF SAID BORE; A GENERALLY ANNULAR RESISTANCE ELEMENT MOUNTED COAXIALLY IN SAID BORE AND HAVING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE EXTERIOR OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID CONDUCTING MEANS BEING HERMETICALLY SEALED WITHIN SAID BODY MMEBER; SEALING MEANS PROVIDING A HERMETIC SEAL FOR SAID BORE ADJACENT THE OTHER END THEREOF; AND A UNITARY CONTACT MEMBER OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE RESILIENT MATERIAL, SAID CONTACT MEMBER BEING ROTATABLY ENGAGED WITH SAID OTHER END OF SAID BELLOWS MEMBER AND HAVING A PORTION THEREOF EXTENDING GENERALLY RADIALLY FROM SAID OTHER END OF SAID BELLOWS MEMBER AND FORMED IN A WIPER ARM BIASED IN RESILIENT CONTACT WITH SAID RESISTANCE ELEMENT, SAID CONTACT MEMBER HAVING ONE END THEREOF ROTATABLY JOURNALED WITHIN AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING MEANS CENTRALLY POSITIONED WITHIN SAID BORE AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE EXTERIOR OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID CONTACT MEMBER CONDUCTING MEANS BEING IN HERMETICALLY SEALED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID BODY MEMBER.