Moisture sensing device

Claim 1

IN A MOISTURE MEASURING DEVICE, A HOUSING, A GEAR TRAIN MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING, AN INDICATOR CONNECTED TO THE GEAR TRAIN AND ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN BY THE GEAR TRAIN, THE GEAR TRAIN INCLUDING A ROTATABLE SHAFT FOR DRIVING THE SAME, A MOISTURE SENSITIVE ELEMENT CONSISTING OF THE TAIL-LIKE APPENDABE OF THE SEAED OF THE GENUS ERODIUM, SAID MOISTURE SENSITIVE ELEMENT BEING CHARACTERIZED IN THAT AS IT WINDS AND UNWINDS, IT EXPANDS AND CONTRACTS LONGITUDINALLY, SAID HOUSING HAVING OPENINGS THEREIN TO PERMIT AIR TO CIRCULATE OVER THE MOISTURE SENSITIVE ELEMENT, MEANS FOR SECURING ONE END OF THE ELEMENT TO THE ROTATABLE SHAFT, AN ARM, MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE OTHER END OF THE MOISTURE SENSITIVE ELEMENT TO THE ARM, MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN THE HOUSING FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE OTHER END OF THE ARM TO PREVENT ROTATION OF SAID OTHER END OF SAID MOISTURE SENSITIVE ELEMENT AND TO PERMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID OTHER END OF THE MOISTURE SENSITIVE ELEMENT IN A DIRECTION LONGITUDINALLY OF THE MOISTURE SENSITIVE ELEMENT AND TO THEREBY MAINTAIN SAID MOISTURE SENSITIVE ELEMENT FREE OF FORCES TENDING TO STRESS SAID ELEMENT LONGITUDINALLY.