Humidistat having novel hygroscopic material configuration

Claim 1

A HUMIDISTAT COMPRIISNG A HOUSING; A FLEXIBLE CONTACT ARM SUPPORTED AT ONE END IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APERTURES THEREIN DEFINING A PAIR OF RESILIENT TONGUES; A SECOND ARM SPACED FROM SAID CONTACT ARM AND EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL THEREWITH; A PAIR OF ABUTMENTS EXTENDING FROM SAID SECOND ARM THROUGH SAID APERTURES OF SAID CONTACT ARM THE FREE ENDS OF SAID TONGUES BEARING AGAINST SAID ABUTMENTS; AN ADJUSTING SCREW THREADED IN SAID HOUSING AND BEARING AGAINST ONE OF SAID ABUTMENTS; A LENGTH OF HYGROSCOPIC MATERIAL IN SAID HOUSING AND SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SAID MATERIAL INCLUDING AN ADJUSTING DEVICE MOUNTED IN THE WALL OF SAID HOUSING TO WHICH BOTH ENDS OF SAID HYDROSCOPIC MATERIAL ARE ATTACHED, A LINK CONNECTING THE CENTER OF SAID HYDROSCOPIC MATERIAL TO SAID ARM, AND A SPREADER POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY MIDWAY BETWEEN SAID ADJUSTING MEMBER AND SAID LINK EFFECTIVE TO KEEP SAID HYDROSCOPIC MATERIAL UNDER TENSION AND TO FORCE IT INTO A GENERALLY DIAMOND-SHAPED CONFIGURATION; A BIMETALLIC CANTILEVER SUPPORTED IN SAID HOUSING ADJACENT THE FREE END OF SAID CONTACT ARM; A CONTACT ON SAID CANTILEVER ENGAGEABLE BY SAID CONTACT ARM; AND AN ADJUSTABLE STOP FOR LIMITING THE TRAVEL OF SAID ARM AWAY FROM SAID CONTACT.