Resistance switches and the like

Claim 1

A RELAY SWITCH DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRICAL LOAD CIRCUIT, COMPRISING SPACED APART METALLIC ELECTRODES, A SOLID STATE COMPOSITION CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF AT LEAST ONE LITHIUM COMPOUND AND A SELF SUPPORTING SOLID DILUENT HAVING A MELTING POINT HIGHER THAN SAID AT LEAST ONE LITHIUM COMPOUND AND BEING INTERPOSED BETWEEN AND IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THE ELECTRODES, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ELECTRODES FOR CONNECTING SAID SOLID STATE COMPOSITION IN SERIES WITH THE ELECTRICAL LOAD CIRCUIT FOR CONTROLLING THE CURRENT FLOW THERETHROUGH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESISTANCE VALUE OF SAID COMPOSITION, SAID SOLID STATE COMPOSITION BEING IN A CONDITION OF HIGH RESISTANCE TO "OPEN" THE ELECTRICAL LOAD CIRCUIT WHEN SAID AT LEAST ONE LITHIUM COMPOUND IS IN A SOLID CONDITION AND BEING IN A CONDITION OF LOW RESISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO "CLOSE" THE ELECTRICAL LOAD CIRCUIT WHEN SAID AT LEAST ONE LITHIUM COMPOUND IS IN A MOLTEN CONDITION, SAID SELF-SUPPORTING SOLID DILUENT OF SAID COMPOSITION SERVING TO MAINTAIN SAID AT LEAST ONE MOLTEN LITHIUM COMPOUND IN PLACE AT ALL TIMES IN SAID SOLID STATE COMPOSITION, AND MEANS INCLUDING AN ELECTRICAL CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR CHANGING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID SOLID STATE COMPOSITION TO TRANSFORM IT FROM ITS SAID ONE CONDITION OF HIGH ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE TO ITS SAID OTHER CONDITION OF LOW ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE FOR SELECTIVELY "SWITCHING THE ELECTRICAL LOAD CIRCUIT FROM "OPENED" TO "CLOSED" CIRCUIT CONDITIONS.