Torque detector

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DETECTING TORQUES EXPERIENCED BY A SHAFT ROTATING RELATIVE TO A SUPPORT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION WITH A SHAFT AND ITS SUPPORT: FIRST AND SECOND TRANSDUCRES MOUNTED AT AXIALLY SPACED PORTIONS OF THE SHAFT, SAID FIRST TRANSDUCER COMPRISING A FIRST ELONGATED CAPACTIVE ELEMENT ON A FIRST SHAFT PORTION EXTENDING HELICALLY ABOUT THE SHAFT AXIS, AND A SECOND ELONGATED CAPACITIVE ELEMENT HAVING A LONGITUDINAL EXTENT LESS THAN THAT OF THE FIRST CAPACITIVE ELEMENT AND FIXED TO THE SUPPORT PROXIMITY TO THE FIRST ELEMENT AND EXTENDING HELICALLY ABOUT THE SHAFT AXIS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE FIRST CAPACITIVE ELEMENT THE SECOND TRANSDUCER COMPRISING A THIRD ELONGATED CAPACITIVE ELEMENT FIXED TO THE SHAFT AT A SECOND SHAFT PORTION AND EXTENDING HELICALLY ABOUT THE SHAFT AXIS FOR A DISTANCE CONSIDERABLY GREATER THAN THE EXTENT OF THE FIRST CAPACITIVE ELEMENT OF THE FIRST TRANSDUCER, A LEAD SCREW MOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE SUPPORT OF THE SHAFT, A FOURTH ELONGATED CAPACITIVE ELEMENT CARRIED BY THE LEAD SCREW IN PROXIMITY WITH THE THIRD CAPACITIVE ELEMENT, SAID FOURTH CAPACITIVE ELEMENT HAVING A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF THE SECOND CAPACITIVE ELEMENT OF THE FIRST TRANSDUCER, AND EXTENDING HELICALLY ABOUT THE SHAFT AXIS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE THIRD CAPACITIVE ELEMENT, ALL OF SAID CAPACITIVE ELEMENT BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL WIDTH, MEANS CARRIED BY THE SUPPORT FOR ROTATABLY DRIVING THE LEAD SCREW TO EFFECT DISPLACEMENT OF THE FOURTH CAPACITIVE ELEMENT IN A DIRECTION ALONG THE AXIS OF THE SHAFT, AN OSCILLATOR CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH EACH COACTING PAIR OF THE CAPACITIVE ELEMENTS TO ELECTRICALLY EXCITE THE TRANSDUCERS, AND A DISPLAY DEVICE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED WITH THE ELECTRICAL OUTPUTS OF BOTH TRANSDUCERS FOR DISPLAYING THE COMBINED OUTPUTS OF THE TRANSDUCERS.