Variable resistance network having a constant stray capacitance

Claim 1

IN AN A.-C. BRIDGE CIRCUIT WHICH INCLUDES A PAIR OF SPACED TEST TERMINALS IN ONE ARM FOR CONNECTING TO AN UNKNOWN REACTIVE ELEMENT TO BE MEASURED AND A VARIABLE STANDARD REACTANCE SERIALLY CONNECTED THERETO IN ANOTHER ARM, A VARIABLE RESISTANCE NETWORK FOR BALANCING THE RESISTANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE UNKNOWN REACTIVE ELEMENT WITHOUT CHANGING THE REACTANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE OTHER ARMS OF THE BRIDGE, WHICH NETWORK COMPRISES: A UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED RESISTANCE ELEMENT, TWO OUTPUT TERMINALS CONNECTED TO THE STANDARD REACTANCE FOR CONNECTING THE VARIABLE RESISTANCE NETWORK IN PARALLEL WITH THE STANDARD REACTANCE, ONE OUTPUT TERMINAL BEING CONNECTED TO ONE END OF THE RESISTANCE ELEMENT, A MOVABLE CONTACT ARM HAVING ONE END CONTACTING THE RESITANCE ELEMENT AND HAVING THE OTHER END CONNECTED TO THE OTHER OUTPUT TERMINAL, AND A SHORT CIRCUIT CONNECTION MEANS IN PARALLEL WITH THE RESISTANCE ELEMENT FOR MAINTAINING THE DISTRIBUTED STRAY CAPACITANCE ASSOCIATED THEREIWTH SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT AS THE RESISTANCE OF SAID NETWORK IS VARIED UPON MOVEMENT OF THE CONTACT ARM ALONG THE RESISTANCE ELEMENT.