Helical-element variable resistor

Claim 1

A HELICAL-ELEMENT VARIABLE RESISTOR COMPRISING: FIRST MEANS, INCLUDING MEANS PROVIDING A HOUSING HAVING AN OPEN-ENDED BARREL-LIKE CENTRAL HOUSING PORTION, AND FIRST AND SECOND END BELLS EACH PROVIDING A RESPECTIVE ONE OF FIRST AND SECOND ENDS OF SAID HOUSING, SAID BARREL-LIKE CENTRAL HOUSING PORTION AND SAID END BELLS EACH HAVING INTEGRAL THEREWITH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF PAIRS OF COMPLEMENTARY INTERENGAGING SNAPACTING FORMATIONS PROVIDED THEREON ONE OF WHICH AT EACH END OF SAID HOUSING COMPRISES A GROOVE AND THE OTHER OF WHICH COMPRISES A RIDGE MATING WITH THE GROOVES PERMITTING DIRECT ENDWISE PRESSING OF SAID END BELLS ONTO SAID HOUSING PORTION AND SAID FORMATIONS SERVING TO RESILIENTLY RETAIN SAID END BELLS ON SAID HOUSING PORTION, AND SAID HOUSING PORTION AND SAID END BELLS HAVING AT EACH END OF SAID HOUSING A SET OF COMPLEMENTARY MATING LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING NOTCH AND KEY FORMATIONS MUTUALLY EFFECTIVE TO POSITION THE END BELLS AND SAID BODY PORTION EACH RELATIVE TO THE OTHERS THEREOF AND TO PREVENT RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN, AND SAID END BELLS COMPRISING RESPECTIVE BEARING MEANS; SECOND MEANS, INCLUDING A PLURAL-CONVOLUTION HELICAL RESISTANCE ELEMENT DISPOSED ON THE INTERIOR OF SAID CENTRAL HOUSING PORTION ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID HOUSING, AND TERMINAL MEANS FOR RESPECTIVE ENDS OF SAID RESISTANCE ELEMENT; THIRD MEANS, INCLUDING ROTARY MEANS JOURNALED FOR ROTATION ABOUT SAID AXIS AND SUPPORTED BY SAID BEARING MEANS, AND A CONDUCTIVE ELECTRICAL RETURN BUS INCLUDED IN SAID ROTARY MEANS; FOURTH MEANS, INCLUDING CONTACT-CARRIER MEANS AND A CONTACT DEVICE THEREON, DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ROTARY MEANS AND SAID RESISTANCE ELEMENT AND ENGAGING SAID ROTARY MEANS FOR ROTATION THEREWITH ABOUT SAID AXIS AND GUIDED ALONG A HELICAL PATH ADJACENT SAID ELEMENT, SAID CONTACT DEVICE BRUSHING ON AND ELECTRICALLY INTERCONNECTING SAID RESISTANCE ELEMENT AND SAID RETURN BUS; AND FIFTH MEANS PROVIDING A TERMINAL CONNECTION FOR SAID RETURN BUS; WHEREBY ASSEMBLY OF SAID VARIABLE RESISTOR IS FACILITATED.