Automatic slope control for arc welding machines

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC SLOPE CONTROL FOR AN ARC WELDER COMPRISING: A MOVABLE MAIN WELDING CURRENT CONTROL MEANS, A FIRST AND SECOND POTENTIOMETER FORMING A WHEATSTONE BRIDGE, THE WIPER ARM OF SAID FIRST POTENTIOMETER BEING MECHANICALLY CONNECTED TO AND FOLLOWING THE MOVEMENT OF THE MAIN WELDING CURRENT CONTROL MEANS, AN ELECTROMECHANICAL CLUTCH SELECTIVELY MECHANICALLY CONNECTING THE WIPER ARMS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND POTENTIOMETERS, SAID CLUTCH BEING DISENGAGED DURING DECAY OPERATION, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO AN UNBALANCE IN SAID BRIDGE FOR CAUSING SAID POTENTIOMETERS TO BE READJUSTED UNTIL SAID BRIDGE IS AGAIN IN BALANCE WHEREBY, DURING DECAY, SAID WIPER ARM OF THE SECOND POTENTIOMETER ACTS AS A MEMORY UNIT BY HOLDING ITS POSITION WHILE SAID WIPER ARM OF THE FIRST POTENTIOMETER IS DRIVEN TO ONE EXTREME, SAID CICRUIT SENSING AN UNBALANCED CONDITION OF SAID BRIDGE CAUSING SAID MAIN WELDING CURRENT CONTROL MEANS TO BE RESET AT ITS ORIGINAL SETTING.