Electrical control device

Claim 2

An electrical control device comprising: a housing; an extended conductive element located in said housing; a first terminal electrically connected to said conductive element; a resistive element located in said housing, said resistive element coextending with said conductive element at a substantially uniform spacing therefrom; a second terminal electrically connected to said resistive element; a first contact resiliently biased against said conductive element; a second contact resiliently biased against said resistive element; conducting means electrically interconnecting said first and second contact elements; actuating means for displacing said first and second contact elements; a gear track located in said housing and coextending with said conductive element and said resistive element; and gear means on said actuating means retaining said conducting means and adapted to engage said gear track, whereby the characteristics of an electrical signal applied to said first terminal or to said second terminal and taken from the other of said terminals may be altered by displacement of said contacts by said actuating means, said contacts being fixedly stationed in the positions to which they are displaced.

Claim 3

An electrical control device as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising a third terminal electrically connected to said resistive element at a point spaced from said second terminal, whereby the characteristics of an electrical signal applied between said second terminal and said third terminal and taken from said first terminal may be altered by displacement of said contacts by said actuating means.

Claim 4

An electrical control device as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said actuating means comprises an actuating disc; and said gear means comprises a gearwheel attached to said actuating disc.

Claim 5

An electrical control device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said conducting means comprises a coil spring passing through said actuating disc and said gearwheel with said first contact mounted on one end thereof and said second contact mounted on the other end thereof.

Claim 6

An electrical control device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resistive element comprises a wire-wound resistor.

Claim 7

An electrical control device as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said housing is a rectangular casing; said conductive element is a straight rectangular strip of conductive material located along one side of said rectangular casing; and said resistive element is a straight wire-wound resistor located along the opposite side of said rectangular casing.

Claim 8

A linear electrical control device comprising; a rectangular casing; a conductive element located along one side of said rectangular casing; a first terminal electrically connected to said conductive element and extending from said casing; a resistive element located along the side of said casing opposite said conductive element; a second terminal electrically connected to said resistive element adjacent one end thereof and extending from said casing; a third terminal electrically connected to said resistive element adjacent the other end thereof and extending from said casing; a contactor extending between and electrically contacting said conductive element and said resistive element; a actuating disc for displacing said contactor; a gear track located adjacent said conductive element and said resistive element and coextensive therewith; and a gearwheel attached to said actuating disc and adapted to engage said gear track, a common axial cylindrical opening formed through said actuating disc and said gearwheel with said contactor passing through said cylindrical opening, whereby the electrical signal obtained from said first terminal is the signal applied between said second and third terminals with the characteristics thereof altered according to the displacement of said contactor by said actuating means.

Claim 9

A linear electrical control device comprising; a rectangular casing; a conductive element located along one side of said rectangular casing; a first terminal electrically connected to said conductive element and extending from said casing; a resistive element located along the side of said casing opposite said conductive element; a second terminal electrically connected to said resistive element adjacent one end thereof and extending from said casing; a third terminal electrically connected to said resistive element adjacent the other end thereof and extending from said casing; a contactor extending between and electrically contacting said conductive element and said resistive element; a actuating disc for displacing said contactor; a gear track located adjacent said conductive element and said resistive element and coextensive therewith; and a gearwheel attached to said actuating disc and adapted to engage said gear track, a common axial cylindrical opening formed through said actuating disc and said gearwheel with said contactor passing through said cylindrical opening, whereby the electrical signal obtained from said first terminal is the signal applied between said second and third terminals with the characteristics thereof altered according to the displacement of said contactor by said actuating means.

Claim 10

A linear electrical control device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said contactor comprises a pair of contact elements connected by an electrically conductive spring.

Claim 11

A linear electrical control device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said rectangular casing comprises: a first section in which said resistive element is mounted, said first section having assembly shoulders formed on each end and the bottom thereof; a second section in which said conductive element is mounted, said second section having assembly prongs adapted to engage said assembly shoulders in said first section, whereby said rectangular casing may be assembled by merely pressing said first and second sections together.

Claim 12

A linear electrical control device as claimed in claim 9 and further comprising aligned grooves formed in the ends of said first and second sections to provide a channel across both ends of the assembled control device, whereby multiple control devices may be stacked and held together by a restraining band passed through said channels on the ends of the control devices.

Claim 13

A linear electrical control device as claimed in claim 9 wherein: a gear track is mounted adjacent and coextensive with said conductive element iN said second section; said actuating means comprises an actuating disc; a gearwheel is attached to said actuating disc and is adapted to engage said gear track; and said second section has an opening formed in the top thereof in order for said actuating disc to extend therethrough for activation.