US3597719A — Variable resistor with clutch limbs lifting slide…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 299 words

A lead screw adjusted variable resistor comprising: first means, including housing means providing an elongate chamber and comprising a body member providing a set of elongate downwardly facing shelflike guide surfaces therein along opposite sidewalls of said chamber; second means, including a resistance element having an elongate surface exposed in said chamber and disposed parallel to said guide surfaces; third means, including an elongate lead screw, journaled in said housing means and having a threaded portion disposed in said chamber with the longitudinal axis thereof disposed substantially parallel to said element; anD fourth means, including a contact-carrying slider having a base presenting first and second bearing surfaces at opposite sides thereof arranged to slide along respective ones of said guide surfaces, said slider having opposed elongate upstanding resilient limbs separated by a lead screw receiving slot, said limbs resiliently embracing said lead screw only along areas above the lead screw axis and thereby exerting forces effective to lift said base portion toward said lead screw and said bearing surfaces into forceful contact with said guide surfaces, said slot being of such depth that said base is spaced from and out of contact with the lower half of the arcuate surface of said lead screw, said fourth means including a contact device translated with said slider incident to rotation of said lead screw, said contact device being stressed and brushing on said resistance element; whereby said slider and said contact device are inhibited from rocking or other deviation from rectilinear path of movement incident to operation of said lead screw despite eccentricity or other undesirable shape or positioning of said lead screw relative to said element and the force exerted by said contact device on said resistance element is independent of the shape and diametral dimensions of said lead screw.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 299 words

A lead screw adjusted variable resistor comprising: first means, including housing means providing an elongate chamber and comprising a body member providing a set of elongate downwardly facing shelflike guide surfaces therein along opposite sidewalls of said chamber; second means, including a resistance element having an elongate surface exposed in said chamber and disposed parallel to said guide surfaces; third means, including an elongate lead screw, journaled in said housing means and having a threaded portion disposed in said chamber with the longitudinal axis thereof disposed substantially parallel to said element; anD fourth means, including a contact-carrying slider having a base presenting first and second bearing surfaces at opposite sides thereof arranged to slide along respective ones of said guide surfaces, said slider having opposed elongate upstanding resilient limbs separated by a lead screw receiving slot, said limbs resiliently embracing said lead screw only along areas above the lead screw axis and thereby exerting forces effective to lift said base portion toward said lead screw and said bearing surfaces into forceful contact with said guide surfaces, said slot being of such depth that said base is spaced from and out of contact with the lower half of the arcuate surface of said lead screw, said fourth means including a contact device translated with said slider incident to rotation of said lead screw, said contact device being stressed and brushing on said resistance element; whereby said slider and said contact device are inhibited from rocking or other deviation from rectilinear path of movement incident to operation of said lead screw despite eccentricity or other undesirable shape or positioning of said lead screw relative to said element and the force exerted by said contact device on said resistance element is independent of the shape and diametral dimensions of said lead screw.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 98 words

A variable resistor as defined in claim 1, in which said housing body member provides a second set of downwardly facing surfaces parallel to said shelflike guide surfaces, and in which said first means comprise a housing cover on a flat surface of which said resistance element is supported and which cover has said surface in contact with said second set of downwardly facing surfaces, whereby said resistance element is precisely positioned relative to the rectilinear path of movement of said slider to maintain unvarying stress in said contact device during traversal along the extent of said element.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 122 words

A variable resistor as defined in claim 1, in which said slider base comprises means forming first and second longitudinally extending recesses at opposite sides thereof separated by a wall-forming portion providing opposed longitudinal walls and means providing a wall-forming abutment longitudinally spaced from said recesses and providing a wall extending transversely of said base, and in which said contact device comprises first and second ears seated in respective ones of said recesses and each abutting against respective ones of said longitudinal walls and further defining a slot with an end boundary wall against which the transverse wall of said abutment abuts, whereby said contact is detachably secured to said slider and held against lateral and longitudinal motion relative to said slider.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 217 words

A variable resistor as defined in claim 1, in which said body-housing member provides a second set of downwardly facing surfaces parallel to said shelflike guide surfaces, and in which said first means comprise a flat housing cover on a face of which said resistance element is supported and which cover is disposed with portions of said face in face-to-face contact with said second set of downwardly facing surfaces to precisely position said element parallel to the rectilinear path of movement of said slider, and in which resistor said slider base comprises means forming first and second recesses at opposite sides thereof extending inwardly therein and bounded therein by respective sets of separated walls, said slider base comprising a transverse abutment forming a transverse wall, and in which resistor said contact device comprises first and second ears snugly seated in respective ones of said recesses in contact with said walls, said contact device having means forming a transverse face against which said transverse wall of said abutment presses, whereby said contact device in said resistor is restricted to movements strictly parallel with said resistance element during rotation of said lead screw and whereby force exerted by said contact device on said resistance element is as Small as desired and is uniform during all operations of said resistor.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 253 words

A lead screw adjusted variable resistor comprising: first means, including a housing means providing an elongate chamber and opposed elongate parallel guide surfaces therein; second means, including an elongate resistance element extending longitudinally of said chamber and having an active surface exposed in said chamber parallel to said guide surfaces, and terminal means for said element; third means, including an elongate lead screw journaled in said housing and having a threaded portion exposed in said chamber with a lower half of the periphery thereof facing toward said element and an upper half of the periphery facing away from said element; fourth means, including a slider having upstanding opposed resilient limbs and a base integral with said limbs, said slider being disposed in said chamber with said base between said element and said lead screw and out of contact with said lead screw, said limbs resiliently clasping and engaging said leadscrew along respective portions of said upper half of the periphery thereof and exerting downwardly and inwardly directed forces thereon tending to lift said base toward said lead screw and effective to bring said base into guiding engagement with said parallel guide surfaces whereby said base is constrained to rectilinear movements along said guide surfaces independently of the shape and dimensions and operation of said lead screw and whereby said slider is traversed along said guide surfaces incident to lead screw rotation; and fifth means including a resilient contact device carried by said slider, said contact device having a contact brushing on said element.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 253 words

A lead screw adjusted variable resistor comprising: first means, including a housing means providing an elongate chamber and opposed elongate parallel guide surfaces therein; second means, including an elongate resistance element extending longitudinally of said chamber and having an active surface exposed in said chamber parallel to said guide surfaces, and terminal means for said element; third means, including an elongate lead screw journaled in said housing and having a threaded portion exposed in said chamber with a lower half of the periphery thereof facing toward said element and an upper half of the periphery facing away from said element; fourth means, including a slider having upstanding opposed resilient limbs and a base integral with said limbs, said slider being disposed in said chamber with said base between said element and said lead screw and out of contact with said lead screw, said limbs resiliently clasping and engaging said leadscrew along respective portions of said upper half of the periphery thereof and exerting downwardly and inwardly directed forces thereon tending to lift said base toward said lead screw and effective to bring said base into guiding engagement with said parallel guide surfaces whereby said base is constrained to rectilinear movements along said guide surfaces independently of the shape and dimensions and operation of said lead screw and whereby said slider is traversed along said guide surfaces incident to lead screw rotation; and fifth means including a resilient contact device carried by said slider, said contact device having a contact brushing on said element.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 112 words

A lead screw adjusted variable resistor as defined in claim 5, in which said base of said slider comprises means forming opposed separated recesses therein and an abutment providing a wall extending transversely of said base, and in which said contact device comprises opposed spaced ears complementary to and snugly engaging said base in respective ones of said recesses and further comprises first and second contact limbs separated by a slot terminated by a wall complementary to and abutting against said wall of said abutment, whereby said contact device is detachably secured in operative position on said slider and is thereon restrained against longitudinal and lateral movements thereon relative to said slider.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 263 words

A lead screw adjusted variable resistor comprising: first means, including housing means providing an elongate chamber characterized by a pair of downwardly facing parallel shelflike guide surfaces along opposite sides of the chamber and a pair of downwardly facing ledges parallel to said guide surfaces; second means, including a lead screw journaled for rotation in said housing and having a threaded portion exposed along a portion of the interior of said chamber; third means, including an elongate housing cover having thereon a resistance element, said cover positioned against said ledges and secured to said first means and disposed with an active face of said element exposed in said chamber parallel to said guide surfaces; fourth means, including a slider having resilient upstanding limbs thereof engaging said lead screw for traversal thereby along an extent of said chamber incident to rotation of said said lead screw, and said slider having a base with upwardly facing bearing surfaces bearing on said guide surfaces; said first means and said fourth means comprising means restricting said slider to rectilinear movements along a path parallel to said active face of said resistance element and holding said base out of contact with said lead screw; and fifth means, including a resilient contact device having ears and wall-forming means cooperating with respective complementary wall-forming means on said slider base to detachably secure said contact device to said base and to restrain said contact against any longitudinaL and transverse movement relative to said base in said chamber, said contact device having a contact brushing on said active face of said element.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 263 words

A lead screw adjusted variable resistor comprising: first means, including housing means providing an elongate chamber characterized by a pair of downwardly facing parallel shelflike guide surfaces along opposite sides of the chamber and a pair of downwardly facing ledges parallel to said guide surfaces; second means, including a lead screw journaled for rotation in said housing and having a threaded portion exposed along a portion of the interior of said chamber; third means, including an elongate housing cover having thereon a resistance element, said cover positioned against said ledges and secured to said first means and disposed with an active face of said element exposed in said chamber parallel to said guide surfaces; fourth means, including a slider having resilient upstanding limbs thereof engaging said lead screw for traversal thereby along an extent of said chamber incident to rotation of said said lead screw, and said slider having a base with upwardly facing bearing surfaces bearing on said guide surfaces; said first means and said fourth means comprising means restricting said slider to rectilinear movements along a path parallel to said active face of said resistance element and holding said base out of contact with said lead screw; and fifth means, including a resilient contact device having ears and wall-forming means cooperating with respective complementary wall-forming means on said slider base to detachably secure said contact device to said base and to restrain said contact against any longitudinaL and transverse movement relative to said base in said chamber, said contact device having a contact brushing on said active face of said element.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-08-02	1975-02-01	1975-08-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-08-02	1979-02-01	1979-08-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-08-02	1983-02-01	1983-08-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Variable resistor with clutch limbs lifting slider against housing guides

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