Adjustable spindle-type resistor element

Claim 1

An adjustable resistor element adapted to be mounted as a single element, or as one of a bank of similar elements, on a printed circuit board or the like in such a way that it cooperates with an elongated horizontal resistor slide track in the form of a resistive layer on the circuit board, or an equivalent variable resistance line, by contacting the slide track at a given, movable point along its length, the circuit board being assumed horizontal for purposes of definition used hereinbelow, the resistor element comprising in combination: a horizontally extending housing of malleable, electrically conductive sheet metal having an elongated center panel and integral vertical end panels at the front and rear ends thereof; a threaded horizontal spindle journalled in horizontally aligned bores in the vertical end panels of the housing, the spindle including an adjusting knob at its front end outside the forward vertical end panel; a sliding block threaded for cooperation with the spindle so as to move therealong under spindle rotation, the sliding block carrying a flexible sliding finger having a contact point with the aforementioned slide track, or equivalent, of a printed circuit board; means for axially retaining the spindle; means for electrically connecting the sliding finger of the sliding block to the housing; means defined by the housing for longitudinally guiding the sliding block against rotation; and mounting means for connecting the end panels of the resistor element to the printed circuit board.