Lineal controlled resistance device

Claim 2

Linear controlled resistance means for controlling the amount of resistance in an electric circuit, said resistance means comprising: a. body means; b. guide rod means fixedly attached to said body means; c. carriage means slidably mounted on said guide rod means; d. variable resistor means fixedly attached to said carriage means, said variable resistor means including a shaft for allowing the resistance of said variable resistor means to be varied by rotary movement thereof; e. a pinion gear fixedly attached to said shaft of said variable resistor means; f. a rack gear fixedly attached to said body means in engagement with said pinion gear whereby manual linear movement of said carriage means back and forth upon said guide rod means will cause rotary movement of said shaft of said variable resistor means thereby varying the resistance of said variable resistor means; and g. terminal means attached to said variable resistor means for connecting said variable resistor means to the electric circuit.

Claim 3

The linear controlled resistance means of claim 1 in which said guide rod means includes a pair of spaced apart guide rods fixedly attached to said body means, and in which said carriage means includes a plurality of bearing members for mounting said carriage means to said pair of spaced apart guide rods and for allowing said carriage means to freely slide upon said pair of spaced apart guide rods.

Claim 4

The linear controlled resistance means of claim 1 in which is included means for maintaining said rack gear in engagement with said pinion gear, said means for maintaining said rack gear in engagement with said pinion gear including at least one spring-like member for forcing said rack gear into engagement with said pinion gear.

Claim 5

The linear controlled resistance means of claim 2 in which is included tension means for controlling the friction between said carriage means and said guide rod means; said tension means including an elongated spring-like member extending substantially parallel to one of said pair of spaced apart guide rods and having first and second ends with said first end fixedly attached to said carriage means, a ball-like member positioned between said spring-like member and said one of said pair of spaced apart guide rods, and a screw member mounted on said carriage means in contacting engagement with said second end of said spring-like member whereby adjustment of said screw member will vary the pressure said spring-like member applies to said ball-like member thereby varying the friction between said carriage means and said guide rod means.

Claim 6

Linear controlled resistance means for controlling the amount of resistance in an electric circuit, said resistance means comprising: a. body means including a hollow interior portion and a face panel having a slit-like aperture therein; b. a pair of spaced apart guide rods fixedly attached to said body means and located within said hollow interior portion of said body means parallel to said slit-like aperture in said face panel thereof; c. carriage means slidably mounted on said pair of spaced apart guide rods, said carriage means including a plurality of bearing members for allowing said carriage means to freely slide upon said spaced apart guide rods, said carriage means including a body portion having an arm extending through said slit-like aperture of said face panel of said hollow interior portion of said body means whereby manual linear movement of said arm back and forth within said slit-like aperture of said body means will cause corresponding back and forth linear movement of said carriage means upon said spaced apart guide rods; d. variable resistor means fixedly attached to said body portion of said carriage means, said variable resistor means including a shaft for allowing the resistance of said variable resistor means to be varied by rotary movement thereof; e. a pinion gear fixedly attached to said shaft of said variable resistor means; f. a rack gear fixedly attached to said body means and located within said hollow interior portion of said body means in engagement with said pinion gear with linear movement of said arm of said carriage means back and forth within said slit-like aperture of said body means causing rotary movement of said shaft of said variable resistor means thereby varying the resistance of said variable resistor means; g. means for maintaining said rack gear in engagement with said pinion gear; h. tension means for controlling the friction between said carriage means and said guide rods; and i. terminal means attached to said variable resistor means for connecting said variable resistor means to the electric circuit.

Claim 7

Linear controlled resistance means for controlling the amount of resistance in an electric circuit, said resistance means comprising: a. body means including a hollow interior portion and a face panel having a slit-like aperture therein; b. a pair of spaced apart guide rods fixedly attached to said body means and located within said hollow interior portion of said body means parallel to said slit-like aperture in said face panel thereof; c. carriage means slidably mounted on said pair of spaced apart guide rods, said carriage means including a plurality of bearing members for allowing said carriage means to freely slide upon said spaced apart guide rods, said carriage means including a body portion having an arm extending through said slit-like aperture of said face panel of said hollow interior portion of said body means whereby manual linear movement of said arm back and forth within said slit-like aperture of said body means will cause corresponding back and forth linear movement of said carriage means upon said spaced apart guide rods; d. variable resistor means fixedly attached to said body portion of said carriage means, said variable resistor means including a shaft for allowing the resistance of said variable resistor means to be varied by rotary movement thereof; e. a pinion gear fixedly attached to said shaft of said variable resistor means; f. a rack gear fixedly attached to said body means and located within said hollow interior portion of said body means in engagement with said pinion gear with linear movement of said arm of said carriage means back and forth within said slit-like aperture of said body means causing rotary movement of said shaft of said variable resistor means thereby varying the resistance of said variable resistor means; g. means for maintaining said rack gear in engagement with said pinion gear; h. tension means for controlling the friction between said carriage means and said guide rods; and i. terminal means attached to said variable resistor means for connecting said variable resistor means to the electric circuit.

Claim 8

The linear controlled resistance means of claim 5 in which said means for maintaining said rack gear in engagement with said pinion gear includes at least one spring-like member for forcing said rack gear into engagement with said pinion gear.

Claim 9

The linear controlled resistance means of claim 5 in which said tension means includes an elongated spring-like member extending substantially parallel to one of said pair of spaced apart guide rods and having first and second ends with said first end fixedly attached to said body portion of said carriage means, a ball-like member positioned between said spring-like member and said one of said pair of spaced apart guide rods, and a screw member mounted on said body portion of said carriage means in contacting engagement with said second end of said spring-like member whereby adjustment of said screw member will vary the pressure said spring-like member applies to said ball-like member thereby varying the friction between said carriage means and said guide rods.

Claim 10

An improvement in a linear controlled resistance means including a body, guide rod means fixedly attached to the body, carriage means slidably mounted on the guide rod means, variable resistor means fixedly attached to the carriage means and having a shaft for allowing the resistance of the variable resistor means to be varied by rotary movement thereof, and means for causing linear movement of the carriage means to produce rotation of the shaft of the variable resistor means; said improvement comprising: a. a pinion gear fixedly attached to the shaft of the variable resistor means; and b. a rack gear fixedly attached to the body in engagement with said pinion gear with manual linear movement of the carriage means back and forth upon the guide rod means causing rotary movement of the shaft of the variable resistor means thereby varying the resistance of the variable resistor means.

Claim 11

An improvement in a linear controlled resistance means including a body, guide rod means fixedly attached to the body, carriage means slidably mounted on the guide rod means, variable resistor means fixedly attached to the carriage means and having a shaft for allowing the resistance of the variable resistor means to be varied by rotary movement thereof, and means for causing linear movement of the carriage means to produce rotation of the shaft of the variable resistor means; said improvement comprising: a. a pinion gear fixedly attached to the shaft of the variable resistor means; and b. a rack gear fixedly attached to the body in engagement with said pinion gear with manual linear movement of the carriage means back and forth upon the guide rod means causing rotary movement of the shaft of the variable resistor means thereby varying the resistance of the variable resistor means.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 8 in which said improvement includes means for maintaining said rack gear in engagement with said pinion gear; said means for maintaining said rack gear in engagement with said pinion gear including spring-like means for forcing said rack gear into engagement with said pinion gear.

Claim 13

The inprovement of claim 9 in which said improvement includes tension means for controlling the friction between the carriage means and the guide rod means; said tension means including an elongated spring-like member extending substantially parallel to said guide rod means and having first and second ends with said first end fixedly attached to the carriage means, a ball-like member positioned between said spring-like member and the guide rod means, and a screw member mounted on the carriage means in contacting engagement with said second end of said spring-like member whereby adjustment of said screw member will vary the pressure said spring-like member applies to said ball-like member thereby varying the friction between the carriage means and the guide rod means.